Gent of Leicester Slave Clock | Original 1960s Grey Paint, Original Working 30-Second Movement
Gent of Leicester Slave Clock | Original 1960s Grey Paint, Original Working 30-Second Movement
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An original 1960s wall clock marked "Gent of Leicester" on the dial, left entirely untouched rather than restored. It still wears its original grey factory paint, and inside, its original Gents 30-second slave movement is still fitted and functional, not converted, not replaced.
At a glance
| Manufacturer | Gent of Leicester |
| Produced | Circa 1960s |
| Function | Slave clock, original movement still fitted |
| Finish | Original factory grey paint, minor signs of wear |
| Movement | Original Gents 30-second slave movement, still built in |
| Power requirement | Requires a pulse generator or master clock, not included, will not run straight out of the box |
| Conversion option | Quartz conversion possible on request, message us before ordering if you'd like this |
| Diameter | 24.5 cm (9.6") |
| Height / depth | 6.5 cm (2.6") |
| Availability | One of one, once sold this exact piece will not return |
| Import duty | Payable by the buyer in their own country |
A note on the "Gent" marking
This dial reads "Gent of Leicester" rather than "Gents of Leicester," a variation also seen across some of our other clocks from the same maker. It isn't a different company, genuine vintage examples exist with both markings, and it's a naming quirk even specialist clock collectors haven't fully pinned down. A documented, authentic detail rather than anything to be concerned about.
The story
Unlike some of the other Gent of Leicester clocks we've had through the workshop, this one hasn't been touched. It still carries its original grey factory paint, with the kind of minor wear you'd expect from a genuine piece of its age, and inside, its original Gents 30-second slave movement is still fitted exactly as it left the factory.
That movement is the reason clocks like this could hang, dozens at a time, throughout a single building and all show the exact same time. It had no timekeeping mechanism of its own, instead it was wired into a central master clock elsewhere on site, which sent out an electrical pulse every 30 seconds to advance the hands by a fixed step. Gents of Leicester, founded in 1872 by John Thomas Gent, built the technology behind that system and supplied it to factories, offices, and public buildings across Britain for decades, and clocks like this one are still turning up in those same kinds of buildings today.
Because we've left this clock as original as possible, it needs a pulse generator or a connection to a master clock to actually keep time, it will not run straight out of the box. If you'd rather have a self-contained clock that just needs a single battery, we can convert it to a modern quartz movement, just send us a message before ordering and we'll take care of it.
Suited to collectors who want the genuine, unaltered mechanism as much as the look, interior designers comfortable sourcing or building a small pulse generator setup, and anyone who values originality over out-of-the-box convenience.