British Colonial Table Clocks and Desk Clocks

BRITISH COLONIAL STYLE

Typically made of mahogany, teak or bamboo and featuring a range of fabrics and prints with botanical patterns, antique British Colonial furniture and decor varies as it involved local materials and techniques and spanned centuries of design styles.

As the British Empire expanded from the 16th to the 20th century, its conquest and control of colonies around the world bolstered its wealth through the extraction of resources. Including colonies in the Americas, Africa, Asia and Australasia, this spread of often violent subjugation imposed British culture, language and faith on Indigenous peoples. The design of homes was included in this expression of imperial power, with government officials, merchants and military officers creating homes mimicking the luxuries they were used to in England.

Local artisans were commissioned to replicate British designs, resulting in versions of Regency, Chippendale, Sheraton and other styles of furniture being crafted from mahogany, rosewood, ebony and teakwood as opposed to beech and oak, which were more common in Europe. Whereas the colonial furniture for the Portuguese and Dutch regularly had motifs of indigenous flora and fauna, the British tended to want more exact reproductions of their home country’s designs.

To escape the summer heat in places such as India and the Caribbean, British colonizers relocated to airy houses in the hills or plantations, leading to foldable chairs and collapsible desks in the style of military campaign furniture. Rather than upholstery as they might have in Europe, chairs and sofas in the British Colonial style had rattan and cane seating for these higher temperature climates. The contrast between the light textiles and the dark colors of the sturdy furniture became a defining aesthetic of British Colonial interiors.

Find a collection of antique British Colonial outdoor furniture, seating, bedroom furniture, decorative objects and other items on 1stDibs.

Style: British Colonial

Rare 18th Century English Clock

Located in Madrid, ES

Rare 18th century English clock Marquetry Weight: 9.20 kg England Sizes: H 62cm L 31cm very good condition.

Category

18th Century English Antique British Colonial Table Clocks and Desk Clocks

Materials

Bronze

Rare 18th Century English Clock

$7,013

Antico orologio oro argento

By Mice di rugiano domenico e c. s.n.c.

Located in Cantù, IT

Antico orologio oro argento Antico orologio oro argento Antico orologio oro argento Antico orologio oro argento Antico orologio oro argento Antico orolo...

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Late 20th Century British Colonial Table Clocks and Desk Clocks

Materials

Silver

Antico orologio oro argento

$2,258

Category

20th Century French British Colonial Table Clocks and Desk Clocks

Materials

Silver, Brass

Cartier Art Deco Table Clock

$28,500

H 4.75 in W 4.25 in D 2.25 in

George III Era Longcase Clock – 18th Century

Located in Opole, PL

George III Era Longcase Clock – 18th Century his elegant 18th-century George III longcase clock is a true masterpiece of period craftsmanship, dating to the first half of the 1700s....

Category

Early 18th Century English Antique British Colonial Table Clocks and Desk Clocks

Materials

Mahogany

George III Era Longcase Clock – 18th Century

$5,325 Sale Price

20% Off

H 84.65 in W 19.69 in D 10.04 in

Corum Sterling Silver Erotic "Ball" Desk Clock with Enamel Dial Limited Edition

Located in Long Beach, CA

FACTORY / HOUSE: Corum Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Erotic Ball Desk Clock METAL / MATERIAL: Sterling Silver and Semi Precious Stones CIRCA / YE...

Category

1990s Swiss British Colonial Table Clocks and Desk Clocks

Materials

Sterling Silver

Corum Sterling Silver Erotic "Ball" Desk Clock with Enamel Dial Limited Edition

$3,500

H 3 in Dm 3 in

Tiffany Co. by Concord Sterling Silver Art Deco Hand Hammered 8 Day Clock 1930

By Tiffany Co.

Located in Long Beach, CA

FACTORY / HOUSE: Concord for Tiffany & Co. STYLE / REFERENCE: Hand Hammered / Art Deco 8 Day Travel Clock METAL / MATERIAL: Sterling Silver CIRCA ...

Category

1930s Swiss Vintage British Colonial Table Clocks and Desk Clocks

Materials

Sterling Silver

Tiffany Co. by Concord Sterling Silver Art Deco Hand Hammered 8 Day Clock 1930

$1,900

H 3 in W 3 in D 3 in

Orologio Da Tavola Anni 50, Design, Vetro Di Murano, Vintage

Located in Milano, MI

orologio da tavola anni 50 - design - vetro di murano - vintage Descrizione : prologio anni 50 in vetro di murano Origini : Italia Periodo di produzione : 1950 ...

Category

1950s Italian Vintage British Colonial Table Clocks and Desk Clocks

Materials

Glass

Orologio Da Tavola Anni 50, Design, Vetro Di Murano, Vintage

$249

H 7.88 in Dm 7.88 in

Art Deco Style Chrome or Silveroid Desk Timepiece

Located in Dallas, TX

Presenting a lovely Art Deco style chrome or silveroid desk timepiece. Probably made circa 1980. The case is a solid circular shaped chrome or sil...

