Skeleton Clock with Great Wheel

Single-winding movement of an entirely original design, giving power upwards to the time train and downwards to the strike train, using an auxiliary mainspring.
Large barrel with a vey long mainspring and a great distribution wheel, using large-count pinions. Pinwheel escapement with a single-arm anchor, knife-edge suspension with heavy pendulum bob. Two-weeks autonomy.
Strike train with a secondary mainspring wound by the main barrel, with the countwheel, its train wheel and the second time wheel on the same axis using direct or indirect drive. French style strike, striking the number of hours on the hour and a single strike on the half hour on a silvered bell placed between the feet. Interesting flywheel with a three-sided fly made of brass and blued steel.
Hollow circular enamel dial with Roman numerals for the hours and single bars for the minutes, Lépine-style blued steel hands.
The whole frame made of finely cast and chased ormolu parts and motifs, the stylised lilies flanked by two eagle heads on top, various military attributes below the dial, with a drum, axe, flags, oak leaves, laurel wreath etc; two lion paws make up a mock footing on the ormolu base on four turned toupee feet.

The mechanical design of this clock is particularly unique, using the mainspring to wind a subsidiary strike mainspring. Other interesting features include a three-wings flywheel, the single-arm anchor on the pinwheel escapement, the bell placed right below and the overall small size for a skeleton clock.
This type of clock is emblematic of the scientific progress of the end of the Age of Enlightenment. Clock- and watchmakers were part of the scientific establishment. As they became very fashionable, skeleton clocks were sought after by very wealthy clients. They were regarded as decorative objects with a scientific purpose.
Hubert Sarton of Liège was probably one of the first clockmakers to introduce this style of clocks and to make them fashionable. He produced a great number of skeleton clocks as it was a way to demonstrate his know-how and to unveil the genius of the clockmaker as an inventor and creator. As everything in motion was visible, owners were able to impress their guests by showing the prowess of the makers.