Lot Essay
George Graham, 1673-1751, a pre-eminent clockmaker and Fellow of the Royal Society. Apprenticed in July 1688 to Henry Aske he was Free in 1695 and immediately transfered to Tompion's workshops. In 1704 he married Tompion's neice Elizabeth. He took the business over on Tompion's death in 1713 and moved to the Dial and One Crown in 1720. Graham is credited with several inventions including the deadbeat escapement in 1713, the mercury pendulum and cylinder escapement in 1726.
The present clock is remarkable for its state of preservation in that it has remained virtually un-touched since the day it was made. It is interesting to note the original sound frets and and pendulum bob and also an original deadbeat escapement. One point about the case is the construction of the top and bottom horizontal carcass struts of the trunk door which have been constucted in such a way that when movement occurs, as indeed it has in this instance, the veneer does not suffer the habitual usightly cracks right across the top and bottom of the door.
The present clock is remarkable for its state of preservation in that it has remained virtually un-touched since the day it was made. It is interesting to note the original sound frets and and pendulum bob and also an original deadbeat escapement. One point about the case is the construction of the top and bottom horizontal carcass struts of the trunk door which have been constucted in such a way that when movement occurs, as indeed it has in this instance, the veneer does not suffer the habitual usightly cracks right across the top and bottom of the door.