Starting Your Collection of Antique Carriage Clocks
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Harvey Mackay once said “Time is free, but it’s priceless. You can’t own it, but you can use it. You can’t keep it, but you can spend it. Once you’ve lose it you can never get it back”.
How true of the saying and how profound of the author. But while we can’t own time, we can own its instruments. While we can’t keep time, we can keep its timepieces. Similar to time though, once timepieces are lost, we can never get it back. Antique carriage clocks are credible proof.
Antique carriage clocks are evidence of an era gone by whose love affair with time was slow and elegant. They are constant reminders for us to slow down in this fast paced world. Today, antique carriage clocks are rare treasures. Those with heirlooms should not let it go to waste by taking care of it properly.
Antique carriage wall clocks were usually sold in high end jewelry stores in sophisticated cities like France, Boston and New York. They were portable time pieces and were more expensive than that of normal alarm clocks although some carriage clocks also had alarm features as well. What added to its appeal was the designer whose name is usually found on the face of the clock. French designers were usually the most sought after. And even up to now, French pieces are rare collectibles with a sprinkling of a few American and British designers. A Breguet timepiece is a valuable find. Other designers like Jacot, Drocourt, Margaine, Pinchon, Garnier and Japy also have pieces which are a collector’s dream.
To check if the antique carriage clock is valuable, it’s important to check its balance platform. Because of the time span, they usually get broken or worn. This will be difficult to repair because it takes a certain amount of expertise or at least keen research to search for original parts to replace it with. Most modern clock repairers only have slight knowledge of the spring mechanism system that antique carriage clocks used. One should be warned though that the value of the antique will be affected because a precious part of the original piece was taken away.
The first step in assessing if you’ve found a treasure of an antique carriage clock is to check the working condition. It is best to make sure all the mechanisms are working correctly and all its parts are present. If not, its value will depreciate significantly. If a repair part can be salvaged from the same model which isn’t working anymore, it is best to replace it with the same part. An original is always best.
Next is to check the outside physical condition of the clock. Check if there is any chipping in the case. Discoloration is also a big minus. Has the silver or brass case been taken care of properly? Did they use proper polishing tools for it? Has the painting in the porcelain front not been tarnished? Is it still visible even from afar?
For serious collectors, it is best to have a professional check the price range of the clock. They know best which of the 19th century items are more valuable than others. Displaying the collection is also important. Make sure to place it in a clean, dry place without too much exposure from humidity, moisture or sunlight. This will tarnish the material and even ruin the clock mechanism inside.
If the clock has been properly assessed, it may not only serve as collectible but as a function piece as well. It can sit in a part of the house as aide memories of our connection to the past and its significance to the present. That’s more than any other silent antique can give you.
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