Journey Through Time: The Travel Clocks Exhibition at Clock Museum Vienna

This collection showcases travel clocks from the 18th and early 19th centuries, highlighting the challenges of maintaining timekeeping accuracy during carriage travel. It details how these clocks, often large and robust, were designed to withstand rough journeys and feature mechanisms for audible time indication.

The "Reiseuhren" (Travel Clocks) collection focuses on timekeeping devices designed for the rigors of 18th-century travel, particularly by carriage. Contemporary accounts describe travel as often uncomfortable, with wagons tipping and journeys being bumpy, which placed significant demands on the clocks carried by travelers. These timepieces, which resembled large pocket watches, were typically well-packed and either hung in the carriage or stored in bags. A notable feature mentioned is a pull cord; when tugged, it would trigger the striking mechanism, informing travelers of the elapsed hour even when the clock face was not visible. The collection includes examples from various makers and regions, such as Benjamin Ward in London, Johan Sidle and Johan Jacob Heckhel in Vienna, and others from England, Germany, and France, dating from approximately 1750 to 1820, illustrating the craftsmanship and engineering required for reliable timekeeping on the move.