Much of our collection is on display, with around 720 objects in the gallery. We are working with the Science Museum to digitise and photograph our collection to make it available online. To see which of these amazing objects' records are now accessible, visit the Science Museum's Collections Online website. Please contact us if you can't find what you are looking for.
Highlights
Some of the most famous names in British horology were members of the Clockmakers' Company. We are proud to display some amazing pieces by these makers, from our very first Master David Ramsay, to one of the greatest watchmakers of the 20th and 21st centuries, Dr. George Daniels.
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Watch in the shape of a star by David Ramsay
This exquisite watch, made in around 1625, was produced by the Company's first Master, David Ramsay. It depicts scenes of the birth of Christ, beautifully engraved by Gerard de Heck, a Dutch engraver working in Blois, France. Ramsay was named as the first Master on the Clockmakers' Charter of 1631. He served as a courtier to King James I as well being appointed as the King's chief clockmaker.
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Marine Timekeeper known as 'H5' by John Harrison and Son 1770
Silver pair-cased marine timekeeper by John Harrison and Son. Mechanically, this timekeeper is very similar to that of John Harrison's prize-winning longitude watch, H4 (in the collections of the Royal Museums Greenwich). It is now generally known as H5, being the fifth and last timekeeper that he produced as part of the 'Longitude Reward', and completed when he was 77. Personally tested by King George III at his observatory in Richmond, this timekeeper helped secure Harrison the last part of his Longitude prize-money.
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Smiths De Luxe Wristwatch Worn by Sir Edmund Hillary on His Ascent of Mount Everest 1953
Sir Edmund Hillary wore this watch during his successful climb to the summit of Mount Everest, May 29th 1953. He presented it in person to the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers in the same year, having reported back to Smiths that the watch had performed very well. This particular watch had been prepared by Smiths with a special lubricant to withstand low temperatures.
The Clockmakers' Museum
- Location:
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Science Museum,
Exhibition Road,
South Kensington,
London, SW7 2DD - Opening times:
- 10.00 - 18.00 daily
The Clockmakers of London Book
The Clockmakers of London tells the story of London as a watch and clockmaking centre, charting the evolution of the Company and its world-famous collection.