A brief history and insight into Gents of Leicester - one of the greatest industrial clock manufactures of the early to mid 20th century

It is no secret that we’re a big fan of industrial clocks and those made by Gent & Co Ltd / Gents of Leicester top that pile. Over the years we have been fortunate enough to buy, restore, rescue and sell hundreds of these clocks and will continue to do so at every opportunity we get. Formed in the late 19th century by John Thomas Gent, Gent & Co are often referred to as Gents of Leicester in the world of clocks, but they operated under many different trading names for different products including Tangent, Gent, Pul-syn-etic and much later Chloride Gent.

Looking back to our very humble beginnings as a couple of young lads making a mess in their dad’s workshops, we had only seen one part time dealer - Mark Rochester - who had a small range of industrial clocks that caught our eye. From there, that inspiration grew and branched out to many other facets of clocks and indeed vintage industrial items alike. Since then, we have brought more and a wider range of vintage industrial clocks to the market. For us, there is a genuine thrill being a part of that items history and to restore it in a sympathetic manner and pass this onto its eventual owner is a great feeling.

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 - exactly where it was designed for and hopefully it’s never replaced!

Below we will take a little look at some of the different types of clocks that Gents of Leicester designed and produced over the years, including some of the more popular and desirable models.

Browse our current stock of Gents of Leicester clocks

Industrial Slave Clocks

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 revolutionise the workplace where timekeeping was a major factor in their production. Slave clocks range in all manner of shapes, styles and sizes but all featured the ‘S’ Type movement manufactured by Gents of Leicester, usually found inside a sealed Bakelite housing

One of a pair of slave clocks salvaged from a factory in England. These would have been hooked up to a Pul-syn-etic master clock to set and manage the time centrally. Perhaps part of a much wider network of clocks throughout the factory. These parti… — One of a pair of slave clocks salvaged from a factory in England. These would have been hooked up to a Pul-syn-etic master clock to set and manage the time centrally. Perhaps part of a much wider network of clocks throughout the factory. These particular examples had an unbranded face which could be commissioned from Gents at the time of ordering - it makes for an incredibly clean, simple and timeless (pardon the pun - sort of!) design.

Of course, for most the us in a domestic setting the use of a slave clock is pretty useless unless you own a compatible Pul-syn-etic master clock. Thankfully, our friend Mark over at electric-clocks.co.uk has designed an ingenious piece of kit which… — Of course, for most the us in a domestic setting the use of a slave clock is pretty useless unless you own a compatible Pul-syn-etic master clock. Thankfully, our friend Mark over at *electric-clocks.co.uk* has designed an ingenious piece of kit which replicates the master clock in the form of a small mains or battery-operated impulse driver. This retains all the originality of the clock and means the hands progress every 30 seconds with that amazing mechanical ‘clunk’ we’ve all come to love. A sound very much synonymous with Great British engineering.

Cast Iron Clocks

Gents of Leicester designed their cast iron clocks with the primary function of enduring the elements. The specific product code for the cast clocks was the C24 and first produced in 1914. Cast from one piece of iron and painted, they are very heavy duty and is the reason many still survive today. The glass and movement cover were sealed to repel dust, dirt and moisture and ranged in size from 9” all the way up to a whopping 42”. The sizes most commonly found are 12, 18 and 24 inch models. They were also considered to be wash-proof and could be hosed down without any problems. The name branding was also often different - some with raised wording as below and others with the Gents of Leicester logo painted on or an FLP plaque.

This example hung on the outside of the Robert Jenkins factory in Wortley Road, Rotherham until its recent demolition. It also has the earlier ‘spaded’ hands dating to around 1920. It has an 18” face diameter and retains the original paint which has… — This example hung on the outside of the Robert Jenkins factory in Wortley Road, Rotherham until its recent demolition. It also has the earlier ‘spaded’ hands dating to around 1920. It has an 18” face diameter and retains the original paint which has a beautiful time worn patina and a ‘yellowed’ dial from decades of facing the sun. From the 1935 catalogue, this clock cost a whopping £6-12.

The C24 were also often found inside factories that may deal with volatile and flammable gases. In these cases, the clock face would bare an FLP plaque to the standards of the time. We were lucky enough to be able to salvage 8 of these clocks from t… — The C24 were also often found inside factories that may deal with volatile and flammable gases. In these cases, the clock face would bare an FLP plaque to the standards of the time. We were lucky enough to be able to salvage 8 of these clocks from the same factory that dealt in chemicals, so all of the clocks and lighting fixtures were sealed and FLP rated. It is a common misconception when the term flame or explosion proof is used relating to these fixtures. It is often thought that it would withstand fire or explosions, but the term comes from the fact that they are sealed and are therefore not able to ignite any volatile substances that may exist in the atmosphere and be the cause of the fire or explosion.

Large Scale Clocks

In some instances, clocks were designed on a much larger scale. If the desired location was to be positioned high up, or on a wall at the end of a large factory floor it would increase the visibility of the clock. These came in many different styles - be it round, square, double sided or single sided. Some had fancy ironwork brackets allowing the clock to be wall mounted - the type you may see outside a shop on a high street. Sometimes in these cases the clock faces may have adorned specific branding for the business as a way of advertisement.

