Metamec Model 430 Wall Clock – 1960s Black Bakelite Chrome Bezel Silver Dial Quartz Made in England

A beautifully austere and rare Metamec wall clock from the 1960s — the model 430, a piece of considered minimalist design that stands entirely apart from the ornate starburst and decorative models in the Metamec range. Deep black bakelite, polished chrome, mirror-finish silver. A clock that lets the design do the talking.

The deep-drum black bakelite body is clean and solid, its profile generous and purposeful. The chrome bezel frames a mirror-finish gold-tone silver dial of exceptional refinement — twelve baton hour markers, four Roman numeral positions at the quarters, and the Metamec name printed with characteristic restraint. The new quartz movement has been fitted with hands matched to the originals: bold blackened dagger-form hour and minute hands with a crisp white seconds hand that reads against the silver ground with perfect clarity. The convex glass gives the dial a sense of depth and presence that flat-glass equivalents cannot match.

Originally mains-powered, now converted to silent quartz battery. 8.5 inches (21.5cm) overall diameter, 8 inch (20cm) dial. Ready to hang.

Metamec — The Pride of Dereham, Norfolk

Metamec was founded in Dereham, Norfolk in 1947 and grew to become the largest clock manufacturer in the United Kingdom, at their peak employing 750 workers and producing 350 different models. The model 430 represents a quite different design sensibility from the starbursts and sunbursts for which Metamec are best known — this is Metamec at their most restrained and most modernist, producing a clock that would be entirely at home in any serious mid-century interior.

The black bakelite drum body with chrome bezel and mirror-finish dial is a composition drawn directly from the industrial and commercial design vocabulary of the period — the kind of clock that appeared on the walls of architects' offices, BBC studios and design practices throughout the 1960s. It is the Metamec for people who find the decorative models too busy. Rare, characterful, and entirely resolved.

Specifications

Condition

Very good vintage condition. The black bakelite body is clean, solid and undamaged. The chrome bezel retains its finish. The mirror-finish silver dial is clean and fresh. The new hands are matched to the originals and sit correctly on the dial. Light age-related characteristics consistent with a genuine 1960s piece.

The most restrained and modernist Metamec — a clock for people who know exactly what they want.

Shipping

Free tracked delivery across the UK. We ship to the United States and internationally — please message us before ordering for an accurate quote. All import duties and taxes are covered upfront for US orders, with no surprise fees on delivery. Every clock is packed carefully to ensure it arrives safely.