Reassuringly British

As any gentleman knows, to truly appreciate luxury, one must be intimately acquainted with the meaning of fine craftsmanship. Since 1695, Graham has stood in tribute to a golden age of timepiece engineering and design. A time when, under pressure from eminent scientists from The Royal Society, today's precision movements were pioneered and the frontiers of horology were being pushed back. Daring in design and yet elegant in appearance, Graham timepieces are distinct in capturing the spirit of exploration and discovery that was ignited by it's namesake over 300 years ago. Exquisitely engineered, they take master watch making to new heights where the unknown is conquered, and the improbable is accomplished. So lies the innate confidence of a Graham timepiece, a virtue that ultimately manifests itself in its master. Refined, determined it stands apart, emanating an unforgettable presence. From the rigours of the boardroom to the sanctuary of the gentlemen's club, the excellence of Graham is unsurpassed. Timepieces of such outstanding craftsmanship can only originate from the work of one man - George Graham. The 18th century inventor who became, arguably, the world's finest ever watchmaker. The, time was a constant, inescapable yet abstract. Born of celestial movements and planetary rhythms, it united both the physical and the metaphysical. Time was the teller of Man's actions and decisions. It was the judge of all things. Time represented a frontier, a limit to man's knowledge and technological prowess. In an age where He had conquered the world's oceans and much of its geography, He still hadn't fully harnessed the true power and application of time. A method of measuring time, to the precise degree that advances in medicine and science required, was still unheard of. There was debate as to know this could be achieved, and although many had come close, there wasn't a watchmaker anywhere who could craft a movement to keep time throughout the day to the second. It was the ultimate goal. It would require absolute perfection, a feat of unparalleled engineering and skill. It was imperative that such a timepiece was achieved in the near future. The situation was critical, and none more so than at sea. In the 18th century, even though Britannia ruled the world's oceans, Her Navy was constantly plagued by disasters arising from difficulties of precise navigation. Time and time again, news reports would hit London of another of Her Majesty's mighty sailing ships being torn apart on the rocks in some distant land. Countless scores of British countrymen were being lost, and beyond that, each ship lost was a further blow to the Admiralty. In London society and in the international arena, it was becoming an embarrassment. It fell to the Royal Society, chaired by Sir Isaac Newton, to find a solution to the problem of accurately determining distance and location at sea. Astronomy appeared to be the best method, however the techniques were difficult to employ, and required an intricate knowledge of the stars and mathematics. There was also the problem of cloud cover. If only time could be measured precisely, then approximate distance would be easily calculable. In 18th Century London, Graham was becoming famous for his time machines. His inventions were mechanical masterpieces, exacting theories of time with an expert knowledge of physics and engineering. Graham's ingenuity and devotion to his works brought about spectacular advances in time keeping. Indeed, we owe Graham a great debt. Most of his inventions are still well known and used throughout the world of precision horology. The cylinder escapement, the mercurial pendulum, the chronograph and the minute repeater with damper are all products of his skill and imagination. The man himself lived modestly. A great aficionado of Shakespeare, he spent most of his time in his workshop. He was known as "honest Graham" and refused to patent any of his inventions, as he believed that it was only through collaborative scientific development that horology could be furthered for the benefit of all. Graham lent a surgical precision to his timepieces that no other 18th Century horologists could ever imagine achieving. The Royal Society ensured that his inventions enjoyed international acclaim as he published over 21 scientific papers on horology in Philosophical Transaction, the official publication of the Royal Society's journal. Indeed, it was his privilege to be the first ever clockmaker to be honoured with membership. In the very first years of the 18th century, what had escaped so many for so long was accomplished by Graham. The precise measurement of time was achieved. No longer were seconds inexplicably lost during the day. Time could, at last, be measured and read with confidence. Graham had built the very first clock with a one second par day accuracy..! Perhaps the greatest accolade for the master watchmaker was the commission by the Greenwich Royal Observatory to build its "Master Clock", the clock by which the world sets its time. For over 75 years, the timepiece that Graham designed and built enabled astronomers, scientists, navigators and military planners to accurately conduct their work. It can still be seen today at the Greenwich Royal Observatory's museum, one of London's most famous landmarks. In the later years of his life, Graham concentrated mainly on perfecting astronomical instruments. Incidentally, Edmund Halley, a British astronomer with whom Graham became a close friend, was able to draw his famous sidereal maps thanks to an extremely precise instrument invented by Graham for the Royal Observatory. It will, however, be Graham's invention of the chronograph for which he will be best remembered. He his known today as the "Father of the Chronograph". As the movement from which all modern watch companies evolved their mechanisms, the chronograph is a monument to George Graham's work and incredible ingenuity.
As the only conceptual heir to the great watch-making dynasties of the United Kingdom, the Graham brand vouches for a mission which requires a lot more than cool composure: to perpetuate the extraordinary ingenuity of the British master inventor. At the down of the 21st century, English precision mechanics are now being reborn at the heart of the clock-making mountains of the Swiss Jura. Still basking in its legendary history, it treasures the precious discoveries of George Graham. Its faithfulness to that eponymous name can be seen in the creation of timekeepers equipped with astounding technical innovations. In order to satisfy the scientific demands of "Honest Graham", the new Graham company designs chronographs fitted with extremely complex and audacious mechanisms. If the Royal Family still wears Graham timekeepers today, it is because the make remains faithful to the tradition of the British watchmakers of the 18th century who presented their creations to the King before marketing them.

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