Daniel Quare, London

Description / Expertise

A superb and elegantly proportioned walnut longcase clock of the Queen Anne period by this famous clockmaker.
The figured walnut veneered case is of lovely rich patinated colour.
The hood with capped corner columns has a finely pierced wood fret below the overhanging cornice.
The brass 11 inch square dial is signed on the silvered and engraved chapter ring and has cherub head spandrels. The matted centre is set with the seconds ring and date aperture.
*Daniel Quare is one of the great names from the finest period of English clockmaking and he was a justly worthy contemporary of Thomas Tompion, George Graham, Daniel Delander et al.
He was born in circa 1647 and became a Brother of the Clockmakers' Company in 1671. He went on to serve as Master in 1708. In about 1707 he took on Stephen Horseman as a partner and he continued the business after Quare's death in 1724.
Daniel Quare's reputation rests largely on the fact that he was a great innovator. He and Tompion were the first to make some highly important walnut longcase clocks of year duration showing the equation of time and other complications. One of these is now in the Ilbert Collection in the British Museum. He was also successful in a judgement made by James II in 1688 for a Patent for a repeating watch, his rival being the Rev. Edward Barlow. Among his other inventions was a portable barometer and many superb examples exist in important collections today.