An important and previously unrecorded ebony veneered 'phase 1' table clock, no.119, by Thomas Tompion

Description / Expertise

Reference: 4485211
An important and previously unrecorded ebony veneered table clock, the gilt handle surmounting a cushion moulded dome top applied with foliate gilt mounts, the sides with carved wood frets, with fine gilded mounts to the door, the fire gilded, 6 1/2 inch square dial plate signed ‘Tho. Tompion Londini fecit’ along the base, the matting and gilt spandrels of superb quality, with a strike/silent (S/N) lever above ‘XII’, the chapter ring typical and very fine, the half hour divisions in the usual Tompion ‘sword hilt’ style while the outside arabic minute numerals are crossed through, with original hands, the date aperture placed below XII with a pin-hole adjustment between the numbers, with a later lever positioned at IX above which is engraved ‘0312’, previously used for the date adjustment, the elaborately and beautifully engraved floral backplate centred by an engraved tablet signed ‘Tho: Tompion Londini fecit’ and numbered ‘119’.


English, circa 1688

Thomas Tompion was born around 1639 and was baptised in Northill, Bedfordshire, on 25 July 1639. He worked as a blacksmith with his father until his arrival in London when he is first recorded as an early member of the Clockmakers’ Company of London, joining in 1671 and becoming a master in 1704. From c. 1701- c.1708 he worked in partnership with Edward Banger fl. c. 1680-1720.

In 1676, following the foundation of the Royal Observatory, with King Charles II's awareness and Jonas Moore's decision Tompion was selected to create two clocks that would be wound only once a year. They proved to be very accurate and were instrumental in the accurate calculations of astronomers, thereby firmly establishing Tompion’s reputation.

Due to his relationship with the scientist Robert Hooke (1635–1703), Tompion made some of the first watches with balance springs. These were much more accurate than earlier watches. He was also the co-patentee with Booth and Houghton following the invention of the cylinder escapement, allowing him to create flatter watches.

Another of his innovations was to create a numbering system for his spring and
long-case clocks, which is thought to be the first time that a serial numbering system was applied to manufactured goods. This clock, long recorded but lost to all collectors and scholars until its recent rediscovery in Italy, is numbered ‘119’, allowing us to date its manufacture to circa 1688. It has survived in extraordinarily untouched condition, with the gilding, patination and movement preserved to an exceptionally fine degree. It is highly unlikely that another missing Tompion will ever come to market in such untouched condition.

In 1711 Tompion joined in partnership with George Graham (1673–1751), who had married Tompion’s niece Elizabeth, and who later developed the spring escapement further after Tompion’s death. He also continued Tompion’s scheme to number his timepieces in four series: timepiece watches, repeating, clockwatches and alarm watches. Tompion died on 20 November 1713 and was buried in Westminster Abbey. Many of his clocks are still operational today, including two of his one-year clocks in Buckingham Palace and several in the collection of the British Museum.