Throughout the first half of the 20th century, an exterior mounted clock was a consideration for all newly built premises. Railway stations, tramways, bus depots and airports were solely dependent on time therefore displaying a clock was paramount. Furthermore, displaying a large clock on your premises was seen to be very upmarket. Of course, Gent & Co took full advantage of this and were poised to supply thousands of clocks in a multitude of shapes, sizes, designs and colours to their customers.

The history of this drum clock is unknown, but it was rumoured to once have hung at Cardiff Railway Station (unconfirmed). It is very large, double sided and has hand painted numerals for the 24-hour system – all the hallmarks of a railway clock. Th… — The history of this drum clock is unknown, but it was rumoured to once have hung at Cardiff Railway Station (unconfirmed). It is very large, double sided and has hand painted numerals for the 24-hour system – all the hallmarks of a railway clock. The movements in this clock were much larger, but were still based upon the ‘S’ Type movement mentioned earlier and again powered via the impulse driver from electric-clocks.co.uk. We found this clock stored in a private garage, the owner had had it for years and didn’t know what to do with it. We had an inkling it was a Gents clock, and upon opening and seeing the movements that was confirmed. It has since found its way half way around the world where it graces the interior of a cafe in South Korea.

This pair of wall mounted slave clocks model number C15 are the largest we have seen and this particular style ranged in size from 16” up to 42” (as above), but special commissions could be made up to 60” often installed on railway platforms. They f… — This pair of wall mounted slave clocks model number C15 are the largest we have seen and this particular style ranged in size from 16” up to 42” (as above), but special commissions could be made up to 60” often installed on railway platforms. They feature the iconic arrow shaped hands that Gents used prominently during the 1920-30s and a slightly unusual gothic-esque design to the numerals. This pair originally came from a large factory floor.

View our Gents clocks

Illuminated Clocks

Gents of Leicester were the designers of some of the finest examples of illuminated clocks you are likely to see. We have had a fair few of them over the years, but they are a scarce find and always a joy to restore and rescue. Usually they are double sided where they would have hung from the underside of an awning on a railway platform for example, but you do occasionally find wall mounted versions too. In terms of their setup and wiring, we took the leading option to introduce a wireless remote to function the light independently to the internal mechanisms - a feature now adopted by other dealers and seen in many other illuminating clocks. This allows the lighting to be switched off whilst the clock continues to function without the need for two power supplies.

Possibly one of the rarest clocks we have had the pleasure of owning and restoring. Model number C32 in the 12” diameter. Small in scale, immaculate original condition, double sided and illuminated. We’ve certainly not seen the like since!

This is a much larger double sided drum clock model number C32, again illuminated and bearing the 24-hour numbers. The faces on these clocks are made of a plastic that appears opaque when the lights are off but give a nice warm glow when the lights … — This is a much larger double sided drum clock model number C32, again illuminated and bearing the 24-hour numbers. The faces on these clocks are made of a plastic that appears opaque when the lights are off but give a nice warm glow when the lights are on.

Copper Clocks

Some clocks from Gents of leicester were produced in copper which was spun to form the contoured shape seen below. Perhaps they had in mind that they would be used in environments with a high moisture content due to being non-ferrous, or perhaps it was simply the fact that it was cheaper to produce items in copper at that time. In any case, they are beautiful clocks!

This was a 12” diameter example with a spun copper surround and arrow headed hands. In fact, we gave this clock away over on our Instagram page to one very lucky winner!

Common Movements

The clocks in the previous sections all had movements that were designed and manufactured by the company. Some were original designs that were patented and others based on well-established principles of horology, mechanics and electrical engineering. The requirements for a clock movement is, accuracy, reliability within the service life and being cost effective for the company to manufacture and maintain. Design changes over the years, included reducing noise from the movement, increasing the size of the movement to drive larger hands and providing more effective power. Other changes that influenced movement design were the advance of new materials and manufacturing processes and the changes in master clocks to drive them. The one thing that has remained constant, is the basic principles and good practice of horology that have been in use for hundreds of years.

Enjoy a small selection of the clocks we have restored over the years below

If you have any information or just fancy a friendly chat about all things Gents & Co, feel free to reach out - we would love to hear from you!

If you’re looking to make the investment of purchasing an industrial clock, have a browse at our current and ever-changing selection below and of course if you have any questions, just ask - we’d be happy to help!

Thanks for reading! Have a good day

Browse our full range of clocks

Sources:

The ‘Pul-Syn-Etic’ System of Electric Impulse Clocks, Book 5 - Gents of Leicester, 1935-36
A History of the Leicester Electrical Manufacturing Company, GENT - Colin F Reynolds
Antiques Workshop Ltd archives (all photos belong to Antiques Workshop Ltd)
A Conspectus of Clocks and Time Related Products Produced by Gent & Co. Leicester - Colin F Reynolds