Silver Mounted Clock
A silver mounted clock brings together fine cabinet timbers and precious metal work, offering a striking centrepiece for any mantel or desk.
Silver Mounted Clock
When you search for a silver mounted clock, you encounter timepieces cased in rich woods like mahogany, ebonised wood, burr walnut, and tortoiseshell, accented with silver mounts, bezels, and fronts. These range from substantial bracket clocks to smaller carriage and desk clocks spanning the seventeenth to the twentieth centuries.
The versions you are most likely to meet on this page include Georgian and Regency mahogany bracket clocks, Edwardian and Art Nouveau silver-fronted mantel clocks, and smaller pieces from the 1910s and 1930s. Makers and clockmakers from London feature strongly among the items recorded here.
Forms vary from traditional bell-top bracket clocks with silvered dials to miniature carriage clocks and portable timepieces. Each period brings its own characteristic timber choice and metalworking style, from William and Mary ebonised cases to twentieth-century silver cladding.
Materials and construction methods
Clockmakers and cabinet makers worked in close collaboration, housing mechanical movements in dense timbers such as mahogany and ebony. Cases were then adorned with cast or repoussé silver mounts, bezels, and decorative plaques.
Metals such as brass and silvered metal were utilised for clock dials, where intricate engraving and silvering provided a high-contrast surface for the numerals. Tortoiseshell and ebonised wood offered alternative dark grounds that made the polished silver mounts stand out vividly.
Silver Mounted Clock Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical asking prices for silver mounted clock among the pieces listed under this phrase on Sellingantiques today, from the lower quarter to the upper quarter. They describe what is for sale here now, not the wider market.
The listings show timepieces housed in mahogany, burr walnut, tortoiseshell, and ebonised wood alongside silver and brass components.
Distinguishing quality across the range
The standard of a clock rests heavily on the integration between the cabinet work and the metal mounts. Superior examples demonstrate crisp casting and hand-chasing in the silver, alongside finely figured timber cases and well-proportioned silvered dials.
London makers of the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries often signed their work on the dial or movement, which elevates the standing of a piece. The depth and execution of the silver mountings, whether applied fronts or delicate corner brackets, dictate the upper tier of the range.
William Comyns·J Batson & Son·Des Granges·Perigal·Lenzkirch·John Ellicott·James Maitland·Joseph Lum
The Silver Mounted Clock Glossary
- Bracket clock
- A portable table clock originally designed to sit on a wall bracket to aid projection of sound. These domestic timepieces usually feature sturdy carrying handles and wood or ebonised cases.
- Silvered metal
- A brass or copper dial treated with a compound of silver to produce a bright white, legible surface. Engraved numerals and maker signatures are typically filled with black wax for contrast.
- Bell top
- A distinctive coved or domed shape found on the upper portion of eighteenth-century clock cases. This form often houses a striking bell within the timber superstructure.
- Tortoiseshell
- The mottled brown and amber keratin shell of certain turtle species applied as a veneer to wooden carcases. It provides a rich backing for silver mounts and decorative pique work.
- Carriage clock
- A small, spring-driven timekeeper developed for travel during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. They frequently incorporate glass panels and carrying handles alongside metal mounts.
Silver Mounted Clock: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I wind an antique clock?
Most mechanical timepieces require a matching winding key inserted into the dial holes to tension the spring or lift the weights.
Care must be taken not to over-wind the movement, stopping as soon as resistance is felt.
What woods were used for clock cases?
Makers utilised dense cabinet timbers including mahogany, burr walnut, and ebony to construct durable housings.
These woods were often polished to a high gloss or ebonised to contrast with silver mounts.
Are these clocks suitable for daily use?
Many of these pieces remain functioning timekeepers that can keep accurate time when properly serviced and set on a level surface.
Regular professional oiling helps preserve the seventeenth to twentieth-century movements.
How do I identify the period of a clock?
Stylistic clues such as bracket feet, dial layout, and case timber point toward specific eras like the Georgian or Edwardian periods.
Signatures on the dial or movement often name the maker and narrow down the date of origin.