Wednesday, February 8, 2012

BAYARD Carriage clocks

When Albert Villon established his clock making shop in 1867 in St Nicholas D'Aliermont in northern France, he specialized in marine clocks and travel/carriage clocks.

During the next decades, the company changed names - from Duverdrey & Bloquel to Bayard and made many models of clocks -including traditional carriage clocks with solid brass cases and bevelled glass fronts, sides and backs and several models also had visible escapements.

In 1978 Bayard was taken over by Jaeger-Levallois from Switzerland.
In the 1980's (1982-83) they began reproducing some of the clocks that had originally been manufactured by the first Bayard company, including a line of 'mignonettes' - carriage clocks.


Bayard Migonette
Mignonettes (meaning small, sweet  i.e. mignon) are excellent, high-class reproductions of some of the carriage clocks made by Duverdrey & Bloquel at the beginning of the XIXth Century. They are still mechanical clocks (not quartz) and should not be confused with Bayard carriage clocks made in the XIXth or early XXth centuries.


A total of four different mignonette models were produced, some with Arabic numbers, other with Roman numerals. All have solid brass cases, bevelled  glass fronts, backs and sides  and an 8-day movement with an enamel dial.

They measure 82 x 147 mm and weigh about 630 grams.

They are easily recognizable by the name 'Bayard' stamped on the dial below the 12 along with 8 day and Made in France.

Most of them were made and sold for export to the UK and the US.


Another indication that it is a 'mignonette' is that the back plate of the clock has "7 seven (or 9 nine) jewels/unadjusted/Duverdrey & Bloquel/France/ and a series number engraved on it.

They are becoming more and more collectable since their production ceased thirty years ago and their mechanical movement is of the same high quality as the original Bayard carriage clocks. The 'mignonette' model with Arabic numbers is the rarest of the four models.

17 comments:

  1. Hello. You helped me identify a Jaz clock recently because I couldn't understand why the bird was in a different position and thank you for that. This time, I wonder if you could help me with this Bayard 8 day clock. When I found it in a flea market, it came in an ornate metal surround which, although it fits exactly, keeps falling out as it doesn't have any fixings. I am assuming the clock itself came from another setting and was put together with this surround at a later date as I can't see any other Bayard clocks in this sort of setting online. It is marked on the back DB which I assume is Dreverdey & Briquot and I have 3 photos showing the details here http://www.flickr.com/photos/53341128@N06/sets/72157632729898565/. I'd be very interested in what you think. Thanks in anticipation.

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  2. Oops! I meant Duverdrey-Bloquel of course - I was trying to spell it from memory!

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  3. Hi....you definitely have an interesting clock from someone who has imagination and initiative. In fact, I suspect that it is unique and a bit of fun. The casing is definitely in the art Nouveau style - clocks around the 1890's - up to the end of WWI were encased in these, usually made out of a material called 'régule' - and are still being produced. The clock face and movement are post 1970's when the Bayard name was sold - look at the font used in the mignonette here - same slant and same style BUT the back cover is definitely from the 1930's, made from brass and stamped with the Bayard D&B stamp. When clocks were produced, they were manufactured to include some sort of fastening to the case, not just 'plunked' in. The three holes in the back cover would have been for brass screws to fasten it to the movement and then some sort of frame would have been installed to fasten it to the case.
    I think that your clock is fun - sort of a history of clock making. Enjoy it.

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  4. So sorry to be late in saying 'thank you' for your comments. Yes, I kind of thought it was a bit of a mixed bags. However, one thing does puzzle me. The holes for the screws in the back cover line up exactly with the holes in the movement itself which seems very fortuitous.

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  5. Well that is really not surprising. The machinery to produce the pieces of these clocks was very much standardized to Bayard's earlier production. The company that purchased the name very likely purchased the machinery and possibly whatever production stock that was left. So you could have a recently manufactured round alarm clock fitting very well to older back cases since they wouldn't have changed the design of the clock's mechanical mouvement from the original, resulting in having to rebuild the machinery.
    Enjoy your clock. I think it's kind of interesting.

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  6. You are a font of knowledge! Thanks again.

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  7. The knowledge is not all mine. I was very fortunate to have met one of the great collectors of French clocks made between the World Wars. In fact he was a clockmaker, as were his father and grandfather. We would get together at the huge annual clock show in Cluses, one of the main production centers in France in the 1930's. It attracts collectors and clockmakers from all over Europe and one year, I met a very elderly gentleman who had worked for Bayard and spent many hours listening to him describe how the factory operated and what happened when it was sold.So it's a pleasure to pass the knowledge on. Best regards.

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  8. Hello. An elderly woman I know asked me if I could research a clock that had been passed down to her husband from his mother. The woman is 84, and her husband was ten years older than her, so I figured the clock was probably manufactured some time in the early to mid-1900's. A search on a German website for the clock's lion passant logo brought me to Druverdrey & Bloquel as the manufacturer, which led me to a very similar four-glass brass carriage clock being sold on eBay. The letters S and R above the lion are exactly the same, but the Druverdrey & Bloquel and "11 jewel" stamp is missing, making me wonder if the clock--which is marked "Made in France"--is actually a reproduction like the mignonettes. In fact, there are no other manufacturer markings anywhere that I could see (no "Bayard" on the clock face, etc.). Were some D & B clocks made without the stamp? The woman wishes to sell the clock, and I want to make sure that I describe it accurately in any ad or listing she wants me to write up. Thanks!

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  9. Hi Ken....I replied on your other email address but haven't heard back so I suppose everything is/went well for you.
    It's impossible to know what model this lady has without photos, especially of the movement and back plate and dial...regards

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  10. Hi Sushi... I inherited 2 clocks of which one is the Bayard 7 jewel but the other I have no idea of it's history only that it was passed down from my husbands grandad (not a lot of use I know)
    It has quite an ornate silver plate front on a wooden case with 8 day and what appears to be the word foreign in tiny writing on the dial at the bottom. No other insignia or make so I imagine it is probably quite insignificant but it would be great if I could find out a little!
    If I were to send you some photos, could you help me?
    Many thanks Bridget

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  11. Hi Bridget
    Yes please send photos
    Best regards

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  12. tenho um relogio "Mignonette" 8 days numeros romanos 81
    Gostaria de vender
    jonafff@gmail.com
    Joaquina Affonso , moro em Espanha

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  13. Hi
    I have a carriage clock marked Bayard/Paris/8 day/made in France on the dial. The is also a chain of flowers decorating the border of the dial at each quarter. Inside the back is inscribed "7 seven jewels/unadjusted/Duverdery & Bloquel/ France/83. The inside of the brass back door is also inscribed Duverdery & Bloquel/ France. Are you able to identify this clock, or would you need Photos of the dial?
    Best regards
    Graeme Sutherland

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  14. Many thanks for this information - I've bookmarked this page. I've just bought a D&B carriage clock identical to the one in your photo, and now know that the "1 11 62" on the back-plate is not a very accurate date of manufacture, but the serial number! (At least, I assume it is, from your information.) It's a pretty little piece, in very good condition, and I'm very pleased with it. Does the serial number give any indication as to date?
    Steve Horsfall (Not "Nye Scuppertea", a silly name I registered under to comment on another blog!)

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  15. I recently acquired a Bayard 2 jewels wind up clock that looks like a barrel.I would love to know more about it's history and value.Thank you.

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  16. How can one tell the age of a Bayard 8 day carriage clock.

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  17. Hello I need a replacement escape wheel for a barrel clock would I be able to find one?

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