German Mechanical Skeleton Clock — Walnut Burl Base

A skeleton movement under a conical glass dome, with black Roman numerals printed onto the glass itself. The base is walnut burl in a piano finish — burl being a natural figure that forms in the knot of the tree, its grain swirling in circles rather than running straight, so no two bases are ever alike. Made in Germany.

Specifications

• Movement: 14-day spring-driven mechanical skeleton movement, pendulum
• Strike: One bell chime on the hour
• Dial: Black Roman index printed on the glass dome, hour points
• Functions: Hour and minute — analogue display
• Sound: The tick of the pendulum and a single bell strike on the hour
• Dimensions: 35 × 18 × 18 cm (H × W × D)
• Materials: Glass, walnut burl wood, piano finish
• Model: Leyton
• Origin: Made in Germany
• Reference: 22716-030791

Care Instructions

• Wind the movement at the interval stated for the model, always at the same time of day.
• Move the hands forward only, pausing at every chime or strike until it completes.
• Dust the case with a soft, dry cloth; use a wood-appropriate polish on wooden cases only.
• Clean the glass with a cloth lightly dampened with glass cleaner — never spray directly onto the clock.
• Keep away from radiators, direct sunlight, and humidity, and have the movement serviced by a specialist every few years.

Perfect Gift For

A gift that marks time itself — fitting for weddings, retirements, corporate anniversaries, and the handing over of an office or a home.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is walnut burl?
A rare natural figure that forms in the knot of a tree trunk, where the grain swirls in circles and waves instead of running straight. It cannot be manufactured or repeated — every base carries a pattern found on no other piece.

What does "skeleton" mean?
A design that leaves the movement exposed rather than hidden behind a case, so you see the wheels, the mainspring and the pendulum at work. It is not decoration applied to the mechanism — the mechanism itself is the display.

How does a mechanical clock work?
With no electricity and no battery — a metal mainspring that you tension by hand when winding. The spring stores that energy and releases it slowly and precisely through a train of wheels, while the pendulum regulates that release and keeps it even. As each hour passes, the movement frees a single bell strike to mark it.

This is the same principle clocks have run on for centuries, and it is what allows a single winding to last 14 days. Thanks to the skeleton construction, you watch the whole process happen.

How often does it need winding?
Every 14 days — a two-week power reserve on a single winding.

How does it differ from the other Leyton finishes?
The Leyton comes in four finishes sharing the same movement, the same numerals-on-glass construction and the same 35 cm format. The difference is the wood and its character: walnut burl carries a unique natural figure that never repeats; mahogany offers a warm, even, classic tone that stays as it is; cherrywood deepens in colour over the years into a rich red-brown; and piano black gives the highest contrast against the nickel-plated wheels.

Does it need servicing?
Yes, like any precision mechanical movement — a specialist clockmaker should inspect and oil it every few years. That is what keeps it running for decades.

How large is it?
35 × 18 × 18 cm, supplied in original Hermle packaging.

About Hermle

Franz Hermle & Sohn was founded in 1922 in Gosheim, in Germany's clockmaking heartland near the Black Forest. Within a decade it had become one of the most advanced makers of clock movements in Europe, and it remains among the world's largest manufacturers of mechanical movements. Now in its third generation, Hermle builds every movement in Germany and supplies clockmakers across the globe.