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Carriage clock by Molyneux, 42 Lombard Street, London, c. 1835 — view 1 of 2
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Clocks · Carriage clock

Carriage clock by Molyneux, 42 Lombard Street, London, c. 1835

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Molyneux (maker)
Date
c. 1835
Country of origin
England
Place
42 Lombard Street, London
Object type
Carriage clock
Dimensions
Height 20 cm
Stock no.
SKU 453
Credit line
Dealer listing, Howard Walwyn (SKU 453)
Catalogue title (original)
MOLYNEUX. A fine William IV period English 4-glass carriage timepiece by this eminent maker (English)

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Record summary

Catalogued by Howard Walwyn Fine Antique Clocks (dealer), London (stock number SKU 453), this is a carriage clock by Molyneux, made in 42 Lombard Street, London, England, dated c. 1835. The Atlas places it in the Precision & Scientific Horology period (1750 – 1850) of its Clocks collection. Recorded dimensions: Height 20 cm. The record is illustrated with 2 photographs.

Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.

Catalogue description

Dealer description — Howard Walwyn

A fine William IV period English carriage timepiece by this eminent maker. The elegant small four-glass case is veneered with satinwood and stands on four adjustable brass bun feet. The 4 inch silvered brass dial has its original blued steel pointers and the finely engraved maker’s signature which is repeated on the back plate. The high quality single fusee movement has chain drive and a fine platform lever escapement and is of eight-day duration. Height : 8 in (20 cm) Width : 5 ¾ in (14.5 cm) Depth : 5 in (12.5 cm) * This clock was almost certainly made by Robert Molyneux or one of his sons who were working in Southampton Row off Russell Square in Bloomsbury between 1828 and 1840. They were well known for their precision regulators, marine chronometers and English four glass clocks. HW4931

Historical context

Precision & Scientific Horology (1750 – 1850)

Harrison solves longitude; Mudge invents the lever; Breguet's Paris workshop defines the modern watch.

The age of the deadbeat escapement, compensated pendulums and observatory regulators. Domestic clocks spread through the middle classes: English longcase and bracket clocks, French gilt-bronze mantel clocks, Viennese Biedermeier wall clocks, Black Forest painted-shield clocks, and the first American shelf clocks.

Read the period in the timelineMore clocks from this periodEarlier: Early Modern Horology

Atlas type guide

Carriage and travel clocks

The carriage clock is a portable spring clock with a balance-wheel escapement and a brass case with glass panels and a carrying handle. Abraham-Louis Breguet made early examples around 1800, and from the 1830s Paul Garnier and other French makers industrialised production, with the small towns of Saint-Nicolas-d'Aliermont and the Franche-Comté supplying movements for retailers worldwide.

Typical features include a platform escapement mounted horizontally on top of the movement (usually a lever, sometimes cylinder or Garnier's chaff-cutter), striking or repeating work, and alarms. English carriage clocks, generally larger and with fusees, were made by firms such as Frodsham and Dent. Travel clocks in folding leather cases became popular in the twentieth century.

What to look for

  • A platform escapement visible through the top glass.
  • Case styles: corniche, gorge, anglaise, obis or engraved cases.
  • Repeat buttons on top and strike/silent levers.
  • Stamps of movement makers (e.g. Drocourt, Jacot, Margaine, Richard & Co.) on the backplate.

Dating clues

  • Early carriage clocks with Breguet or Garnier features: c. 1800–1850.
  • Mass-produced French carriage clocks: c. 1850–1914.
  • Folding travel clocks and alarm travel clocks: mostly 1920–1970.

General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.

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