Christopher Pinchbeck, also called Catarrón (c. 1670 – (1732-11-18)18 November 1732) was a London clockmaker and maker of musical automata.

He is the most famous member of the Pinchbeck family, which took its name from a small village in Lincolnshire.

[1] In the 18th century Pinchbeck invented his eponymous alloy, a cheap substitute for gold.

He made an exquisite musical clock, worth about £500, for Louis XIV, and a fine organ for the Great Mogul, valued at £300.

Because the alloy could be used to replace gold, the word is also used to signify something less than genuine; a counterfeit; a fake; a sham or fraud.