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Mantel Clocks / Desk Clocks / Table Clocks

man·tel also man·tle
noun

1. An ornamental facing around a fireplace. Also called mantelpiece.

2. The protruding shelf over a fireplace.  Also called mantelpiece, mantelshelf, fireboard.

You may wonder what the difference is between Mantel Clocks, Table Clocks and Desk Clocks.  The fact that Table Clocks can be placed on desks, Desk Clocks can sit on mantelpieces and Mantel Clocks can adorn tables often confuses the average timepiece consumer.

For the purposes of this site and in conjunction with the overall consensus of horology terminology, we will utilize the following definitions and provide a brief history:

Desk Clocks are small, decorative clocks with a balance escapement (they do not contain a pendulum).  Therefore, they are portable while in operation, regardless of their position.  The distant ancestors of desk clocks would most likely be the carriage clocks. Carriage clocks are small, spring-driven timepieces, designed to be portable.  Developed in early 19th century in France; the case (usually plain brass or gilt brass) is rectangular with a carrying handle and often set with glass or more rarely enamel or porcelain panels.  A feature of carriage clocks is the platform escapement, sometimes visible through a glazed aperture on the top of the case.

However, they are a miniaturization of the Paris-type movement, where the pendulum is replaced by a visible balance plateau.  The direct forerunners of desk clocks were the oversized pocket watches which could be hung in suitable stands or decorative containers.

The desk clock came into fashion in the Art-Déco period, i.e. between 1920 and 1935.  This era saw the production of an abundance of extremely decorative desk clocks. In the 1950s and 60s, this type of clock was further refined.  Today it enjoys great popularity again with famous clock manufacturers, such as Cartier, Jaeger le Coultre (until recently), Imhof, Suiza etc. maintaining this decorative branch of horology.  Desk clocks had flat, 8-day pocket watch movements until the 1970s and therefore differ considerably from carriage clocks.

Mantel Clocks are relatively small, moveable clocks traditionally placed on the shelf, or mantel, above the fireplace.  The form, first developed in France in the 1750s, can be distinguished from earlier clocks of similar size due to a lack of carrying handles.

The earliest Table Clocks that survive in any quantity are mid-16th century ones from the metalworking towns of Nuremberg and Augsburg.  These clocks had only one hand.  The dial between the hour markers is divided into four equal parts making the clocks readable only to the nearest 15 minutes.

These clocks are often highly ornate, decorative works.  They are most frequently constructed from any combination of ormolu, porcelain, and wood.  The mantel clock is featured as the character, 'Cogsworth' in Disney's Beauty and the Beast.

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