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Travel clock, c. 1955 - c. 1965 (Production — view 1 of 3
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Clocks · Travel clock

Travel clock, c. 1955 - c. 1965 (Production

DocumentedDocumented from the holding institution's catalogue record.
Maker / attribution
Unrecorded in source
Date
c. 1955 - c. 1965 (Production
Country of origin
Unrecorded in source
Object type
Travel clock
Materials / technique
Maroon (Material/Technik)
Dimensions
Breite: 7 cm Länge: 7 cm
Holding institution
Einbeck City Museum
Accession / object no.
SME A 7933 (Inventarnummer)
Credit line
Einbeck City Museum
Catalogue title (original)
Zeitmessgerät / Reisewecker (German)

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Record summary

Held and catalogued by Einbeck City Museum (object number SME A 7933 (Inventarnummer)), this is a travel clock, dated c. 1955 - c. 1965 (Production. The Atlas places it in the Modern Mechanical Horology period (1945 – 1969) of its Clocks collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: Maroon (Material/Technik). Recorded dimensions: Breite: 7 cm Länge: 7 cm. The record is illustrated with 3 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

Catalogue description from Einbeck City Museum

Viereckiger Reisewecker in einem Lederetui, Fb. dunkelrot, mit Schnappschloß. - Das Etui besteht aus 2 Schalen. An einer der Schalen ist der Wecker mit Schrauben befestigt. - Der Wecker hat ein schwarzes, rundes Ziffernblatt mit Leuchtziffern und Leuchtzeigern. - Das Uhrengehäuse ist aus Messing bzw. vermessingt und hat 2 Räder zum Stellen der Uhr. Außerdem 2 Stifte und Ösen zum Aufziehen der Uhr. Urheber / Quelle: Stadtmuseum Einbeck Gravur: ELITE ()

Shown in the original language of the source catalogue. An editor-reviewed English translation has not yet been published; we do not publish machine translations as authoritative text.

Historical context

Modern Mechanical Horology (1945 – 1969)

Tool watches for divers, pilots and astronauts; electric watches anticipate the electronic age.

Post-war clocks combined new materials and industrial design: plastic and metal cases, battery-powered transistor movements from the late 1950s, and design classics by George Nelson, Max Bill and others. The first caesium atomic clock (1955) moved the definition of time from astronomy to physics.

Read the period in the timelineMore clocks from this periodEarlier: Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking

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.

Read next:Detached lever escapement

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