GUEST: I got it from my mother, who got it from my father. He repaired and worked on watches and clocks. And this was given to him in payment for a repair that he had done for a gentleman that didn't have the money to pay him. He didn't like the clock, so he gave it to my dad for payment.
APPRAISER: Well, you have brought in a truly spectacular example of an Egyptian revival French clock. It represents a period in our national and international history when people were just overcome with thoughts of the exotic and travel. This clock was a very expensive product of the time. It was made of variegated marble and red onyx, and it is covered with bronze Egyptian iconography, capped off by the Great Sphinx on the top. Very high quality French mechanism, very high quality French case, beautiful bronze finishing the front of the clock and on the sides of the clock. And made about 1880. And in today's auction world, this clock could be $6,000 to $8,000.
GUEST: Oh, my goodness. That... is a lot for a payment just to repair a watch. That's wonderful.
APPRAISER: Of course, this does strike on the hour, and it has a wonderful sort of double...
GUEST: Double bong.
APPRAISER: Double bong, yes. (clock chiming)
