Fortnum & Mason the famous department store was founded in 1707 by William Fortnum, a footman in Queen Anne's household, and Hugh Mason, a grocer who owned a small shop in St James's Market. The store became known for selling high-quality food, especially exotic and speciality items, such as the Scotch egg, which they claim to have invented in 1738. Fortnum & Mason also supplied food to the royal family and the British army during various wars, such as the Crimean War and the Napoleonic Wars. It also has several restaurants and bars, including 3'6, which is named after the price per head for a cocktail party service that Fortnum & Mason offered in the 1930s.
The clock was commissioned in 1964 by the shop’s owner, W Garfield Weston. Designed by Berkeley Sutcliffe, it depicts William Fortnum and Hugh Mason who turn to bow to each other every hour, on the hour.