Those "little guys" are called automatons, and are available in both clocks and watches. Some are even "only for grown-ups." :-)
Seriously...they're just gear driven devices. Shouldn't be too hard to make it happen.
Here's a watch from 1890...yes, over 100 years ago, done in enamel.
http://www.antique-watch.com/img4/w6661a.jpg They "move" when the striking hammer is activated, and makes it chime...looks like the figures are ringing the bells with their swords.
As for the striking train, etc, in clocks it's done with a counting wheel that "activates" a separate mechanism at a predetermined time. Sometimes it's called a "snail." You've seen more than 1 weight on a grandfather's clock? That's what it's for...it's an independent power source for the chimes.
-- Chuck Knight