A rare late 17th century French brass-inlaid tortoiseshell, quarter repeating, alarm timepiece with skeletonised dial Thuret, Paris The caddy top surmounted by eight urn and flambe finials over long rectangular glazed side panels with heavy cast gilt frames, the glazed door with similar heavy cast frame, on a brass-bound plinth and foliate bud feet, the 8 inch skeletonised chapter ring with every minute hand engraved to the edge encompassing the Roman numerals and fancy half-hour markers with inner quarter hour track, the Arabic alarm-setting dial with foliate decoration, all set over a cast and applied mount with S-scrolls framing the signature cartouche, with fine pierced and engraved gilt hands reading against a dark velvet ground, the square movement united by four tapering vase-shaped pillars pinned at the rear, the going train with verge escapement and short pendulum on a silk suspension within cycloidal cheeks, the repeat activated by a cord and sounding on a pair of nested bells mounted in the caddy above (each of the steel hammer heads facetted with 14 sides), the alarm train sounding on a larger bell cast with the name 'Dupois Pere Aupuy'. Unusually, the alarm spring is set within a small barrel that is in itself set within a larger barrel. Signed in a flowing script to the edge of the backplate Thuret a Paris. Ticking, together with a winding key and door key. 56cms (22ins) high Footnotes: The Thuret family of clockmakers, originally from Puy-de-Dôme, established themselves as one of the outstanding artistic dynasties in 17th- and 18th-century Paris. Perhaps the most famous member of the family was Isaac who worked closely with Christian Huygens in his early experiments on springs and marine timekeepers. Their work is represented in some of the finest museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and of course the remarkable table clock with inbuilt barometer with case by Andre Charles Boulle in the Frick Collection. Literature: Plomp 'Early French Pendulum Clocks, 1658-1700', figures 196; 197 (showing under dial repeat work); 198 (backplate signature) and 199 (the alarm barrel mounted within a larger barrel). This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: Y Y Subject to CITES regulations when exporting items outside of the EU, see clause 13. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com