By the way, do you think those things are made by someone with a little too much time and money on their hands? The entertainment value per cost and satisfaction value seems a little one sided. Blame it on my lack of appreciation for the finer things in life, I suppose.
Such things were usually made as gifts from one monarch to another for State visits. They often would take up to a year of work to make and the artisans were sought after by the fabulously wealthy to have them make lesser complicated ones for them. Faberge is one such maker who sold to the Czar of Russia and to the English Kings.
There’s a very long history of creating intricate clockwork mechanisms in that region. It can be as simple as an actual clock or watch, or as elaborate and whimsical as this. Some of the cuckoo clocks from neighboring German-speaking areas can be quite startling and ingenious. Such things are prized for their craftsmanship, beauty and sometimes even humor, not their utility.