Large Gilded And Patinated Bronze Clock—an Osmond Model—signed Raingo And Picard—paris

An exceptional, monumental clock made of chiseled bronze gilded with fine gold, embellished with patinated bronze elements, a collaborative work by the renowned clockmaker Raingo Frères and the bronze artist Picard, two leading 19th-century Parisian houses.

The architecturally shaped case is topped by a lidded vase with scroll-shaped handles, richly decorated with foliage and small flowers. The circular white enamel dial with blued Roman numerals is signed RAINGO Frères – Paris, featuring an outer minute track and finely openwork, gilded hands.

The base is adorned with two figures of children (putti) in patinated bronze, seated on either side, rendered in a highly sculptural style that contrasts elegantly with the dazzling gilding of the entire piece. The base is richly decorated with knotted garlands, ribbons, openwork friezes, and plant motifs, typical of the extensive decorative repertoire of the Second Empire.

The bronzes are attributed to the Picard workshop, a leading Parisian bronze foundry renowned for the exceptional quality of its chasing and gilding.

Raingo Frères & Picard

Raingo Frères, watchmakers of Belgian origin who settled in Paris as early as the 1810s, were among the greatest watchmakers of the 19th century. As suppliers to European royal courts, they regularly exhibited at the World’s Fairs and were honored for the quality of their mechanisms and luxury clocks.

The Picard workshop, a Parisian bronze foundry active during the Second Empire, collaborated with the greatest clockmakers and bronze manufacturers (Raingo, Barbedienne, Dasson). Picard is particularly renowned for his Louis XVI, Empire, and Napoleon III-style bronzes, which are of museum quality, both in terms of the precision of the chasing and the excellence of the mercury gilding.

• Period: Napoleon III, circa 1860–1870
• Height: 70 cm Width: 42 cm
• Mechanism: Paris suspension movement, striking the hours and half-hours, serviced.
• Condition: excellent condition, very fresh gilding, fully functional mechanism

A clock of great decorative and historical significance, bringing together two of the greatest names in 19th-century Parisian clockmaking and bronze casting.
With its size, the richness of its composition, and the exceptional quality of its bronze work, this piece is fully in keeping with the tradition of prestigious Second Empire clocks, intended for grand salons and aristocratic residences.

A museum-quality piece, ideal for a premier collection or a classic interior of the highest caliber.