Large Antique French Gilt Brass Clock Set, H & F Paris

~ French - Circa 1870 ~

~~ Excellent condition, fully overhauled ~~

A large and impressive original antique French gilt brass clock set. It is in the Baroque style, fantastic quality, very heavy, but beautifully elegant in design. It features goddess masks to the sides with flowing curved corners, blind fret work to the front and sides with exotic birds and embossed shell motifs and a large urn on top with mythic creatures. Candelabra are modelled with scrolling branches and matching original snuffers that sit in the middle nozzle as finials. 

The dial is boldly modelled in gilt brass with 12 individual enamel cartouches and original blued steel hands. There is also a cartouche with the retailers signature of M. Richond of the famous Boulevard Montmartre, Paris. He is listed in Tardy, Dictionnaire des Horlogers Francais as working in Boulevard Montmartre between 1850 and 1870. He is also mentioned in a contemporary work 'How to enjoy Paris in 1842 - click here', a particularly interesting and charming account of the retailers premises.

The French movement is of high quality and is buy the well known maker 'H & F of Paris'. It is in excellent clean and running condition having been fully overhauled by our clockmaker. Pendulum is a replacement. It runs for 8 days and strikes the hours and halves on a bell. Click the video clip below to hear the bell and watch the clock running!

Condition of the case is excellent, the original gilding is beautifully clean and bright with some slight wear and discolouration and there are no losses. The dial is also in excellent condition with no chips or scratches. Candelabra are slightly distorted. The set makes a stunning display as you can see below. 

  
Paris retailer's mark 'M. Richond' and clockmaker's mark 'H & F Paris'

Complete with pendulum, bell and a suitable key. Full setting up instructions supplied if required.