Marble Clock

Marble carriage clocks are increasingly rare to come by, for the true collector a French Marble carriage clock is a unique piece, and a must-have antique.

The Marble Carriage Clock Design

Like most French carriage clocks, this gold carriage clock has been formed and handcrafted with Ormolu, which offers the golden bronze glint on the outer features of the clock. It is believed to have been handcrafted during the 19th century, circa 1890. The carriage clock identification is minimal, and the clockmaker appears to have left no trace of its heritage. However, from similar designs and expert antique opinions we can confirm that this clock and marble is of French Heritage.

The rectangle body of the carriage clock offers a standard & somewhat basic design, keeping within the typical carriage clock shaping, and also offering the bevelled glass as a window into the mechanics. The key focal point of this particular piece is its roof.

The roof of the French Mantel & Carriage clock is set with a clear white marble. White marble mantel clocks have become increasingly popular in recent years, as they offer a vintage-style approach to antique clocks.

Measures 13cm high with handle up by 9cm wide & 6cm deep

The History of the Marble Carriage Clock

Whilst this particular clock is only dated from the 1800s, the use of marble within furniture, ornaments and home design is not a fairly recent concept. Marble has been used for thousands of years, from religious artefacts, to architectural design and more.

Antique marble is extremely valuable, and often is used for pottery, vases and figures and statues. Marble is typically graded on the quality of the glass, the presence of flaws, the overall appearance and the actual design, with this in mind, a marble antique clock is a highly valuable and sought after piece.

What Does A and R Mean On A French Clock?

On a French clock, ‘R’ means slower and ‘A’ means faster. To make the clock run faster, you must turn the key towards the A and to make the clock run slower, you turn the key towards the R.

Why Does My Carriage Clock Keep Stopping?

A clock that is out of sync can stop altogether because of the pendulum that does not receive the optimum impulses that support it when swinging. Also, its best to keep in mind that the majority of carriage clocks have an 8 day movement, so they should be wound up at least once a week to make sure it doesn’t stop working.

How Do You Identify An Antique Carriage Clock?

By checking the inner mechanisms and the case, most professionals will be able to tell whether your clock is antique or not.  If you are trying to identify it by yourself, then clocks are usually labelled or stamped with a trademark or the name of its maker in some cases. These are considered more desirable then clocks without a trademark or stamp.