Pinchbeck, an alloy formerly used as imitation gold. It usually consisted of four parts copper and one part zinc, but sometimes contained a small amount of tin. Pinchbeck was named for its inventor, Christopher Pinchbeck (1670?-1732). He was a London clockmaker who used it in jewelry, clocks, watches, musical toys, and other articles for sale at fairs. The word itself became a synonym for cheapness or sham.