Teak and Mother of Pearl Wall Clock by George Sneed for Heal’s

Made by George Sneed and sold through Heal’s department store, this is a handsome and very minimalist wall clock crafted from teak wood with mother of pearl inlays. The simple design of the face coupled with the deep-sided nature of the clock and the use of endgrain patterning makes it very effective and appealing on the wall, and very much in-keeping with a mid-century aesthetic.

The clock face measures approximately 21.5cm (8½ in.) whilst the rear measures slightly wider at 22.5 cm (just under 9 in.), giving it a slightly tapering profile. The clock has a depth of 5cm (2 in.). A recess in the rear houses the French-made “Romatic” quarts movement which is powered by a single “C” size battery and has a an adjuster for the time and a setting to finesse the speed of the clock. An aluminium plate sits over the top of the movement. Also to the rear is a maker’s stamp and metal hanging plate.

This particular example is in good condition aside from a few defects. There are some minor signs of age and wear and tear throughout, including a few “nibbles” to edges and some minor surface loss and very slight deformation to the minute hand. It is likely there was a cap of some kind on the barrel (above the minute hand) which is no longer present. Finally, there is a hairline split to the wood from approximately 9.30 on the clock horizontally. This isn’t immediately noticeable and appears unlikely to worsen. At some point in the clock’s history it has been glued and there is the potential to repeat this repair should the need arise. At is stands though, these defects don’t detract from the undoubted good looks of this clock so it has been left alone and is sold “as is”.