Source catalogue · individual objects
Object Catalogue
Individual objects described by auction houses, specialist dealers and collection catalogues. Attribution, dates and specifications remain source-reported unless independently established; rights clearance is pending.
Browse makers and their key pieces · Thomas Tompion profile
11 of 5699 objects · Page 1 of 1
Movement · Verge & fusee movement
Thomas Tompion verge pocket watch movement No. 3140
This pocket watch movement by Thomas Tompion is catalogued as movement number 3140 and dated to circa 1700. It features a gilt full plate fusee verge design measuring 49 mm, fitted with tulip pillars, a three-arm steel balance, and a silvered regulation disc. The pierced and engraved balance cock displays an unusual mask motif. Housed in a gilt metal hinged-back case containing a handwritten paper pad lining, the lot is noted by Bonhams as lacking its later white enamel dial. Source documentation notes a previous appearance at Sotheby's in 1981 and literature citation in Jeremy Evans' 'Dial and 3 crowns'.
Full description
www.bonhams.com · 42
Clock · Turret & tower clock
Thomas Tompion eight-day turret clock movement
This late 17th-century turret clock movement is attributed to Thomas Tompion and reported as being of eight-day duration. Constructed from forged iron bars painted green, the frame accommodates side-by-side three-wheel trains with eight-inch grooved wooden winding barrels. The going train incorporates an anchor escapement configured for a two-second pendulum. Mounted at the front is a 12.5-inch square brass setting dial featuring a silvered chapter ring with Roman hours, steel hands, and a subsidiary seconds dial cutting into the chapter ring below XII. Provenance documented by the source links the movement to Brome Hall, Suffolk.
Full description
www.bonhams.com · 71
Movement · Verge & fusee movement
Thomas Tompion key wind fusee verge movement
Catalogued as Lot 305 by Bonhams, this English key wind fusee verge watch movement is attributed to circa 1670 and signed 'T. Tompion London'. The mechanism features a gilt full plate construction, a plain steel three-arm balance with a ribbed rim, and a pierced and engraved winged balance cock decorated with a mask. According to the auction catalogue, the movement also includes a silver regulation disc, Egyptian pillars, and a worm set-up mechanism.
Full description
www.bonhams.com · 305
Clock · Bracket clock
Thomas Tompion gilt metal mounted ebony veneered quarter repeating table clock, Number 181
This late 17th-century English table clock, made circa 1691 by Thomas Tompion and identified by the source as workshop Number 181, is housed in an ebony-veneered case with a caddy top, tied-bud handle, sound frets, and glazed side apertures. The 8 by 7 inch gilt brass dial features twin subsidiary regulation and strike/silent dials, winged cherub and scroll spandrels, a mock pendulum aperture, and a silvered chapter ring. The eight-day twin gut fusee movement utilizes seven latched pillars and a pivoted verge escapement, striking the hours and repeating quarters on bells.
Full description
www.bonhams.com · 82
Pocket watch · Verge & pair-cased watch
Silver Pair-Cased Pocket Watch Signed Tompion
The watch features a two-body polished silver outer case and a matching two-body inner case with a split bezel, a shuttered winding aperture, and a loose ring pendant. The silver champlevé dial displays radial Roman numerals, an outer minute track with Arabic five-minute numerals, and a central cartouche depicting a lion and unicorn beneath a crown, with the signature Tompion London. The movement is a 41 mm gilt brass caliber, featuring divided Egyptian pillars, a fusee and chain mechanism with worm and wheel setup, and a verge escapement. It utilizes a three-arm steel balance with a flat balance spring and a pierced, engraved balance cock with streamers, regulated by a silver disc. The watch is signed on the dial and movement, though its authorship remains a point of uncertainty regarding the specific maker.
Full description
catalog.antiquorum.swiss · 324
Movement · Pocket watch movement
Pocket Watch Movement by Thomas Tompion, London, 1695-1696
This pocket watch movement, numbered 111, was created by Thomas Tompion in London between 1695 and 1696. The object consists of a key-wound movement featuring a verge escapement, a fusee and chain mechanism, and a winding dial. The back plate is engraved with the signature "Tompion, London" alongside the number 111, although part of the first digit is obscured due to the removal of metal from the plate. The front plate also bears the serial number 111. The movement is fitted with a fretted balance bridge. The dial and the original gold pair-case are missing. Historical reports suggest this movement was part of a collection stolen from an artist and recovered in a Melbourne cemetery after the original cases had been removed.
