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Christopher Pinchbeck (c. 1670 – (1732-11-18)18 November 1732) was a London clockmaker and maker of musical Automata. He was born in Clerkenwell, England, but worked in Fleet Street. His name was probably derived from Pinchbeck, Lincolnshire.
Career
In the 18th century Pinchbeck invented his eponymous alloy, a cheap substitute for gold. He made an exquisite musical clock, worth about £500, for Louis XIV, and a fine organ for the Great Mogul, valued at £300. His eldest son, also named Christopher (1710–1783) became King's Clockmaker by appointment to George III: among his timepieces is an important astronomical clock made for the King, now in Buckingham Palace.
A number of clocks and watches made by both Christopher Pinchbecks still exist. Nowadays the term 'Pinchbeck Watch' may mean a watch made by Christopher senior or junior, a watch made by another maker and housed in a Pinchbeck case, or a watch made by Harold Pinchbeck, the 21st-century family watchmaking business in England.
Idiomatic use
Because of his work with alloys, the term "pinchbeck" has entered the English vocabulary, signifying the alloy he created. Because the alloy could be used to replace gold, the word is also used to signify something less than genuine; a counterfeit; a fake; a sham or fraud.
Notes
References
- World Wide Words, Pinchbeck
- Oxford Dictionary of National Biography: Pinchbeck family by Rita Shenton.
- From 'Fleet Street:Introduction (continued)', Old and New London: Volume 1 (1878), pp 53–69.
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