French Style Mystery Pinwheel Upside Down Skeleton Swinging Clock
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
Early 20th Century
This mantel timepiece is catalogued as a French style mystery pinwheel upside down skeleton swinging clock supported on a marble base. The arrangement displays an inverted pendulum frame with parallel vertical rods situated above an open skeleton dial ring.
The outer chapter ring displays Roman numerals and carries white spade-pattern hands, leaving the interior gear wheels visible. The assembly rests upon a dark cylindrical section set onto a stepped rectangular plinth base, with the dealer listing an overall height of 47 cm.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Technical characteristics
- Type
- Swinging mystery skeleton clock
- Height
- 47cm (18.5")
- Base Material
- Marble Base
- Dealer Item Code
- 10165 (AB-303844)
- Catalogued Period
- Early 20th Century
Design
- Visible features
- • Openwork skeleton movement visible through the circular chapter ring • Outer chapter ring features white Roman numerals and spade-style white hands • Upright parallel rod structure extends upward from above the circular dial frame • Mounted on a stepped dark circular and square plinth base with metal ring trim • Inscriptions resembling 'HUGUENIN' and 'A PARIS' visible along the lower dial border
- Cataloguing and Source Limitations
- The dealer dates the object broadly to the 'Early 20th Century' and specifies an overall height of 'H: 47cm (18.5")'. No further operational testing, weight, movement depth, or manufacturing country are provided in the source description. Physical evidence of the base material relies on the seller's attribution of a 'Marble Base'. Without mechanical reports or confirmed provenance, technical categorisations such as the pinwheel escapement remain based entirely on the dealer's descriptive summary.
- Visual Structure and Dial Presentation
- The timepiece features an open-form movement mounted within a circular frame, leaving the wheelwork exposed to view. The chapter ring is rendered with white Roman numerals to designate the hours and is fitted with white spade-pattern hands to indicate the time. Rising directly above the dial housing is an inverted assembly formed of parallel upright rods. The entire swinging skeleton mechanism is mounted atop a dark cylindrical section set into a stepped plinth base detailed with metal ring trimming.
- Dial Inscriptions and Reported Mechanism
- Visual examination reveals text along the lower edge of the circular dial border resembling the inscriptions 'HUGUENIN' and 'A PARIS'. However, the listing documentation provides no transcription, historical context, or verification regarding this potential maker's mark. The seller describes the assembly under the title 'French Style Mystery Pinwheel Upside Down Skeleton Swinging Clock w Marble Base 47 cm Tall'. While catalogued as incorporating a pinwheel mystery swinging movement, the internal mechanics, suspension type, and escapement action are not detailed or verified in the dealer's text.
Identification
- Reference
- 10165 (AB-303844)
- Source note
- Facts transcribed from the linked source listing or collection record. Attribution and specifications are source-reported and have not been independently authenticated.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: The dealer does not explicitly transcribe or verify the maker's signature in the listing text
- Research required: Internal escapement type and swinging suspension mechanism are not detailed beyond dealer title descriptions