Vintage Travelling Clock
These vintage travelling clock pieces are portable timepieces designed for journeys, offering brass frames and glass panels to tell time away from home.
Vintage Travelling Clock
A vintage travelling clock encompasses portable timepieces chiefly represented here by carriage clocks and pocket watches housed in protective travel cases.
The selections span the nineteenth century through the Edwardian period, with French workshops and British makers producing brass and gilt metal examples.
Buyers encounter miniature formats, repeating models, and striking mechanisms alongside porcelain panel designs created for mobility.
Assessing Quality and Execution
Superior examples exhibit fully engraved gilt brass cases, high precision movements with repeating strike functions, and original fitted leather travel cases.
Standard pieces rely on plain cast brass frames and simpler time-only movements without striking or alarm complications.
Vintage Travelling Clock Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical asking prices for vintage travelling clock among the pieces listed under this phrase on Sellingantiques today, from the lower quarter to the upper quarter. They describe what is for sale here now, not the wider market.
Listings feature brass, glass, enamel, leather, and porcelain across Victorian and Edwardian French and British carriage clocks.
Henri Jacot·Mappin and Webb·Goldsmiths Alliance Ltd·Pickford of London·Antoine Redier of Paris·T. Martin and Co·Brunelot·Doxa
The Vintage Travelling Clock Glossary
- Carriage clock
- A portable spring-driven timepiece originally designed for officers and travellers during the nineteenth century. These clocks typically feature a rectangular brass case with glass viewing panels and a carrying handle.
- Repeating movement
- A clock mechanism that chimes the hours and quarters upon demand when a button or pendant is pressed. This complication added cost and utility for travellers checking the time in the dark.
- Ormolu
- Gilded bronze or brass applied to clock cases for decorative effect. The technique produces a rich metallic lustre.
- Pendule d'Officier
- A French military or officer style of portable clock. These early travelling clocks often incorporate alarm functions and robust cases.
Vintage Travelling Clock: Frequently Asked Questions
What is a vintage travelling clock?
A vintage travelling clock is a portable timepiece built with a sturdy frame, handle, and glass panels for transport.
These pieces range from simple desk clocks to complex repeating carriage clocks housed in leather travel cases.
How do I wind a carriage clock?
Most mechanical travelling clocks utilise a specific key to wind the spring barrels through the dial or backplate.
Care must be taken not to overwind the mainspring to preserve the movement longevity.
What does a repeating mechanism do?
A repeating mechanism sounds the last elapsed hour and quarter hours when a lever or button is activated.
This function allowed nineteenth century travellers to check the time in darkened rooms without candles.
How are travel cases constructed?
Original travel cases consist of fitted leather boxes lined with velvet or silk to cushion the brass clock.
These housings protected the bevelled glass and delicate escapement components from the bumps of stagecoach and rail journeys.