Benefiting from the continuing fashion for late 19th century novelty mantel clocks, a gilt-brass and steel example by Guilmet made the running at Peter Wilson (22% buyer’s premium) of Nantwich.

Extracted from Antiques Trade Gazette | Terence Ryle

The Parisian maker Andre Romain Guilmet is best known for his ‘mystery’ clocks, which hide the movement, and ‘industrial’ clocks in which the technique is used in timepieces representing, for instance, his famous animated pieces such as the Foundryman and the Lighthouse clocks.

The 11½in (29cm) tall offering in Cheshire on July 3 was formed as the poop deck of a ship with a sailor at the helm rocking from side to side with the motion of a pendulum and another figure of a mariner gathering a rope from a coil.

On a moulded gilt base and black marble plinth with gilt block feet, it needed work – the cast figure of the sailor was disconnected and the pendulum was incorrect – but it sold to a UK buyer at £5300 against a £2500-3500 estimate.