Clock; Austria, Vienna, late 19th century.

Clock; Austria, Vienna, late nineteenth century.
Bronze and enamel.
Retains original key and glass.
In working order (recently overhauled).
Measurements: 5 x 14 x 8 cm.
This decorative turtle-shaped clock, made in Vienna at the end of the 19th century, is an exceptional example of Central European artistic clockmaking, where sculpture, goldsmithing and mechanics converge. During this period, Vienna established itself as one of the main centers of production of luxury objects, favored by the historicist taste and the interest in refined pieces for an aristocratic and bourgeois clientele.
The piece is executed in gilded bronze, a common material for its resistance and ornamental value, and is enriched with hand-painted enamels of remarkable technical quality. The enameled surfaces feature scenes inspired by Greek mythology, as well as a landscape on the inside, revealing an integral conception of the object, designed to be appreciated both in its closed and open form. This attention to interior detail responds to a tradition of craftsmanship excellence typical of 19th century Viennese workshops.
The choice of the tortoise as a sculptural form is no coincidence: a symbol of longevity, it reinforces the allegorical character of the watch. The hinged structure allows the figure to be opened to reveal the mechanism, ingeniously integrated without altering the formal harmony of the whole.
From a technical point of view, the watch incorporates a repeater function, which indicates the hours and quarters, a resource typical of fine watchmaking of the period, reserved for complex and high-value pieces. The fact that it retains its original key and glass.