Ebony-cased bracket clock with a gilt carrying handle at top cast with foliage, a stepped moulded cornice applied with a gilt oval plaque cast with a bull, surrounded by foliage below a crown, small gilt urn finials at each corner. The silvered chapter ring has the 12 hours represented by Roman numerals and 5 minute intervals in arabic numers with a pair of blued steel pierced hands.

This clock has a twin fusee movement with a verge escapement. This clock has a typical Tompion set of complex strike repeat levers behind the dial with strike and repeat racks between the main plates. To activate the quarter repeating strike the wish bone repeat levers are pulled apart by cord pulls at the side of the case. They tension a spring that is sufficient to drive the quarter repeating mechanism. The two subsidiary dials, the regulator dial operates a rack regulating system at the back of the movement above the pallet cock. The second is the dial is a strike/silent setting dial. Above the centre of the main dial is the usual swinging pendulum indication aperture. Tompion number 388

Thomas Tompion is the most famous of all English clockmakers. The son of a Bedfordshire blacksmith, Tompion established his business near Fleet Street in 1671. He was closely associated with the mathematician and scientist Robert Hook. Over his lifetime his workshop produced about 650 clocks and 5,000 numbered watches. Tompion is buried in the central aisle of Westminster Abbey.

The quality and design of Tompion’s clocks, watches and barometers made him one of the most celebrated horologists of his day. He was the inventor of the recoil escapement for clocks and the cylinder escapement in watches.

Other works by Thomas Tompion in the Royal Collection include three barometers and five longcase clocks.