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| | alt = monochrome engraved illustration of a half-length portrait of a man, in an ornate wig, holding a pocket watch | | alt = monochrome engraved illustration of a half-length portrait of a man, in an ornate wig, holding a pocket watch | ||
| | caption = Print made by ], after ] | | caption = Print made by ], after ] | ||
| | birth_date = c.1670 |
| birth_date = c.1670 | ||
| | birth_place = ], ] | | birth_place = ], ] | ||
| | death_date = {{Death date|1732|11|18|df=y}} | | death_date = {{Death date|1732|11|18|df=y}} | ||
| | nationality = |
| nationality = English | ||
| | occupation = ] | | occupation = ] | ||
| | known_for = ] | | known_for = ] | ||
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| == Idiomatic use == | == Idiomatic use == | ||
| The term "pinchbeck" has entered the ] to signify the alloy Pinchbeck 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.<ref> at Dictionary.com.</ref> | |||
| == Notes == | == Notes == | ||
Revision as of 13:04, 11 February 2013
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Christopher Pinchbeck" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (January 2013) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| Christopher Pinchbeckthe elder | |
|---|---|
 Print made by John Faber the Younger, after Isaac Whood | |
| Born | c.1670 Clerkenwell, England |
| Died | (1732-11-18)18 November 1732 |
| Nationality | English |
| Occupation | Clockmaker |
| Known for | Pinchbeck alloy |
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
The term "pinchbeck" has entered the English language to signify the alloy Pinchbeck 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
- "Pinchbeck" at Dictionary.com.
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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