French, Royal Exchange, LondonSurmounted by an octagonal-section handle with foliate uprights over bevelled glass panels, the front door and mouldings set with flowing brass inlay, on block feet, the rear left hand side set with a two position lever within a shaped brass frame engraved 'Soft/Loud', the 4.5 inch square silvered Roman dial signed below XII and engraved with foliage on a finely hatched ground, with slender blued steel moon hands, all framed by an angled silvered sight ring, the eight day movement with twin chain fusees wound from the rear and with visible clicks, the substantial plates united by five turned cannon-barrel pillars rivetted to the front and screwed to the rear, each screw with a steel collet, the going train with maintaining power and contrate wheel of five crossings, the large gilt platform escapement with cut and compensated bimetallic balance to an English style lever escapement, the striking train sounding the full hours on the hour and a passing strike on the half past via a steel rack mounted on the rear of the backplate, the hammer acting on a rectangular-section coiled blued steel gong mounted on a heavy block screwed to the backplate, the repeat facility activated by a button to the rear right hand side, the soft/loud option activated by a two-position lever to the rear right hand side which physically pushes the spring-loaded hammer arbor to bring one of two hammerhead surfaces into play (the head currently set with a single leather pad, but the spring action in good working order), the backplate further set with a strike/silent lever 31cm (12in) high handle raised