Welcome
Dealers in fine antique clocks for nearly half a century our focus is on English clocks by the eminent makers of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. After nearly 30 years of dealing in antique clocks from our showrooms in Cheltenham we have relocated to the Cotswolds where our clocks can be viewed by appointment. We also exhibit at important antique fairs throughout the year. Do contact us for tickets.
We are always keen to buy fine antique clocks. Please contact us or email us images of any clock you wish to sell.
We offer a second to none clock restoration service, undertaking work for both private collectors and museums, and are longstanding members of BADA, the British Antique Dealers Association, LAPADA, CADA and CINOA. Cerca Trova.
Our new catalogue is now available to purchase, 108 pages, detailed images and descriptions of our latest collection of clocks, £30. Please contact us for a copy.
Clocks for sale
We specialise in English antique clocks from the 17th century through to the 19th century. From table clocks and longcase clocks through to mantel clocks, carriage clocks and wall clocks, the clocks we offer for sale have been chosen for their authenticity and are of the very highest quality.
Our stock has included clocks by the great makers, Edward Dent, William Dutton, Edward East, John Ellicott, Charles Frodsham, George Graham, Thomas Tompion, Vulliamy, Thomas Mudge, and Joseph Windmills, as well as fine and interesting clocks by less well known makers.
Prized and valued today as they were when first commissioned and made, fine antique clocks represent a sound financial investment and will be a pleasure to own and incorporate into your daily life. Clocks bring rooms to life and add such character to homes.
We include all sold stock in our sold archive and some clocks on our category pages may also be sold, from time to time, but this is stated in the description below the image. Whilst we appreciate this can be frustrating it gives a sense of our business and the type of things in which we deal whilst helping with important Google rankings.
The clocks we sell are rare and, once sold, our clocks are difficult to immediately replace. We have a busy workshop and when we do find new stock there can be a wait before movements are cleaned and overhauled.
The best way to know what we have is by keeping in contact with us, letting us know what it is you are interested in and being on a wait list for certain types of clock. You can send us an email by clicking here .
We post regularly on Instagram where we share what's going on in the workshop in a more informal way and following us here is another way to see what is coming up for sale. You can follow our feed at tobias.birch
About Us
Tobias Birch has spent his entire career working with clocks. In 1990, at the age of nineteen, he was the youngest student ever to have been awarded a Distinction in the Conservation and Restoration of Antique Clocks from the world renown West Dean College. Shortly after he graduated the well known collector Samuel Messer asked Tobias to care for his clocks including the famous Barnard Tompion along with five others by Thomas Tompion.
Tobias has had the privilege of restoring some of the world's finest clocks and is a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers. His passion and enthusiasm for clocks is infectious and he still undertakes important restoration jobs himself. Tobias served on the BADA Antiques & Fine Art Fairs Clocks vetting committee and is currently an advisor on the antique clock restoration course at West Dean College.
If you choose to buy clocks from outside our own stock, we will act on your behalf, whether you are a private collector, museum, institution or interior designer. We can advise on every aspect of sourcing, buying, selling, maintaining and moving fine antique clocks.
Clock restoration
Tobias Birch gained the highest award in 1990 for clock restoration and conservation from the world renowned West Dean College. For nearly 30 years he has had the privilege of restoring some of the world's finest clocks, including those by the great makers, Thomas Tompion, George Graham and Joseph Knibb. In this time he has been able to build up an in depth knowledge of fine antique clocks.
In addition to restoring all our own clocks we also undertake work for museums and private collectors. For the restoration and conservation of antique clocks we have our own workshops, fully equipped with traditional hand tools and precision Swiss made machinery.
Our restoration workshops offer a complete restoration and conservation service on quality antique clocks from the 17th to the late 19th century. All our clocks are restored sympathetically, preserving the authenticity, to the highest standard by highly qualified clockmakers and cabinet makers. Conservation reports can be provided giving full details of the work, including materials and techniques used.
All our work is guaranteed.
Worldwide collection and delivery can be arranged.
Antiques fairs
We exhibit at the following fairs:
Masterpiece has established itself as one of the world's leading cross-collecting fairs, offering the finest works of art, design, furniture and jewellery, from antiquity to the present day.
The unmissable event at the height of the capital's summer season, Masterpiece London provides an unparalleled opportunity for new and established collectors to discover exceptional works for sale from over 150 international exhibitors; the centrepiece of a unique week of cultural experiences in the heart of London.
Masterpiece's exhibitors span all eras and disciplines and include many of the world's most distinguished art dealerships. Scrupulous vetting and thoughtful juxtaposition allow one to encounter beautiful works of art, have one's eyes opened to the unfamiliar, and buy with confidence.
Please contact us for tickets.
The Cotswold Art & Antique Dealers' Association Fair
The annual Cotswold Art & Antiques Dealers' Association Fair (CADA) is taking place at a new venue this year - Compton Verney Art Gallery and Park in Warwickshire CV35 9HZ - the first since 2019 as last year's event was cancelled due to the pandemic.
Friday 17 to Sunday 19 November 2023 11am -5pm
Please contact us for tickets.
Latest Blog: The Equation of Time
Across the world, for convenience, we have adopted what is referred to as mean time and think of a day as being twenty four hours in length. This is how most mechanical clocks are set up to measure time. However, technically, a day is the duration between one solar noon, the time when the sun is at the highest point in the sky, to the next, this is solar time.
