George Graham, London No. 698 An ebony, phase 3, spring timepiece with alarm

Object Description

GEORGE GRAHAM, LONDON, N° 698
An exceptionally rare Phase 3 ebony and silver travelling spring timepiece with alarm by this famous clockmaker, successor to Thomas Tompion.

The small case of ebony veneered onto an oak carcass has an inverted bell top, arched glazed side panels within moulded frames, a front door with gilt-brass Satyr mask fret to the upper rail and conforming Satyr mask mount to the lower rail. It also has typical Graham style bellflower door escutcheons to the stiles and the case stands on four moulded block feet.

The beautiful 5 by 6 inch brass dial has double-screwed silver cherub’s head spandrels to the silvered chapter-ring. The alarm-set square is inset in the chapter ring at VI with an arched alarm aperture to the matted centre above. There are two subsidiary dials for rise/fall pendulum regulation and alarm/silent above, flanking the maker’s signature Geo: Graham London. The regulator-type blued-steel hands are finely tapered and most unusual.

The substantial posted framed 8-day duration movement has solid front and backplates, chamfered tear-drop cusped cocks throughout as on a Tompion movement and a single chain fusee. It has a pivoted verge escapement and spring-suspended lenticular pendulum, a rise and fall lever with pinion adjustment through the dial, going barrel for alarm on a bell, set through the chapter-ring at VI and is pull-wound from the side. The movement which is punch-numbered 698 to the top plate, is raised on a seatboard and secured with two bolts.

Object Literature

*George Graham was born circa 1673 in Fordinbridge, Westmoreland, and travelled to London to serve his apprenticeship with Henry Aske. In 1695 he
joined Thomas Tompion as a journeyman and in 1704 he married Tompion’s niece, Elizabeth. Soon after this he joined Tompion as a partner with whom he worked until Tompion’s death in 1713, whereupon he inherited the whole business. He was a great inventor and is credited with the dead beat escapement, mercury pendulum and cylinder escapement for watches. He was the first clockmaker to be appointed a member of the Royal Society and is known to have made little more than two hundred clocks during his lifetime, a great proportion of these were bracket and longcase clocks. He was known as “honest George Graham” and when he died in 1751 he was buried in the same tomb as Thomas Tompion in Westminster Abbey.
For similar cases by George Graham without handles and moulded tops see P.G. Dawson, The Iden Clock Collection, Woodbridge 1987, p.188 & p.192.

Object Details