The Lancellotti Tompion, No. 119 circa 1688

13½ inches

Case of ebony veneered on oak with dome top, surmounted by gilt-brass scroll-and-garland dome mounts and gilt thistle bud handle. The rectangular front door with gilt-brass scroll sound fret, gilt bellflower escutcheons and bellflower mount to the bottom rail. The moulded base, numbered 119 to the front door sill, on ebony block feet. With period wainscott oak travelling box.

Signed Tho. Tompion Londini fecit to the lower edge. 6½ inches square, gilded-brass dial with three latched feet, matted centre and pinhole calendar aperture. Silvered chapter-ring with gilt and chased winged-cherub spandrels and sculpted blued-steel hands. The dialplate with Strike/Not strike lever above XII and a continental date adjustment lever, 0 to 3, fitted at IX but never completed.

6 15⁄16 by 8¼ inch extended pierced and shaped backplate signed Tho=Tompion Londini fecit in a rectangular reserve within the tulip engraving, and punch-numbered 119 at the base. 5⅞ by 7⅝ frontplate with seven latched baluster pillars and twin fusees. Going train with knife-edge verge escapement and bob pendulum stamp-numbered 1 to 4. Strike train governed by a rack-and-snail sounding the hours on the larger bell, Tompion’s pull-quarter repeat on a smaller bell with Z pull-bar.

8-day.

Prince Massimiliano Lancellotti, Italy. Probably made for the family and exported on purchase.

Ronald Phillips Ltd, London, 2011.

Evans, Carter & Wright, Thomas Tompion 300 Years, p.332-333.

Garnier & Carter, The Golden Age of English Horology, 2015, p.62-65.

Knife-edge verge.