G.P.O. Synchronome Slave Clock 1960s | British Post Office Bakelite Wall Clock, Satin Black, Gold Bezel
G.P.O. Synchronome Slave Clock 1960s | British Post Office Bakelite Wall Clock, Satin Black, Gold Bezel
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An original G.P.O. wall clock from the 1960s with its Synchronome movement still fitted, the mark of one of the most respected names in British electrical timekeeping. Bakelite body, freshly finished in satin black with a gold bezel, and covered with glass.
At a glance
| Origin | G.P.O. (General Post Office, Britain) |
| Case | Bakelite, glass covered |
| Finish | Satin black, sprayed, with gold bezel |
| Movement | Original Synchronome movement, still fitted |
| Power requirement | Requires a pulse generator or connection to a master clock, not included, will not run as is |
| Conversion option | Can be converted to a quartz movement on request, just send us an email |
| Condition | Signs of use, including a few small marks on the dial face |
| Diameter | 35 cm (13.8") |
| Height | 7 cm (2.8") |
| Availability | One of one, once sold this exact piece will not return |
| Import duty | Payable by the buyer in their own country |
How G.P.O. slave clocks worked
G.P.O. stands for General Post Office, the British state body that once ran not just the postal service but the entire national telephone and telegraph network too. From around 1910, the G.P.O. began installing master and slave clock systems across its buildings, telephone exchanges, sorting offices, waiting rooms, so that every clock in a location, and eventually across the whole network, agreed on the time to within a couple of seconds. A single master clock sent out a pulse at a fixed interval, and every slave clock wired into the system advanced its hands by one step each time a pulse arrived. Clocks made for the G.P.O. carried a manufacturer code alongside the G.P.O. marking, and "DC" or "DCA" specifically identifies a clock built by the Synchronome Company, one of the most respected names in the business, commercially producing some of the most accurate electric clocks in the world at the time, even against strong competition from rivals like Gents of Leicester.
The story
This clock still carries its original Synchronome slave movement, untouched and untested, exactly as it came out of service. As with any true slave clock, it has no timekeeping ability of its own, it needs a pulse generator to reproduce the signal a master clock would once have sent, or an actual connection to a working master clock system, neither of which is included. It will not run straight out of the box. If you'd rather have a clock that keeps its own time with no extra equipment, we're happy to convert it to a modern quartz movement, just send us an email before you order and we'll take care of it.
The Bakelite case has been freshly finished in a clean satin black with a gold bezel, a sharp, confident combination that suits the clock's industrial origins while giving it a more finished look for a home. It's genuinely used, and that shows: a few small marks are visible on the dial face, honest evidence of the years it spent doing its job in a real G.P.O. building somewhere.
Suited to collectors of British postal and telecommunications history, interior designers looking for a distinctive statement clock with real engineering behind its story, and anyone drawn to the quiet prestige of a genuine Synchronome name.