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The Encyclopedia of Horology

London, United Kingdom · 1740–1794

Eardley Norton

Partially verified

Maker of astronomical clocks, musical clocks, chronometers, and watches.

Life & work

Born in 1740, Eardley Norton established himself as a prominent clock and watchmaker based in London.

He became a member of the Clockmakers Company in 1762 and operated his workshop from 49 St. John Street in Clerkenwell. Norton received an English patent in 1771 and was celebrated for his complex astronomical and musical timepieces. His legacy is marked by high-quality work, including a notable astronomical clock with four dials produced for King George III.

Following his death in 1794, the firm was succeeded by Gravell & Tolkien, who maintained the operations until 1820.

The fuller biography summarises the open references listed under Sources; each statement was checked against the cited passage. Confirm key dates in period documents before relying on them.

Training, contributions & innovations

  • Norton received an English patent in 1771.
  • Some of his clocks feature his name inscribed in reverse, which may suggest a secondary grade of quality.

Documented works

  • A notable musical clock was specifically crafted for the Russian Tsarina Catherine the Great.

Collecting significance

The catalogued pieces listed on this page show the kinds of objects auction houses, dealers and museums attribute to this maker; each attribution is the source's own.

Firms, key models & movements

No firm, model or movement in this encyclopedia is yet recorded under this maker's name.

In the object catalogue

4 catalogued objects are recorded under Eardley Norton. Attributions are as given by each source and are not independent authentication.

Diagram

12345let downstripcleanoilregulateorder of work; never skip letting down the mainspring
Schematic: order of work at the bench. An outline schematic drawn to show the arrangement of the parts discussed here. It is not a dimensioned working drawing and does not depict a particular maker's calibre.

Sources & references

  1. Norton, Eardley, Watch-Wiki, retrieved 2026-11-03
  2. Norton, Eardley, Watch-Wiki, retrieved 2026-11-03

Where sources disagree, the disagreement is stated rather than resolved silently.