Gent of Leicester Slave Clock | 1960s Satin Black Factory Clock, Quartz Movement
Gent of Leicester Slave Clock | 1960s Satin Black Factory Clock, Quartz Movement
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An original 1960s wall clock marked "Gent of Leicester" on the dial, once a slave clock in a British factory or workplace, now finished in a clean satin black and converted to a modern, self-contained quartz movement.
At a glance
| Manufacturer | Gent of Leicester |
| Produced | Circa 1960s |
| Original function | Slave clock |
| Finish | Satin black, sprayed |
| Dial | Silver |
| Glass | Convex glass cover |
| Movement | Converted to modern quartz, single battery |
| Hands | Original-style pointers, fitted for the quartz conversion |
| 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 naming variation you'll also spot across some of our other clocks from the same maker. It isn't a different company or anything to worry about, genuine vintage examples exist with both markings, and it's something even specialist clock collectors don't have a fully settled answer for. A documented, authentic quirk rather than a red flag.
The story
This clock started out with a real job to do, not as a decorative object. It was originally a slave clock, meaning it carried no timekeeping mechanism of its own, instead it was wired into a central master clock elsewhere in the building, which sent out a regular electrical pulse to advance the hands by a fixed step each time. Every slave clock on that same circuit stayed in perfect agreement, down to the minute, a solution that let a single site, a factory floor, an office block, a railway station, keep dozens of clocks perfectly synchronised decades before anything wireless existed. Gents of Leicester, founded in 1872 by John Thomas Gent, built much of the technology behind that system, and its clocks are still turning up in old British factories, schools, and stations today.
This particular example has been finished in a clean, matte satin black, a straightforward, versatile look that lets the silver dial and the clock's honest industrial shape do the talking. The convex glass cover sits over that dial, and the hands have been fitted to work with the clock's new heart: a modern, self-contained quartz movement running on a single battery. No master clock or pulse generator required, simply set the time and hang it.
Suited to collectors of British industrial and horological history, interior designers looking for a self-contained, ready-to-hang statement clock, and anyone who wants a genuine piece of factory timekeeping history in a finish that works with almost any interior.