Thomas Tompion, London. A very fine and rare gold key wind pair case clock watch


Date: London Hallmark for 1702Movement: Gilt full plate fusee verge, pierced and engraved balance cock, silver regulation and count wheel, pierced and engraved going barrel, Egyptian pillars, worm and pinion, blued steel pierced and engraved striking gate, wheel work with very fine arbors, hammer striking on bellDial: Gilt champlevé with signed central panel, black Roman numerals, outer minute track with Arabic numeral five minute markers, blued steel beetle and poker handsCase: Finely pierced and engraved inner case with flora, finely pierced and engraved outer case with panels depicting a mask and pastoral scenes, bell secured to inner back by 1 screwSigned: Case stamped IB, dial & movement signed TompionSize: 54mm
|Thomas Tompion (1639-1713) is commonly referred to as the father of English clockmaking and is undoubtedly the greatest Watch and Clockmaker of the 17th Century. Born on the 25th July 1639 the son of a blacksmith, little is known of Tompions life before he was admitted to the Clockmakers Company on the 4th September 1671. From there he gained his freedom of the Company in 1674 and became Master in 1704.His workshops were renowned and he had patrons in the highest levels of English society and with good reason. He has created some of the greatest clocks in the world and was one of the first to use balance springs in watches. He famously employed George Graham who married his niece and succeeded him in the company.As noted in Thomas Tompion 300 Years by Jeremy Evans, Jonathan Carter and Ben Wright, the casemakers mark IB probably belongs to John Blundell who was apprenticed to George Nau.This is a particularly fine example of a clockwatch from the period and is in very good original condition showing the finesse needed to make a watch that truly strikes the hours. From the blued steelwork to the exceedingly fine arbors it is obvious that this was the height of the workshop's practice and some of the finest work of its time.