Anstey & Wilson: The Birmingham Makers Behind Britain's Most Elegant Sunburst Clocks
When collectors talk about the great names of British mid-century clock design, Metamec rightly dominates the conversation. But among those who know, there is another name that commands equal respect — and in some circles, even greater admiration. Anstey & Wilson of Birmingham produced sunburst wall clocks of a quality and elegance that their Norfolk rivals rarely matched, and today their pieces are among the most sought-after examples of British mid-century modern design.
Birmingham's Clock Making Heritage
Anstey & Wilson operated from Birmingham during the height of British mid-century manufacturing — the 1950s, 1960s and into the 1970s. Birmingham had a long tradition of metalworking and precision manufacturing, and it was this heritage that informed everything Anstey & Wilson produced. Where some manufacturers cut corners on materials or finish, Anstey & Wilson maintained standards that reflected the city's craft tradition.
Their output was focused and deliberate. Unlike Metamec, who produced hundreds of models across multiple clock types, Anstey & Wilson concentrated on wall clocks — and within that category, on doing a small number of designs exceptionally well. It is this focus that gives their pieces their distinctive character.
The Clocks: Brass, Teak, and Timeless Design
Anstey & Wilson's sunburst and starburst wall clocks are immediately recognisable to anyone who knows mid-century British design. Where Metamec's spokes tended toward the slender and pointed, Anstey & Wilson favoured broader, more architectural forms — substantial teak rays alternating with solid brass spokes, creating a visual weight and presence that makes their clocks genuinely commanding on the wall.
The dials were typically bold and clean — Roman numerals on cream or champagne grounds, or simple baton markers on brushed silver faces. The glazed convex dome over the dial face, used on many of their models, adds a depth and quality that speaks to the premium end of the market these clocks were aimed at.
Materials were consistently excellent. The teak used in Anstey & Wilson clocks is solid and properly finished, the brass substantial and well-polished. These are not pieces that were designed to be disposable. They were made to last, and the best examples that survive today prove exactly that.
Two models stand out above all others. The brass and teak sunburst — alternating solid teak paddles with polished brass spokes radiating from a convex-glazed Roman numeral dial — is the quintessential Anstey & Wilson piece, and rightly the most sought after. The all-brass starburst, with its long pointed spokes and clean minimalist dial, is rarer and commands a premium when it appears in excellent condition.
Made in England, Designed for the Modern Home
Like all the great British clock makers of their era, Anstey & Wilson were producing for a market that wanted its homes to feel modern, optimistic and design-conscious. The post-war British home was changing rapidly — fitted kitchens, open-plan living rooms, and a new appetite for Scandinavian-influenced furniture created the perfect context for the atomic-age sunburst clock.
Anstey & Wilson clocks were premium purchases. They appeared in the better department stores and furnishing shops of their day, and were bought by people who wanted something that felt genuinely special. That positioning is reflected in the quality of every surviving example — these are not clocks that were bought cheaply and treated carelessly. They were displayed with pride, and many have passed through families as objects of genuine affection.
Anstey & Wilson Today
Production of Anstey & Wilson clocks ended, as it did for so many British manufacturers, in the face of cheap imported competition during the late 1970s and 1980s. What remains is a finite number of surviving clocks — and a collector community that understands precisely how good they are.
Genuine Anstey & Wilson pieces in excellent condition are increasingly difficult to find. The combination of premium materials, distinctive design, and British provenance makes them among the most desirable mid-century wall clocks on the market. A fully restored example in good condition — with a new quartz movement fitted — is a genuinely exceptional piece of British design history.
At RetroTime we source Anstey & Wilson clocks carefully, restore them to the standard they deserve, and sell them with full descriptions of their condition and provenance. When we have them in stock, they do not stay long.
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If you are specifically looking for an Anstey & Wilson piece and don't see one listed, contact us — we are always sourcing stock and are happy to notify you when the right piece comes in.
RetroTime specialises in genuine vintage British homewares — wall clocks, textile wall art and lighting from the mid-century modern era. Based in Chelmsford, Essex. Free tracked delivery across the UK.