Typical late 18C, long door, high quality, classic, "London" flame mahogany case with breakarch top, side windows to hood and typical "London" two step base, the lower shaped.

12" breakarch brass dial with circular aperture to arch depicting a man o'war AUTOMATON with "The Royal George" engraved to the surround.Recessed, scalloped edge, seconds disc, "feathery head" cast brass spandrels, finely matted dial centre and silvered "rainbow" nameplate to lower dial centre - signed Willm.

( William ) Mason London. Conventional datebox above 6 o'clock position. Blued, cut steel hands. "Double brass" pendulum bob. Brass bound weights. N.B. The Royal George was built at Woolwich Dockyard, launched 18th February 1756 and was a "First Rate, 100 gun, ship of the line" her finest hour being the 1780 battle of Cape St. Vincent ( known as the moonlight battle, for obvious reasons ) under the famous Admiral Rodney.

In August 1782 she was the flagship of Rear Admiral Kempenfelt, her Captain being Martin Waghorn.On 29th August she sank off Spithead ( Near Portsmouth ) with huge loss of life, estimates ranging from 900 - 1,200 with a claimed 300 souls saved.

High quality 5 pillar movement with hourly ( rack ) striking and pull hour repeat. The automaton driven from the pallet arbor.

Willm. ( William ) Mason of London. Several William Mason clockmakers are recorded in London at this period - Dockhead 1763 - 1787, Rotherhithe 1750 - 1774, Southwark 1734 ( app. ) - 1787. I believe the most likely candidate to be the Southwark man based on no more evidence than Southwark was a thriving dock area of London at the time and local makers were known to produce rocking ship automata.