The gem in the SWIZA crown
MATTHEW NORMAN mechanical carriage clocks
Switzerland's largest clock manufacturer SWIZA, took over MATTHEW NORMAN, a respected Swiss manufacturer of luxury mechanical carriage clocks in 1991, thereby acquiring a second flagship brand.
Called pendules d'officiers” in French-speaking countries and carriage clocks in the United Kingdom, MATTHEW NORMAN clocks are worthy heirs to their predecessors, which began being used for travel towards the end of the 18th century. We owe the origin of these horological marvels to Abraham-Louis Breguet (1747-1823), a brilliant watchmaker born in Neuchâtel (Switzerland), who became apprenticed at the age of 15 to a watchmaker in Versailles. In 1796, he created his first carriage clock, drawing inspiration from the models he had seen in La Chaux-de-Fonds in the Swiss Jura region.
MATTHEW NORMAN has written a new chapter in the history of carriage clocks by reproducing some vintage models, while also giving the genre a bright new look.
Scrupulously respectful of tradition, each MATTHEW NORMAN carriage clock is made by hand, part by part, at the hands of vastly experienced master-watchmakers. Only noble materials are used, and particularly polished brass, which gives the clocks their weight and their radiance, underscored by beautifully cut glasses. Each clock is coated in a protective varnish or rhodium-plated. The wealth of MATHHEW NORMAN timekeepers is sometimes accentuated by engraved cabinets, dials with masks, lacquered decorative patterns, or stained glass window effects.
MATTHEW NORMAN carriage clocks are equipped with stunning visible mechanical movements on which all parts are polished and decorated, apart from those in steel. The most elaborate, as well as the main movement, have an additional mechanism for the chiming, repeater or alarm mechanism, as well as for calendar and moon-phase displays.
Exclusive measures are taken to guarantee the quality of such marvels of the clockmaking art: each movement is numbered, listed in a special register, carrying the name of its maker, the date of production and any other useful information. Moreover, each clock is accompanied by a numbered certificate of quality.
