Buying an antique French clock might be a bit tricky if you have zero knowledge antique clocks; hence, you can't tell the difference between a fake antique French clock and an honest-to-goodness French antique clock. 

To get into the antiques game, do some research.  Search the Internet for tips and guidelines for antique clock shopping.  By the time you are ready to shop, you know what to look for and how to spot a fake.

Some of the authentic antique clocks are made of durable wood and comes in different types, like the wall clock and the antique mantel French clock representing different decades of clock making. 

The mantel clock is perhaps the most famous among the other types of antique clocks and it is made primarily from different metals and bronze and decorated with mother-of-pearl inlays.

You can look for antique clock in the Internet, but you watch out for imitations.  These "copies" look like the real thing and even have "age-spots".  To avoid scams, purchase from trusted sites such as Amazon.com. 

Ask around from antique clock specialists and clock collectors before parting with your money.  Once you find something that catches your eye, check the signature of the clock on the face and on the back of the clock antique French clock and if the signatures match, you have a good thing there.