BENJAMIN GRAY, LONDON. CIRCA 1750

細節

A George II ebonised small table timepiece with alarm and pull quarter repeat
Benjamin Gray, London. Circa 1750
The case with brass handle to the inverted bell top, breakarch glazed sides, the concave moulded base lacking feet, the dial signed Benj: Gray London on a silvered plaque in the matted centre with calendar and mock pendulum apertures and centred by an alarm disc, narrow silvered chapter ring with pierced blued steel hands, foliate spandrels, pendulum regulation ring in the arch, the movement with five pillars, single gut fusee, verge escapement with cam-adjusted pendulum, pull quarter repeat on two bells via two hammers and alarm sounding on the larger of the bells, the backplate mounted with twin pulleys for pull repeat and alarm wind and engraved with foliage, the centre signed Benj: Gray London
14¼in. (36cm.) high

來源

Bought from W. & F. Greenwood & Sons, Yorks in 1965

注意事項

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium, which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

拍品專文

Benjamin Gray was a particularly fine clockmaker who established a business in Pall Mall in 1727. In 1738 he moved to St James's Street West at ye Sun Dyall in Thatched House Court. On 30 March, 1742 he was appointed Watchmaker in Ordinary to King George II (1727-1760) with a yearly stipend of £100. In 1743 he joined forces with a young 31 year old Swiss clockmaker called Justin Vulliamy and so began a famous and prosperous dynasty of Royal clockmakers lasting well into the middle of the 19th Century. There are several very fine clocks in the English Royal Collection signed by Gray and Vulliamy.