Martin Burgess

Edward Martin Burgess ( born November 21, 1931) is a contemporary English master watchmaker. He was known by the construction of monumental Clocks.

Life and horological performance

Burgess attended from 1944 to 1949, the Gresham 's School, an elite private school in Holt (Norfolk ). After a first career as a restorer of Egyptian antiquities, he turned to the timekeeping and watchmaking. He specialized in innovative, often provided with a free escapement, monumental clocks. In the 1960s, Burgess coined the term " sculptural horology " (paraphrased: sculptural horology ).

Burgess is a leading technical expert on the subject of John Harrison, the clockmaker of the 18th century, who built the first marine chronometer successful and enabled the accurate measurement of longitude. In his watches Burgess has many techniques Harrisons used, such as the " grasshopper escapement ".

Honors

Burgess was honored as

Watches

  • Sculptural Clock with Bells, in the former 'Time Museum of Rockford ", Illinois, United States.
  • Second Sculptural Clock (1965 ), currently owned by the graphic artist Donald Saff. The clock has a massive compound pendulum, and an oscillation period of 2.5 seconds. The escapement requires full 5 minutes for a round. There was a limited series of 35 half-size replicas, called Concord Clocks designate.
  • The Gurney Clock ( 1975), was donated by Barclays Bank on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of its founding by the family Gurney Norwich city. The clock is in the shape of a golden lion in a golden castle (both heraldic symbols of the city arms ). The preparation of the required clock 11 years. It was first erected in a public park, but in 1992 so severely damaged by vandalism, that they had to be completely restored. It is secured in the Castle Mall Norwich today.

Publications

Article in "The Antiquaries Journal"

  • The Mail -maker 's Technique, Vol 33, 1953, pp. 48-55
  • The Mail Shirt From Sinigaglia, Vol 37, 1957, pp. 199-205
  • A mail shirt From The Hearst Collection
  • A Habergeon of West Whales with William Reid.

Articles in " Horological Journal"

  • The Harrison regulator for the Gurney Clock, July 1987.
  • Looking forward to the Harrison Seminar, July 1988.
  • Reply to Mr Greene from Martin Burgess, May 1990.
  • Questioning Airy, July 1990.
  • Harrison & H4, November 1993.
  • Quest for Longitude, April 1997.

Source:

More Articles

  • The Grasshopper escapement, its Geometry and Its Properties, " Antiquarian Horology ', Vol 7, Part 5, 1970.
  • Principles and Objectives, " Conservation of Clocks and Watches", Peter B. Wills (Eds. ), British Horological Institute.

Documentary

The documentation Clock - maker ( Director and Producer Richard Gayer ) is a film about Burgess and his monumental clocks. The focus is on the production of one of his biggest watches, a five -meter high, driven by weights design with a weight of about 350 kilograms.

England Society of Antiquaries of London John Henry Gurney Sr. Heraldry
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