Carriage Clock Case Styles
It may appear to some that carriage clock cases are all largely the same, this is partly due to the standardisation of many different aspects, but in this article we will discuss the different types and styles you can find.
This article is part of a series of article we’re doing to look at the history & development of the carriage clock.
Case Construction
There are a variety of ways a carriage clock case can be made, but they can both be broken down into tow categories.
One-Piece, 1826-1845
The first style we will discuss is the ‘one-piece’ case. It will come as no surprise they are called this due to the cases being largely one piece. The top horizontal piece and the edges that drop down from this at the corners are brazed together after machining.
This style took off around the 1830s, making them one of the early styles of cases found in carriage clocks. They typically range in size from 4.5 inches to 6.75 inches in height. They sometimes don’t feature hinged doors, instead the front and/or rear glass could be slid out the top of the clock to allow the owner to wind the clock.
These cases are rare but are often of very high quality, as are the movements they contained.
Multi-Piece, 1850-Present Day
The typical case which would go on to form the basis of the vast majority of carriage clock cases, the multi-piece case has removable columns, which during assembly get screwed to the top horizontal plate and then the base.
This change in the case design meant that manufacturing cases was easier and quicker. This change meant that carriage clocks could be produced on a scale they could never have been if they used the one-piece case design.
It also opened up the possibility of different styles and designs, which wouldn’t have been possible if limited by the one-piece case.
Case Shapes
Obis, 1880-Presnt Day
It only feels right to mention this case shape first as its become the most common design of case we see here, no doubt thanks to its ease of production.
The case is of simple design, and was only made in one size, a height of 5.5 inches with the handle upright.
Corniche, 1880-Present Day
Very similar to the obis, just with slightly more ornate moulding (or cornice) around the upper edge of the base before at the top along the top piece another moulding.
Shorter squarer examples are called ‘Corniche Carree’ 1890s.
Anglaise, 1880-Present Day
A case shape very similar to the corniche but with squarer features. The corners of the base are right angles, the pillars are usually squared, and the handle is usually a square profile instead of rounded as is typical on the corniche cases.
The name derives from the fact the French believed this simpler case style would appeal to the English’s plain tastes. They were right, and this case design is still as popular now as it was then.
Gorge, 1865-1900
One of the most expensive to make styles was the Gorge (grooved) case. Its name derives from the deep grooves in the base, pillars, and top. The top is often a stack of convex and concave tiers. They were sometime engraved but this is rare.
The cases were always of very high quality.
Cannelee, 1885
The name meaning fluted. A simpler case design to the Gorge but similar in many ways, it features a more angular profile than the gorge. Used for only the finest of movements.
Oval, 1850
A relatively common, though less so than the Corniche, Obis, and Anglaise cases, oval cases had an oval footprint with the elongated section of the oval at the front and the back of the clock. Often the glass is curved too, though some examples have flat glass on the front and back (likely to make the clock easier to read if not looking straight on)
Pillars, 1860-1900
This is perhaps less its own style and more a feature found in other styles, certainly the lines blur a little bit. These carriage clocks usually feature very ornate columns, common examples see the pillars in the style of bamboo, Corinthian columns, or pediment topped.
What seperates these designs from the Cannelee or Anglaise cases which one could argue these are sometimes found on, is that the design usually continues on the handle or the top, making it as much its own feature as the features that typically distinguish the Cannelee or Anglaise cases from others.
Essentially if the design of the pillars is unique and not found on other cases, and that design motif continues elsewhere on the case its a pillar case.
Cariatides, 1880-1900
A very ornate style of case, the name is derived from Greek, and is easily identified by the female figures on each of the columns. Very similar to Pillar cases, arguably a sub category, but its popularity means its often treated as a separate style.
Louis XV Doucine
This shape of case is easily identifiable due to the ogee or serpentine shape of the case, a feature borrowed from fine French furniture. Here the typical square sections of the top and bottom of the case are broken by convex curves on each side.
Conclussion
Most clocks will fall into at least one of the above categories, with some belonging to a different category depending on who you speak to. Not every clock will feature glass on all sides, instead some have enamel, porcelain, marble or ivory panels, but the case style or shape will be one of the above. The case material is usually brass but we see silver examples here frequently.
Here at the Carriage Clock Company we specialise in the repair and restoration of carriage clocks, both antique and modern, and can undertake repairs ranging from services through to full restoration, along with case and dial repairs. If you have a carriage clock you would like repaired, please click here to be taken through to our ‘Book A Repair’ page.
An Orbis Case
An Anglaise Case
To Some A Cannelee Case, To Others A Pillars Case (this example in silver not brass)