Carriage clock by Breguet et
Fils
Paris, France, AD 1822
Pendule de
voyage
Abraham Louis Breguet is said to have been the
inventor of the carriage clock. Typically, these clocks usually
took the form of a metal framed case, glazed on all four sides, and
with a carrying handle at the top. For his highest quality carriage
clocks, however, Breguet used a case of individual design
consisting of a round topped, 'hump-back' case,
with silver chains at the top for carrying. The firm of Breguet
made these carriage clocks between about 1812 and 1830. This
particular example is typical of the style and was made in 1822, at
a time when Abraham Louis was working with his son Louis Antoine
Breguet. The clock was sold to a Colonel Cook on 7 October 1822 for
the sum of FFr4,800.
The
silver case has the maker's mark 'L· L'
with a fleur-de-lis above and a star below. This is probably the
mark of the Parisian silversmith Louis Legay whose business was in
Quai de L'Horloge, the same street as Breguet. The
spring-driven movement with a
lever
escapement has a duration of eight days. As
well as telling the time, the clock has an alarm and a repeat
mechanism, which strikes the half-quarters and the hours. The dial
also indicates the age and phase of the moon and has a calendar
showing the day of the week, the date, the month and the year. The
clock is signed 'Breguet et Fils
Hgrs de la Marine
Royale No 3629'.
G. Daniels, The art of Breguet (London, Sotheby, Parke, Burnett, 1975)
C. Allix, Carriage clocks: their history (Woodbridge, Antique Collectors' Club, 1974)
D. Roberts, Carriage and other travelling (Atglen, Schiffer Publishing, 1993)