How do you wind a skeleton clock?

Most require a specific key that fits the winding square on the great wheel arbor. Turn it carefully to coil the mainspring. Don't force it past the point of resistance. Doing so can break the spring or damage the gear teeth.

Will it run without a glass dome?

The clock functions mechanically without the cover. It runs just the same in open air. Dust acts as an abrasive on the brass and steel pinions. A dome prevents this grit from sticking to the oiled pivots.

I have a spot on my mantelpiece that gets direct sunlight in the afternoon, would that heat mess up the exposed gears?

Direct sunlight causes temperature fluctuations that affect the metal. Steel pendulums expand as they warm up, which makes the clock run slow. Ultraviolet light also degrades the lacquer on the brass plates. The base timber might warp or fade if left baking in a south-facing window.

Are the clocks shaped like Gothic cathedrals much harder to maintain than the ones with simple scroll patterns on the brass plates?

Maintenance depends on the gear train rather than the plate shape. A simple timepiece mechanism is straightforward to service regardless of whether the frame looks like a church or a scroll. Striking or chiming mechanisms add complexity. Those need more time on a horologist's bench when they require cleaning.

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Victorian Skeleton Clocks

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Designed to showcase the mechanical complexity of the movement, an antique skeleton clock features brass or steel plates cut away to expose the gears, usually protected from dust by a glass dome on a wooden base.