LONDON.- The smallest clock made by master clockmaker Thomas Tompion sold for £1,935,063 at The Clive Collection of Exceptional Clocks sale in London today, Wednesday 19 June. With exceptional royal provenance – it was made for King William and Queen Mary – it is now the most valuable clock by Thomas Tompion ever sold at auction.

Long regarded as the Father of English Clock Making, Thomas Tompion (1639-1713) was the creator of some of the finest clocks ever made. This silver-mounted, quarter-repeating miniature table clock that he made for Queen Mary in 1693 - also known as ‘The Q Clock - accompanied the campaign clock Tompion made for her husband, King William III. The clock would have originally taken pride of place in the Royal Apartments at Kensington Palace.

Head of Bonhams Clock department James Stratton said, “This is an exceptional clock, and one of the finest ever to appear at auction. Thomas Tompion was among the very greatest of English clockmakers and the combination of his outstanding craftsmanship, artistry and the royal provenance made this clock unique.”

The Clive Collection was one of the finest private collections of Early English clocks in the world and comprised clocks by the pre-eminent makers from the greatest period of early horology.

The Fine Clocks sale, including The Clive Collection, made a total of £2,437,266.

Other highlights in Bonhams Fine Clocks sale included:

• A late 17th century ebony veneered bracket clock Joseph Knibb, London. Sold £35,063.

• A fine and very rare mid 19th century English nickel cased eight-day chronometer carriage timepiece with staple balance Dent, London. Sold £27,563.

• A fine early 18th century ebony veneered quarter repeating table clock Daniel Quare, London. Sold £27,563.

• An historic skeleton clock made for, and presented to, William Scoresby in 1833. James Condliff, Liverpool. Sold £22,563.

• A pre-numbered Thomas Tompion eight-day longcase movement and dial in a later walnut case Thomas Tompion. Sold £20,063.

Thomas Tompion was born in 1639, the son of a blacksmith. During his lifetime, he enjoyed the patronage of four successive English sovereigns: Charles II, James II, William III & Mary II, and Queen Anne. He also created clocks for Kings Charles III and Philip V of Spain, Leopold I, the Holy Roman Emperor, and Cosimo III de Medici, becoming the most celebrated clock and watch maker in the known world. His clocks are famous for the ingenuity of their design, and their mechanical complexity and sophistication. He died in 1713 and was buried in Westminster Abbey. His legacy as the Father of English Clock Making endures to this day.