Full description
collections.museumsvictoria.com.au · ST 33112
Pocket watch · Verge & pair-cased watch
Thomas Tompion gilt metal pair case verge pocket watch
This English pair case verge pocket watch, attributed to Thomas Tompion, dates to approximately 1685. Measuring 55mm in diameter, the watch features a gilt fusee and chain movement utilizing a verge escapement and an early balance spring. The movement includes Egyptian-style pillars and a pierced, chased balance cock that extends to the edge of the top plate. The silver champlevé dial displays a Roman numeral hour chapter, diamond-shaped half-hour markers, and an outer ring marked with Arabic numerals for five-minute increments. The time is indicated by blued steel beetle and poker hands. The inner case is constructed from gold-plated metal, complemented by a protective outer case finished with tortoiseshell and pique ornamentation. The movement plate and dial bear the maker's signature, and the piece is marked with the number 311, although historical interpretation suggests the possibility of the number being 811.
Full description
Source listing
Clock · Longcase clock
Burr walnut month-going longcase clock
This month-going longcase clock is attributed to Thomas Tompion of London, numbered 385 on the backplate. The case is constructed of burr walnut, featuring a hood surmounted by a large lacquered brass ball finial on a pedestal, flanked by smaller finials. The trunk houses a door veneered in six panels of book-matched burr walnut, while the base rests on a plinth with ebonized moulded block feet. The 12-inch square gilt brass dial, signed "THO: TOMPION LONDINI FECIT", displays a silvered Roman and Arabic chapter ring with a matted center, a subsidiary seconds dial, and a date aperture. The weight-driven movement features six knopped and latched pillars, a bolt-and-shutter maintaining power, and an anchor escapement. The clock strikes on a bell, managed by an outside countwheel, and includes the pendulum and brass-cased weights.
Full description
Source listing · 204825900
Pocket watch · Early watch (16th–17th century)
Thomas Tompion No. 83 Clock Watch
This English clock watch, numbered 83, houses a gilt full plate fusee verge movement attributed to the maker Thomas Tompion. The movement is dated to approximately 1695 and includes features such as a pierced and engraved balance cock, silver regulation, a count wheel, and tulip pillars. It possesses a hammer striking mechanism designed to strike on an internal bell. The timepiece is contained within a later-added gilt inner case, which displays pierced and engraved floral decoration, and is accompanied by a later gilt and leather outer case. The bell is fixed to the inner back with a single screw. The watch features a white enamel dial with black Roman numerals and an outer arcaded minutes track, paired with gilt beetle and poker hands. Measuring 57mm in diameter, the object is accompanied by its winding key. It is documented that the casing and dial are later replacements.
Full description
Source listing
Pocket watch · Repeating watch
Traveling clock watch with alarm
This traveling clock watch with alarm was produced by Thomas Tompion in London, circa 1680. Tompion, a clockmaker and watchmaker, operated from Fleet Street during his career. The object is constructed with a silver case and dial. The movement is fabricated from gilded brass, partly blued steel, and silver. The overall dimensions of the case are 5 3/4 by 4 by 2 inches, while the back plate measures 3 1/4 inches in diameter. The item is held by The Metropolitan Museum of Art under the accession number 17.190.1512. It functions as both a portable timekeeping device and an alarm. The external case features ornate, pierced silver work, while the internal dial includes a central engraved motif and roman numerals for time indication.
Full description
Source listing · 17.190.1512
Pocket watch · Verge & pair-cased watch
Pair-case watch by Thomas Tompion
This pair-case watch was crafted by the London watchmaker Thomas Tompion and is dated to 1685–86. The timepiece features a double-case construction. The inner case is made of silver, which also serves as the material for the champlevé dial. The outer case consists of red tortoiseshell decorated with silver inlay. The watch measures 2 1/4 inches (5.7 cm) in diameter. The dial incorporates a Roman numeral chapter ring and the signature "TOMPION" engraved in the center. The watch is currently held in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art as part of the gift of J. Pierpont Morgan.
Full description
Source listing · 17.190.1487a, b