This festive ormolu clock was executed at the beginning of the 19th Century although in a slightly earlier style. The quality of the two-tone gilding, in reddish and yellow tints, the chasing and burnishing are all extremely high. The chased surfaces have a mat, almost powdery finish, also called mat mercure, a technique developed by Pierre Gouthière (1732-1813) at the end of the 18th Century, whereby chased ormolu items are probably wrapped in a crust of salt and placed over a source of heat. The salt would penetrate in the chased parts which would result in a mat finish.