Original French Ferris Wheel Skeleton clock circa 1850.

This is a great version of the Ferris wheel clock. Stylistically somewhere between a mystery and skeleton clock. A conventional escape mechanism with unusual Sweep Center Seconds bit This is a signed French clock from the late 1800's. Each image is clickable to a larger image.

This is a Skeleton clock in that "almost" all functions are visible but hidden in the base is a large second movement that uses a piston assembly inside the right hand column to reload the balls.
Unlike some other period examples here the ball recycling is automated.

I have no "before and after" pictures. I did take pictures during re-assembly. It is seen on the left out of the base cover. The feet are only to keep the lower movement set upright as that movement is fixed to the clock baseplate. The movement is very well made with jeweled plates and had no prior poor repairs. It simply needed both movements cleaning.
The clock movement is fairly conventional in construction other than the Ferris wheel sitting on the centershaft.

The Ferris wheel itself is multi-part construction. Built around the centershaft and including a 3rd saw tooth wheel about 1/2 the diameter of the ferris wheel. The tooth count on the saw tooth wheel is the same as the "seat" count of the ferris wheel and trips the piston to cycle the released ball back up the tower.

The clock runs about 4 days due in part to how the lower movement is set into the base. An adjustment requiring wood stock removal inside the case would get the clock running longer. Should it be done? Which is more important, original case construction or extended duration?

Here is a picture of the lower movement on the side that drives the piston. You can see the counterbalanced arm with the slot cut in it for the drive pin. Currently set with the piston arm down (pic left).

Here is a picture with the arm halfway through a cycle and in the up position. The base movement is nothing more than a "Detent Strike" mechanism (pic right).