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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Clock · Tourbillon skeleton clock

Carlo Croce Tourbillon Skeleton Clock

Partially verified

According to the source, this large-scale skeleton clock was produced circa 1999 by Italian clockmaker Carlo Croce. Built with openwork brass framing and visible gearing, the timepiece is driven by an eight-day movement incorporating a Mudge escapement set within a tourbillon cage. Time indication is presented on a silvered chapter ring with Roman numerals and blued steel hands, accompanied by an upper subsidiary chapter ring. The movement is mounted on an ebonized stepped base, reported to measure 12 inches high by itself and 17 inches high by 12 inches in diameter beneath a glass dome.

Front view of the Carlo Croce tourbillon skeleton clock on stepped black base
Front view of the Carlo Croce tourbillon skeleton clock on stepped black base — Renaissance Antiques. Rights pending — permission not yet requested. Original source

Catalogue identity

Source
www.renaissanceantiques.com
Category
Clock · Tourbillon skeleton clock
Maker / attribution
Carlo Croce
Reference
Not recorded
Catalogue / lot identifier
SLEF 3 P
Source-reported date
Circa 1999
Country
Italy

Source-reported attribution and specifications are not independent authentication. A listing does not establish present ownership, current display, availability or permission to reproduce.

Object description

Object Identity and Origin

According to dealer documentation, this openwork skeleton timepiece was constructed by Italian clockmaker Carlo Croce and is assigned an approximate production date of circa 1999. The seller characterizes the clock as a large-scale execution of a tourbillon mechanism, cataloguing it under SKU SLEF 3 P.

While catalogued as an Italian creation, any potential engraved maker signatures, serial markings, or stamps denoting Carlo Croce are not recorded in this source and are not directly legible from the primary front image, leaving attribution reliant on seller records.

Evidence for this section
  • “Italian clockmaker Carlo Croce sought to display this feat of engineering”
  • “Circa 1999”
  • “SKU: SLEF 3 P”

Frame Architecture and Dial Configuration

Visual inspection reveals an open skeletonized brass frame supported by dual vertical pillars mounted on a stepped black base. The movement features geometric wheelwork and brass pierced lower frame elements.

Time indication is set upon a silvered open ring dial marked with black Roman numerals and an inner minute track. Central blued steel hour and minute hands indicate the time, with the minute hand terminating in an open clover-shaped motif. An upper subsidiary chapter ring sits above the main dial, graduated with Arabic numerals from 15 to 60.

Evidence for this section
  • “Silvered open ring dial marked with black Roman numerals and inner minute track”
  • “Open skeletonized brass frame supported by dual vertical pillars mounted on a stepped black base”
  • “Blued steel hour and minute hands, with the minute hand terminating in an open clover-shaped motif”
  • “Upper subsidiary chapter ring graduated with Arabic numerals from 15 to 60”
  • “Movement features geometric wheelwork and brass pierced lower frame elements”

Reported Movement and Physical Dimensions

The movement is reported by the seller to be an 8-day mechanism incorporating a Mudge escapement in a tourbillon cage. Because escapement details are not directly legible from the primary front image, mechanical operation and escapement geometry remain source-reported.

According to the listing dimensions, the clock alone measures 12 inches high, reaching an overall height of 17 inches and a diameter of 12 inches under a glass dome. However, the glass dome described in the source is not present in the photograph.

Evidence for this section
  • “Mudge Escapement in Tourbillon Cage”
  • “8-Day Movement”
  • “Clock Alone: 12″ High Overall Under Dome: 17″ High x 12″ Diameter”

Open research questions

  • Are there any maker signatures, dates, or serial numbers stamped directly on the movement plates or the underside of the base?
  • What specific configuration of the Mudge escapement is utilized within the tourbillon cage?
  • Is the glass dome cited in the seller's overall measurements extant or included with the clock?

Source evidence

Recorded claims and source quotations for Carlo Croce Tourbillon Skeleton Clock
FieldSource-reported valueSource quotation
MakerCarlo Croce“Italian clockmaker Carlo Croce sought to display this feat of engineering”
EscapementMudge Escapement in Tourbillon Cage“Mudge Escapement in Tourbillon Cage”
Power Reserve8-Day“8-Day Movement”
DateCirca 1999“Circa 1999”
DimensionsClock alone 12 in high; overall under dome 17 in high x 12 in diameter“Clock Alone: 12″ High Overall Under Dome: 17″ High x 12″ Diameter”
Dealer SKUSLEF 3 P“SKU: SLEF 3 P”
Reported Condition NoteFully Restored, One Year Warranty“Fully Restored, One Year Warranty”

Visible details

  • Silvered open ring dial marked with black Roman numerals and inner minute track
  • Open skeletonized brass frame supported by dual vertical pillars mounted on a stepped black base
  • Blued steel hour and minute hands, with the minute hand terminating in an open clover-shaped motif
  • Upper subsidiary chapter ring graduated with Arabic numerals from 15 to 60
  • Movement features geometric wheelwork and brass pierced lower frame elements

Research qualifications

  • The glass dome described in the source is not present in the photograph
  • Escapement details and maker signatures are not directly legible from the primary front image

Photograph identity and source facts were screened before import; rights clearance remains pending.

Consulted source

Rare Italian Tourbillon Skeleton Clock By Carlo Croce - Renaissance Antiques

Reviewed 2026-10-21 · Record 6c98af9541

Terms in this record

Glossary explanations for terms named in this object’s record.