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Martin Burgess Sculptural Clock Made for Simon Napier-Bell

$198,500List Price

About the Item

A magnificent horological feat, this impressive sculptural clock was crafted by master English clockmaker Martin Burgess. Remarkably, this was only the second clock Burgess had ever created, making his clear skill in the craft extremely evident. Burgess was heavily influenced by famed 18th-century clockmaker John Harrison and became a leading expert on Harrison’s horological theories. In 1722, Harrison proposed a theory for a grasshopper escapement that could allow a pendulum to swing in free air and keep time with unprecedented accuracy. Though this design never came to fruition, Burgess proved this theory to be correct when he crafted this sculptural clock in 1964. The grasshopper escapement is a rare and complex low-friction mechanism that allows the clock to function without oil, reducing the amount of debris and dust typically attracted by oil. This escapement, combined with a bi-metallic strip for condensation, ensures that this clock remains almost perfectly precise. Burgess’ clock realizes this horological project and makes several new innovations of its own. While the slow 2.5 second pendulum used in this mechanism would typically require 18 feet of height to swing, Burgess was able to compress the movement by compensating with a pair of 43-pound lead-filled brass covered balls that work like a metronome on the ends of the pendulum, providing adequate swing and also adding captivating visual interest to the timepiece. The movement itself is a feast for the eyes. The minute hand jumps in one-minute intervals while the hour hand jumps every fifteen minutes. The escapement wheel turns once in five minutes and the remontoire rewinds its spring twice a minute to create a constant power source. Furthermore, this remontaoire is powered by an electric motor so it never requires winding. This sculptural clock was commissioned by Simon Napier-Bell, famed manager of George Michael, John Paul Young and Wham!. Known for orchestrating carefully calculated record deals, Napier-Bell wanted to outfit his office with a clock that so intensely hypnotized his clients, they would sign on the dotted line without reading the fine print in their contracts. This clock's arresting visual presence and highly complex movement certainly rises to the task. Burgess began his career as a scientist and Egyptologist, and later turned his artistic brilliance to the field of horology. Despite not making many clocks, Burgess became a mammoth in the field and his last clock was officially declared by Guinness World Records in 2017 to be the world’s “most accurate mechanical clock with a pendulum swinging in free air.” Circa 1965 Measures: 52 3/4" high by 20 3/5" wide by 20" deep.

Dimensions:
Height: 52.75 in (133.99 cm)Width: 20.63 in (52.41 cm)Depth: 10 in (25.4 cm)
Materials and Techniques:
Brass,Lead,Metal
Place of Origin:
England
Period:
20th Century
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1965
Condition:
Seller Location:
New Orleans, LA
Reference Number:
Seller: 31-64211stDibs: LU891132582852

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