A carriage clock is an artifact of horology’s bygone days. This clock was primarily made from the beginning of 19th century to about 1930; before the wristwatch turned into commercially available. 
Still, this was a time in which people were traveling more frequently than they had in the centuries past and those people needed to be capable of telling the time. The first traveling clock was made in around the 1400s, with the cart clock being a more sophisticated edition of those clocks.
The first carriage clock, just as we all know, it was created for Napoleon Bonaparte in 1798. Not just did the clock tell the time, but featured a temperature display and a calendar as well. For this time, it was a very good technological feat and before long, this clock caught on in big ways.
The clock is typically rectangular and has glass, enamel or porcelain sides. This type of clock is characterized by a top mounted handle for flexibility. There was also a number of carriage clocks made that featured rounded tops and also a chain handle.
A carriage clock was very much a status icon in their day. Since just the wealthier classes could afford the recurrent travel that made carriage clocks a necessity, the clocks were considered to be a luxury item. The fact that the clocks were made for a wealthy clientele meant they were made both for beauty and durability.
The clocks had to have springs that could go for quite long periods of time ahead of needing to be wound. The spring systems used in the clocks were the same as the others used in any other design of clock made in the time, other than the size. Besides, the basic workings of spring were similar in a pocket watch made in that time.
Most carriage clocks feature a brass and glass or metal cover for the face. Glass was chosen by many as the face cover of the clock does not have to be opened to read this clock. Irrespective of the material used, the use of this cover is to shield the delicate moving parts of this clock face.
Also, a carriage clock is available in leather or leather-covered wood moving cases. These frequently had open or glass-covered sides in order that the clock is protected, but can still be read. Unluckily, those outer cases are rare today, most of them having moldy with time and use.
