Tompion

Tompion/Graham movement to go under the hammer

An auction of Fine Clocks, Barometers & Scientific Instruments at the end of the month offers some historical, horological highlights.

The Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions’ sale at Donnington Park includes Lot 121, the last recorded watch to have been signed by the father of English clock and watchmaking, Thomas Tompion.

The Queen Anne verge pocketwatch movement, number 4650, is dated 1713, the same year Tompion died.

The movement is also one of only 20 examples to have been signed by both Tompion and his protégée and successor George Graham and is estimated to fetch £2,000-3,000.

While Lot 119 is a very rare German Renaissance monstrance clock case in the manner of Jeremias Metzger on Thursday 28 August.

Monstrance clocks, made in Augsburg, were a fashionable luxury item only available to the wealthy during the Renaissance period and, like this example, often included astrological and calendar features.

This example, which survives in partial form, is from the golden age of these clocks and bears strong resemblance to the work of the most important workshop of the period, that of Jeremias Metzger.

The original fitment of a Universal Astrolabe to the rear of the case appears to be an extremely rare, if not unique feature of possibly documentary importance.

Lot 119 now features a fine quality, purpose-made English fuse timepiece movement and is estimated to sell for £4,000-6,000.

The sale will take place at Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions’ Donnington Priory Saleroom in Newbury, Berkshire on Thursday 28 August.

James Buttery

Editor of WatchPro, the WatchPro Hot 100 and The Luxury Report.

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