Sternreiter The Mini Oval

Product Review

The first authentic carriage clock was made in Paris at the start of the 19th Century, by Abraham-Louis Breguet (1747-1823).

Carriage clocks are also known in France as “Officer’s Clocks.” The name is based on an historical anecdote. It is said that Napoleon, having almost lost a battle because one of his officers was late, ordered his military chiefs to carry a small clock with them at all times. Orders placed with master clockmakers always included the reference “a clock for an officer” and this brought the name into common parlance.

Original Carriage Clocks, such as this one, include a jeweled platform escapement visible through the beveled glass on top. The escapement was placed this way so that the clock would continue to keep time while it was bounced around in a carriage with wooden wheels in the 19th Century.