Royal Wedding Celebration Clock

March 9, 2011 News

PRESS RELEASE – MARCH 2011

Today two British icons announce a collaboration rarely seen since the great artesian works of the 17th and 18th century. Royal Crown Derby and Smith of Derby, two giants in their respective fields of porcelain and grand horology, have combined their craft to create the ‘Royal Wedding Celebration Clock’.

These two very British companies, both steeped in tradition with a rich and wonderful heritage that stretches back hundreds of years, share the same roots in the City of Derby, cradle of the industrial revolution.

Royal Crown Derby is no stranger to creating pieces to celebrate the Royal family’s greatest events, such as Jubilees and Royal Weddings. With 300 years of heritage behind the company, they have witnessed more global and national events than most, recording them in breathtaking and timeless, classical porcelain work.

Smith of Derby, since 1856, with their luxury brand of clock, ‘Whitehurst’, create horological pieces that adorn the greatest homes and palaces the world-over. John Whitehurst was one of the greatest thinkers of his day and pioneered artisan horological collaboration, working with friends such as Matthew Boulton and Franklin.

Today’s collaboration celebrates his true pioneering spirit and marks another historic chapter in this great family story. Creative collaboration is alive and well in the heart of England. The excitement in this announcement offers the discerning collector and admirer of British craftsmanship at its best, the opportunity to own a very limited horological treasure.

SmithLifestyle3-resize-200‘The Royal Wedding Celebration Clock’ is available in brass with 24ct gold plate. The bone china dial and cameo is decorated in wonderful Royal Crown Derby hand-finished livery. For the client who seeks something totally unique for their personal celebration, a customised cameo can be hand painted as required.

The new spring-driven timepiece – with its design based on the original turret clocks of the 17th and 18th century, incorporates much of the original engineering found in well known Whitehurst pieces. It is meticulously hand built, piece-by-piece, marrying new technology and three hundred year old techniques.

Wheels, crafted in brass, have been carefully hand polished through an eight-stage process and finished in a protective, 24 carat gold, to ensure a flawless result that can only be achieved through original techniques.

The Royal Wedding Celebration Clock is available at £9,950 (+ VAT).

As with all Whitehurst clocks, past and present, they feature the official Whitehurst trademark within the workings of the clock. Family crests can be hand engraved into the workings of the clock at the client’s request.

You will receive an official certificate of provenance & ownership upon delivery, wherever you are in the world. The care and support you receive is in keeping with the flawless Whitehurst experience. Each piece is designed to require minimal care from the owner.

To secure your item, visit the Royal Crown Derby web site today for more details.

But remember, these pieces are strictly limited and unfortunately – ‘time waits for no man’.

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For further information or images, please contact Jane Arnold at Smith of Derby Ltd on 01332 257118, or email jane.arnold@smithofderby.com

For further information on Royal Crown Derby, please contact 01332 712850 or email ABushell@royalcrownderby.co.uk

Background

Royal Crown Derby Ltd

Established in 1750 producing English fine bone china tableware, giftware and collectables. In the early eighties the first paperweights were produced and have been a great success attracting increasing numbers of collectors from around the world.

The Collectors Guild was established in 1994 with its own magazine to provide collectors worldwide with interesting and exclusive information about the products we make and the people who create them.

The decoration of the Royal Wedding Celebration Clock

The Rose depicted is a Sweet Briar, a lovely old fashioned wild pink Rose. It represents Catherine as an English rose, emerging from the marriage of the sweethearts as a Princess. The sweet briar is beautifully scented.

The Shell is a central emblem of the coat-of-arms of Prince William.

Wheat explores the fertility and fruitfulness of the joining together and a sheath of wheat is the traditional symbol for weddings. It also symbolises plenty, a wish for the future prosperity of the country. A ribbon and bow ties the knot.

On the cameo is the monogram – intertwined C and W, with crown above.

The crown is Prince William’s coronet as worn by the grandson of the Monarch. Finally, a symbol of heraldry is depicted by the circlet of gold showing on the outside with two strawberry leaves, two fleur-de-lis and a central cross patty.

Smith of Derby Ltd

The Smith of Derby team has been in the ‘business of time’ for over 150 years and has incredible testimonials from clients all around the world. There are few names in the world of grand horology that carry the reputation and heritage of Smith of Derby Limited. John Smith started his own account in 1856 and today the Company, Smith of Derby Limited, has created and now cares for over 4,500 of the world’s public and private timepieces in over 50 countries.

Other examples of Smith of Derby work includes architectural and kinetic art pieces, such as the revolving Globe above the London Coliseum Theatre and the famous clock on St Paul’s Cathedral, London. As a Group they operate with multiple and wholly owned brands. Their luxury brand is ‘Whitehurst’, with which they create unique timepieces for the most discerning clientele.

John Whitehurst – Scientist and clockmaker

John Whitehurst started making clocks in England in 1708. He was a clockmaker, innovator and renowned scientist; Whitehurst was a close friend of Benjamin Franklin, founding father of the United States of America. A Whitehurst timepiece was gifted to Franklin by Whitehurst as Franklin signed the ‘Declaration of Independence’.

Clockmaker to Royalty and some of the world’s greatest families, Whitehurst timepieces can be found in 33 Royal and Country Estates, including clients such as Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia and he created the famous ‘King’s Clock’ for King George III. Whitehurst died in 1788 and clockmakers and timepiece creators at Smith of Derby continue his work today creating the world’s grandest timepieces.

During the 18th century, John Whitehurst, famous English industrial revolutionary, was working alongside some of the world’s greatest minds in his hometown of Derby, including Benjamin Franklin, to create most advanced and aesthetically challenging timepieces.

This is a standard that remains at the heart of Whitehurst, where, to this day, expert craftsmen in Derby are still practising his art of hand making some the most advanced, precise and mechanically beautiful clocks in the world.

And now, Whitehurst unveils its brand new timepiece in collaboration with Royal Crown Derby, Whitehurst, it seems, is again creating heirlooms of the future. Many of Whitehurst’s original pieces can only be admired in museums, stately homes and palaces. Today, luxury Whitehurst clocks are available to order and are most definitely ‘back in commission’.

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For further information or images, please contact Jane Arnold on 01332 257118 or email jane.arnold@smithofderby.com or Amanda Bushell on 01332 712850 or email ABushell@royalcrownderby.co.uk

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