Category

20th Century American British Colonial Table Clocks and Desk Clocks

Materials

Silver Plate, Chrome

Art Deco Style Chrome or Silveroid Desk Timepiece

$325

H 3.25 in W 3.25 in D 1.4 in

Zenith Pocket Watch Grand Prix Paris, 1900

By Zenith

Located in Delft, NL

Zenith pocket watch Grand Prix Paris, 1900 A Swiss pocket watch marked Zenith and 0,800 ( silver 800) A triple case with outside silver and on ...

Category

Early 20th Century Swiss British Colonial Table Clocks and Desk Clocks

Materials

Silver

Zenith Pocket Watch Grand Prix Paris, 1900

$742

H 2.56 in Dm 1.97 in

18th Century English Chinoiserie Clock

Located in Charlottesville, VA

An 18th century English longcase clock with chinoiserie decoration on a black lacquer ground, featuring gilt figures, pagodas, and landscape motifs throughout the case. The arched ho...

Category

18th Century English Antique British Colonial Table Clocks and Desk Clocks

Materials

Brass

18th Century English Chinoiserie Clock

$3,800

H 92 in W 20 in D 9.5 in

Large American Sterling Silver Ladies Dresser or Vanity Set with Matching Clock

By Wallace Silversmiths

Located in Hamilton, Ontario

This very large sterling silver ladies dresser or vanity set was made in the United States, in approximately 1920 in the period Art Deco style. The set ...

Category

Early 20th Century American British Colonial Table Clocks and Desk Clocks

Materials

Sterling Silver

Large American Sterling Silver Ladies Dresser or Vanity Set with Matching Clock

$4,995 / set

H 0.5 in W 5 in D 13.5 in

Masterful antique English grandfather clock, mahogany, 18th century

Located in Berlin, DE

Masterful antique English grandfather clock, mahogany, 18th century. English grandfather clock, 18th century, mahogany veneer with ...

Category

18th Century English Antique British Colonial Table Clocks and Desk Clocks

Materials

Iron, Brass, Metal

Masterful antique English grandfather clock, mahogany, 18th century

$5,267

H 95.67 in W 23.63 in D 10.24 in

Rare Silver Pocket Sundial and Compass by Michael Butterfield, Paris, circa 1700

By Butterfield Paris

Located in Oxfordshire, United Kingdom

A beautiful, rare solid silver Anglo-French octagonal pocket sundial with compass by Michael Butterfield, circa 1700. The sundial is made for a latitude of 44° and could be used in places in the south of France such as Avignon and elsewhere along this parallel. The elaborately engraved base plate has a Roman chapter ring on which the gnomon (a triangular flap) casts its shadow. It is signed by the maker in the following manner: Butterfield A Paris. On one side is a glazed recessed compass with a blued steel hand to position the instrument in such a way that the time can be read. The hinged triangular gnomon is richly engraved and in the shape of a bird’s head. The folding gnomon and cut corners enable the dial to be carried in the pocket. The underside shows the latitudes of various Southern-French places in the relevant areas Its maker Michael Butterfield was an English instrument maker who based himself in 'Le Quay de l'Horloge' of Paris from circa 1685. These types of dials, often replicated by other makers, became known as Butterfield Dials...

Category

Late 17th Century French Antique British Colonial Table Clocks and Desk Clocks

Materials

Silver

Rare Silver Pocket Sundial and Compass by Michael Butterfield, Paris, circa 1700

$6,665

H 1.07 in W 2.29 in D 2.56 in

20th Century Swiss Solid Silver Guilloche Enamel Travel Clock, c.1900

By Geneva Clock Co.

Located in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent

Antique early 20th century swiss solid silver and guilloché enamel travel clock or boudoir clock, in neoclassical taste, of upright rectangular for...

Category

20th Century Swiss British Colonial Table Clocks and Desk Clocks

Materials

Silver, Enamel

20th Century Swiss Solid Silver Guilloche Enamel Travel Clock, c.1900

$6,801

H 7.09 in W 3.94 in D 2.17 in

Previously Available Items

Vintage Brass Navigar Necesse Martime Nautical Ships Chronometer Box Clock

Located in Dayton, OH

Navigare Necesse Est Authentic Models desktop clock, (Amsterdam London Paris), fashioned after an original by the famous London instrument maker, John Po...

Category

Late 20th Century British Colonial Table Clocks and Desk Clocks

Materials

Brass

Vintage Brass Navigar Necesse Martime Nautical Ships Chronometer Box Clock

H 4.75 in W 5.375 in D 5.375 in

British Colonial table clocks and desk clocks for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique British Colonial table clocks and desk clocks for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the Late 20th Century, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage table clocks and desk clocks created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include decorative objects and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with metal, bronze and other materials. If you’re shopping for used British Colonial table clocks and desk clocks made in a specific country, there are England, Europe, and United Kingdom pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original table clocks and desk clocks, popular names associated with this style include Europa Antiques, and Mice di rugiano domenico e c. s.n.c.. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for table clocks and desk clocks differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $2,121 and tops out at $6,530 while the average work can sell for $4,326.