The son of the Flemish clockmaker John Vallin (ca. 1535–1603), Nicolas became the leading clock- and watchmaker in London. Both John and Nicolas emigrated to England, probably shortly before 1590 and undoubtedly as the result of political troubles in The Netherlands. Both father and son died in the London plague epidemic of 1603. The watch, which has a verge escapement, runs a little more than twenty-four hours per each winding, and originally it struck the hours in passing (a single blow on the bell at each hour).