A fine and rare early 19th century French Great wheel skeleton clock of long duration with remontoire striking The large arched glass panel finely engraved with a running entwined fern and harebell border, revealing the 9 inch great wheel movement behind, mounted on a pair of brackets to a white marble lozenge-shaped base decorated with a foliate ormolu mount on bun feet, the 6 inch white enamel Roman and Arabic chapter ring with cast ormolu bezels and good matching pierced and gilt hands, the open centre with engraved subsidiary dial for running seconds (making two revolutions per minute) revealing the vertical four-wheel going train terminating in a single beat pinwheel escapement beating half seconds, the hours and halves ingeniously powered by a remontoire spring mounted on the countwheel arbor and driven by the second wheel of the going train, the small bell mounted on the marble base and struck via a vertical steel shaft and hammer. 42cms (16 1/2ins) high (1) Footnotes: Comparable literature: Roberts, D. (1999) Mystery, Novelty & Fantasy Clocks. Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publishing, P.122, Fig. 9-24 A,B. Rare Timepieces Larry Dalton Collection. Privately published 2020, pp.146-147. Royer-Collard, F.B. (1969) Skeleton Clocks. London: N.A.G. Press Ltd. figures 5-2 to 5-25 inclusive. This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: * * VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com