A very fine and rare early 19th century French ormolu mounted white marble, quarter chiming, centre seconds table regulator with full annual calendar

Grand Homme a Versailles 2

Grand Homme a Versailles
Surmounted by a reclining woman protecting a playful child from a flaming torch over an arched cornice with applied motifs of winged putti to the front and a leopard within a garland of grapes to each side, supported on four fluted Corinthian columns with white marble bases, on a black plinth and ormolu feet; the ormolu anthemion-cast bezel with beaded border framing the signed 6.5 inch white enamel Roman and Arabic chapter ring, the time shown by a pair of gilt hands with sunburst tips; the months and their astrological signs painted 'en grisaille' shown via a wavy blued steel double-ended hand; the day and its sign shown via a double ended gilt arrow-tipped hand and the date shown by a single blued steel hand, the open centre revealing the calendar work with five-star crossings; the substantial circular movement plates with flattened lower edges, united by 6 large turned pillars, the deadbeat escapement mounted on the backplate, the pendulum crutch with fine screw adjustment to the heavy gridiron pendulum suspended on a substantial bracket and knife-edge above, terminating in a heavy cast sunburst bob with central female mask, the hours stuck on a large bell via an outside countwheel with star crossings, the quarters activated by a smaller outside countwheel and struck on two nested bells of slightly higher tone

61cms (24ins) high (2)

The leopard mounts to the side of the cornice are sacred to Bacchus, hence the grape-festooned garland.

The striking sequence is as follows:
The first quarter is struck on the small bell
The second quarter is struck first on the small bell, then on the medium bell
The third quarter is struck on the small bell, followed by the medium bell, followed by the small bell
The final quarter is struck on the small bell, the medium bell, the small bell again and the medium bell again. This is followed by the hour being struck on the largest bell.