Early 20th c. Gents of Leicester 24 Hour Factory Clock c.1940

ABOUT

On hold until 4/3/23.

All original, battery operated, and fully functioning.

Likely one of many set up in a factory or railway station, this clock retains it's original black factory paint with a heavy patina and texture. The 18" dial has a beautifully crazed and aged appearance and also features the red 24 hour numerals. Gents' iconic hands run on the original slave movement which now has benefit of a modern battery operated impulse driver.

This slave clock was salvaged from a factory in England. This particular example has an unbranded face which could be commissioned from Gents at the time of ordering. Slave clocks were prominently used in factories and large railway stations where either there were many clocks in a series or access to a clock was limited. Therefore, the clocks could be controlled by a central master clock allowing the upkeep and precision of timekeeping to be managed very accurately. This series of clock systems were known as the Pul-syn-etic, first developed in 1903 by Gents of Leicester, and went onto revolutionize the workplace where timekeeping was a major factor in their production.

• CREATOR Gents of Leicester, Leicester, England.
  
• DATE OF MANUFACTURE c.1940.
  
• MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES Metal, Glass.
  
• CONDITION Good. Wear consistent with age and use.
  
• DIMENSIONS Diameter 21 in. H 4 in.
  

HISTORY

Gents made a whole host of different designs intended for different purposes. Standard round wall clocks, square double sided, slave clocks, mains powered clocks, cast iron clocks for outdoor use to name but a few. Of course, the most famous Gents of Leicester clock of all still hangs proudly in London’s Waterloo Station.

Gents of Leicester was formed in 1872 by John Thomas Gent and later registered as Gent & Co. In 1903 they produced an electric clock system labelled as the 'Pul-syn-etic' - a master and slave series of clocks that would go on to revolutionize the workplace and public spaces alike. Gents' electric clocks can still be found in public buildings, railway stations and factories all over the world to this day - a testament to their superior design, build and quality. In the field of electric clocks, Gents products were routinely specified by architects for their simple style, quality, reliability and foolproof installation in any situation.