George Graham, London No. 679

An important George II burr walnut longcase clock. Circa 1730

Case

The type 3 form case, veneered in the finest well figured walnut onto an oak carcass with original caddy top. Pierced sound fret below and leading to the three-quarter columns with gilt brass Doric caps and bases with pierced sound frets to the sides. The concave throat moulding above the rectangular trunk door with feather banding bordered by crossbanding with crossgrain concave door moulding. The whole bordered by cross-grain burr walnut, with twice punched numbered 679 to the inner edge. The sides with burr walnut panels with cross grain borders, leading to the concave moulding above the book matched burr-walnut veneered base and standing on a double plinth.

Dial

The 12inch square brass dial signed to the lower margin Geo Graham London, latched to the movement with engraved foliate borders between the double screwed Indian mask spandrels. Finely matted centre with bolt and shutter maintaining power, deeply chamfered aperture to the silvered engraved Arabic calendar ring above VI and signed to an oval cartouche Geo Graham London. The silvered chapter ring includes Graham’s lozenge half hour markers. Large subsidiary seconds ring and finely pierced blued-steel hands of typical Graham form, the hour hand with octagonal boss.

Movement

The substantial eight day movement is of exceptional quality with plates united by five knopped and ring-turned pillars latched to the front plate. Weight driven trains with gut lines, the going train with bolt and shutter maintaining power and Graham deadbeat escapement, long steel crutch with a brass rod seconds pendulum, with lenticular bob and graduated rating nut. The strike train, governed by a pivoted steel rack and snail, sounding the hours on a single bell. The backplate numbered to the lower edge 679, with brass L-shaped bracket screwed to a T-shaped bracket mounted to the backboard.

Height 7 ft 4 inches