English gilded clock watch in a tortoiseshell case Circa 1682

Gilt metal watch with pink enamel dial by Thomas Tompion
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An English gilt metal, pair-cased repeating clock watch in decorated tortoiseshell case, circa 1682.
This exquisite timepiece boasts a full plate movement with verge escapement. The white enamel dial is adorned with polychrome enamel painted angels at the centre, surrounded by Roman radial hours and an outer minutes track featuring Arabic five-minute numerals. The pink accents between the minute numerals add a touch of whimsy to this otherwise sophisticated design, complemented by Louis XV-style hands. The inner case features a stunning polychrome painted enamel scene, while the outer case is covered in tortoiseshell with inlaid silver decorations. The movement’s back plate bears the engraving Tho Tompion / London / 104, while the interior of the outer case has the name Northcott scratched onto it.
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Diameter: 44 mm
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Signed: Tho Tompion London
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Thomas Tompion was born in 1639, was baptized on July 25^th, 1639 and died in 1713. He was an English clockmaker, watchmaker and mechanic still regarded as the ‘Father of English Clockmaking’. His work includes some of the world’s most historic and important clocks and watches. Tompion was born as the son of a blacksmith at Ickwell Green, a hamlet in the parish of Northill, Bedfordshire. It seems he was trained, with his younger brother James, in the art of blacksmithing. Very little is known of Tompion’s early life, but he was likely involved at some point in the repair of the local church clock as this was usually blacksmith’s work. Perhaps he developed his passion for horology from this. There is no record of Thomas Tompion serving as an apprentice in a clockmaker’s workshop. Still, on September 4th, 1671, he was admitted to the Clockmakers’ Company and became a master in 1704. In 1674 Tompion was introduced to Robert Hooke, the most important English experimental physicist of the 17th century. The following year, 1675, Hooke employed Tompion to make a watch with a special double spring on the balance. On April 7th, Hooke, accompanied by Tompion and Sir Jonas Moore, went to Whitehall Palace and showed the watch to King Charles II. The King was so impressed that he ordered a watch from Tompion for his own use. Tompion employed several apprentices, most notably Edward Banger, who married Tompion’s niece in 1694 and became free of the Clockmakers’ Company in 1695. He formed a partnership with Tompion in 1701, but some years later, a serious quarrel appeared to have taken place, and after about 1708, they ceased to collaborate. The cause of the quarrel is unknown but could have resulted from rivalry between Banger and George Graham. The latter had worked as a journeyman at Tompion’sn’s workshop since 1696 and had married another of his nieces. He was taken into partnership by Tompion in 1710 and succeeded the business after Tompion’sn’s death in November 1713. Tompion was buried in Westminster Abbey, indicating the high esteem he held during his lifetime.
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John Northcott was a case maker who worked closely with Tompion. He was responsible for creating the intricate cases that housed Tompion’s timepieces. Northcott was known for his attention to detail and his ability to create cases that were not only beautiful but also highly functional. Together, Tompion and Northcott created some of the most impressive timepieces of their time, which are still highly prized by collectors today.