Famous Watchmakers | XVIII | Thomas Mudge | Fondation De La Haute Horlogerie

Century

Thomas Mudge

Thomas Mudge © MHE

1715-1794
English clockmaker and chronometer maker.
Member of the Clockmaker Company (CC.).
Free CC.1738.
Livery CC.1766.
Disciple of Georges Graham.
Moved to London (1751) then Plymouth (1771).
Clockmaker to George III (nominated in 1776).
The first to use rubies for palettes and roller pin.

1750
Thomas Mudge made a watch that not only repeats the hours and quarters but also minutes for Ferdinand VI of Spain. The king had been informed of the clockmaker's contribution to the production of an equation watch that he had previously ordered from John Ellicot.

1759
Production of an exceptional watch for King George III, including two inventions: Invention of a system to compensate for temperature variations in watches. Invention of the anchor escapement.

From 1771
He dedicated his work to producing three marine chronometers. The first was completed in 1774, the two others in 1779.
Invention of a constant force escapement for marine chronometers. Particularly complicated and delicate to make, it would never be produced commercially.