Antique French Carriage Clock C1890. With Key. Restored & Serviced Last Month.
Item History & Price
ANTIQUE FRENCH CARRIAGE CLOCK TIMEPIECE ALL COMPLETELY ORIGINAL AND TASTEFULLY RESTORED LAST MONTH. IT HAS AN UNUSUAL ARCHITECTURAL CASE WITH A DIVIDED TOP GLASS AND AN ATTRACTIVE MASKED DIAL. *CLOCK DIMENSIONS: Height with handle folded down 5 1/2 inches (14 cms); Width 3 1/4 inches (8 cms); Depth 2 1/2 inches (6.5 cms)I'm Graham. I have had professional training in clock repair and restoration. Now retired, I restore antique clocks as an interest. I specialise... in antique carriage clocks. I've worked on hundreds over the years and this is one of the more elegant shaped clocks I have come across: It was really satisfying to overhaul and service it last month (November 2020) in the peace and quiet of my workshop. It is in exceptionally good condition and looks really stunning on display. BRASS CLOCK CASE: Solid brass in perfect original condition. All case parts bear the same matching number (91), showing it to be totally original. The opening rear brass door is an absolute perfect fit - a good sign for obvious reasons! The front pillars and the crenellations round the top and the base are in-filled with dark red enamel. When I acquired the clock, the original gilded finish was very dirty but still in beautiful condition. So, instead of stripping the gilded finish off, I completely dismantled the case and gently cleaned the individual parts in warm soapy water. I then gave them a couple of coats of micro-crystalline wax polish to give added protection to the gilding before rebuilding the case. It now has a subdued (and not over-polished), antique patina which should last for years.MOVEMENT: Excellent quality 8 day timepiece made by Couaillet Freres - whose trade mark arrow is stamped on the back plate. It is also stamped "MADE IN FRANCE" just below the click spring. The movement is numbered 26 inside both plates. It still has its original brass lever escapement. It is beautifully engineered and finished (the back plate screws for example, have all been "blued"). After carefully checking the movement for wear, I completely dismantled it to give it a thorough clean, pegged it out, polished the pivots on the lathe and then oiled it with appropriate high-grade clock and watch oil. I hand polished the plates prior to rebuilding it; I also cleaned and oiled the escapement. The movement is now in perfect working order. There is a fast/slow adjustment lever which is reached through the opening rear door. The movement should not need servicing again for many years.DIAL: The white enamel-on-copper dial is original to the clock and sits behind a polished matt brass masking plate. It has some faint hairline cracks which I worked on and which are now almost invisible to the naked eye. It also has a tiny chip round the central arbour which I filled: it too is now almost invisible. It has bold roman numerals and each 5 minute mark on the chapter ring is highlighted with a gold painted dot. The delicate polished blued steel hands are original and in good condition. GLASSES: All five glasses are in good condition. The top glass is divided and shaped to match the contours of the unusual pitched roof. There is a really tiny chip to the edge of one of the pieces of top glass which does not really show in the pictures: I mention it only for the sake of completeness. KEY: The clock comes with a double-ended brass carriage clock key: one end is for winding the 8-day movement and the other is for adjusting the hands.AN ELEGANT ANTIQUE FRENCH BRASS CARRIAGE CLOCK IN EXCELLENT ORIGINAL CONDITION. Packaging (new strong boxes) and Postage (tracked and insured) UK £12.50; EU £25.00 (about 28 Euros); Elsewhere £35.00PLEASE READ MY 100% POSITIVE FEEDBACK ON eBay BEFORE BIDDING: I HOPE THAT SPEAKS FOR ITSELF! GOOD LUCK IF YOU DECIDE TO BID.
