New data on Harrison's clocks The Clocktime Digital Museum team spoke to the expert horologist Matthew King, who is authoring a book - Clocking On with John Harrison - about the Harrison wooden clocks made between 1713 and 1728. It will be published in 2026 by Ingrams. Matthew’s new literature will cover his hands-on experiences with original clocks and the making of replicas which provides him with many unique insights into their manufacture and function. With the support of a fellow horologist, Matthew has produced a full-size, fully operating replica of John Harrison’s 1726 wooden regulator. Crucially, nearly 300 years after the original clock was made, he is now putting it through its paces so that he can record data about the clock’s inner workings, providing an informed understanding of Harrison’s creative brilliance. It’s worth noting that Matthew King’s Harrison replica work is done by drawing on his experiences from the original objects. He believes the best evidence is witnessed within the original objects. He started his career in 1981 working alongside the late and much revered John Kendall in Surrey. He worked closely with him for two decades and received a thorough education in all aspects of furniture and clock case work. After John’s retirement, Matthew continued to build on the business success and shared his own expertise with clients at Time Traveller Clocks. Matthew King told Clocktime News, “What I love about John Harrison is that he was not a copier. He didn’t look over someone’s shoulder, he went completely his own way. He worked out what the problem was and then looked at the systems and materials that were needed. He started from a blank page and was a leader. “He wasn’t a cabinet maker. His brother James, who collaborated with him, described himself as an artificer, which is interesting. This now old-fashioned term is still used in the military where is means a ‘skilled mechanic’ but in Harrison’s day it meant a skilled craftsman or inventor. Today a craftsperson is more likely to specialise in wood or metal but John Harrison covered both thanks to his mechanical genius.” A quirky fact is that in 2017, the 1713 replica shown above was exhibited alongside a breathtaking art installation by Luke Jerram, designed to celebrate the life of John Harrison. Over 2,000 clocks were donated by the public, then reimagined by the artist, whose work toured National Trust properties, including Nostell where in 1693 the clockmaker was born. To discover more about the story of John Harrison, please visit the Clocktime Digital Museum and enjoy this link to a video by Dr John C Taylor, where he discusses his treasured original 1726 Wooden Regulator.
