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Makers of grandfather clocks who craft and piece each part together by hand are a rare breed. These artisans combine creativity, tradition, and innovation to create a bespoke piece that can last generations. They have significantly contributed to horology with their craftsmanship and pioneering inventions, and we still benefit from their ideas and creations.
While famous clock brands like Kieninger, Howard Miller, Ridgeway, and Hermle offer handcrafted longcase clocks, in this article, we will highlight individual clock artisans who have made invaluable contributions to the world of clockmaking.
Here are some of the past and present legends of horology worth honoring for their legacy and love for their craft.
Thomas Tompion is known as the Father of English Clockmakers. His unrivaled craftsmanship and precision techniques cemented his status as the leading clockmaking figure of his time. His clocks dominated the 17th to early 18th centuries and were known for their ornate designs and remarkable accuracy.
He is known for being the first inventor to integrate the dead-beat encasement into a clock. This mechanism connects the pendulum to the clockwork, which then drives the pendulum to motion, making each tick highly precise. This technique is still being used today in clockmaking.
Tompion produced over 5,000 clocks and watches during his career. He is also credited with being the first instrument maker to assign and engrave a production number to each of his creations— a practice still done today as a mark of authenticity and artistry.
George Graham succeeded his mentor and business partner Thomas Tompion as the finest watchmaker of his time. He perfected Tompion’s clock innovations and is credited for the mercury pendulum, which, combined with the dead-beat encasement, was unrivaled in precision for over a century. It became widely adopted in the clock-making industry, making him a legend in horology.
Aside from his achievements in horology, Graham also created astronomical devices for the French Academy of the Sciences. He also created the orrery that showed the motions of the planets around the sun.
Walter Durfee is known as the Father of Modern Grandfather Clock. This prominent American clockmaker of the late 19th and early 20th centuries started as an antique collector. In his travels, he met prominent makers of grandfather clocks, and he often shipped clock parts to the United States and assembled them there.
Durfee’s grandfather clocks, which he designed with the bell chime, a feature that had just been patented in England, resulted in a surge in demand in the U.S. He also collaborated with John Harrington, who patented the first clock-chime for tubular bells. Durfee became prominent for his grandfather clocks with tubular chimes, which he built in fine quality wood cases.
Durfee clocks are no longer being produced, but they are highly prized for their superior craftsmanship and sterling significance in horology history.
David Lindow started his clockmaking career as an apprentice to another master clockmaker, German-born Gerhard Hartwigs. When Hartwigs died in 1998, Lindow took over the shop and built upon his former mentor and employer’s tradition of quality.
He became a prolific clockmaker whose mastery over clock movements, hand-engraved brass, silver dials, and rose engines has made him a renowned figure in recent decades. His sought-after clocks feature intricate designs created by hand, incorporated with traditional and avant-garde mechanisms and finishes.
Grandfather clocks are cultural pieces that are steep in history, significance, and flair, and only masters of this art can create these clocks the way they should be created. That is, with meticulous attention, ingenuity, and precision. These makers of grandfather clocks have made clocks by hand, and their artisanal touch and mechanical genius will live on through time.
At Old Time Chimes, we specialize in custom grandfather clocks built to suit your tastes. We can also build replicas of clocks based on a photo or drawing. Contact us today to begin creating your own customized time-piece.
