Skip to content
The Encyclopedia of Horology

Component · Watch movement

Wristwatch movement re-purposed as a kitchen clock for a dolls' house

Partially verified

This object is a re-purposed wrist watch movement converted into a kitchen wall clock for a dolls' house. The item is part of the furnishings of 'Pendle Hall', a Georgian-style dolls' house constructed by Felicity A. Clemons in Tasmania between 1940 and 1980. The movement, which carries the serial number 12775, is signed 'Kilpatrick & Co. London' on the back plate. It retains its original metal watch dial, which features black Roman numerals and a minute track, and is mounted to the rear wall of the dolls' house kitchen. The movement serves as a fixed decorative element rather than a functioning timepiece within the context of the dolls' house display.

Front view of the repurposed metal watch dial showing the Roman numeral layout and central serial number.
Front view of the repurposed metal watch dial showing the Roman numeral layout and central serial number. — Museums Victoria. Rights pending — permission not yet requested. Original source

Catalogue identity

Source
collections.museumsvictoria.com.au
Category
Component · Watch movement
Maker / attribution
Kilpatrick & Co.
Reference
Not recorded
Catalogue / lot identifier
HT 25767
Source-reported date
1940s
Source-reported place
Australia
Source-reported serial
12775

Source-reported attribution and specifications are not independent authentication. A listing does not establish present ownership, current display, availability or permission to reproduce.

Object description

Object Identification and Provenance

The object is identified as a clock face sourced from a wrist watch, installed as a fixture in the kitchen of the 'Pendle Hall' dolls' house. Registered under number HT 25767 by Museums Victoria, it forms part of a collection of miniature furnishings curated by Felicity A. Clemons in Tasmania.

The dolls' house project was initiated during the 1940s by Mrs. Clemons, aiming to create a grand, four-storey, Georgian-style structure. The kitchen clock was specifically placed in the basement's central section to provide interior detail. The item was acquired by the museum in 2010 through the Cultural Gifts Program.

Evidence for this section
  • “This is a reused personal wrist watch clock face.”
  • “Clock face from Room 6 - Kitchen, Basement Central Section, Pendle Hall.”
  • “The project began in the 1940s when Felicity's daughter, Antonia, was given a three-room dolls' house”

Construction and Inscriptions

The mechanism is a metal watch movement that has been repurposed for display. The front dial displays Roman numerals I through XII, alongside a circular minute scale marked in five-unit increments. The central dial surface is marked with the number 12775.

The reverse of the movement displays the same serial number, 12775, alongside the inscription 'Kilpatrick & Co. London'. This indicates the original origin of the movement before its integration into the dolls' house ensemble.

Evidence for this section
  • “Metal watch face with Roman numerals in black on a white background.”
  • “On front, in centre: 12775”
  • “On back: 12775 / Kilpatrick & Co. London”

Condition and Installation

The object is documented as a fixed component of the dolls' house kitchen. Its mounting position on the center of the back wall serves as a permanent decorative element rather than a functional clock, as the remaining parts of the movement are obscured by the wall fixture.

The dial surface shows signs of historical wear consistent with its previous life as a timepiece. The museum record notes that the dimensions were confirmed through conservation measurements to ensure accurate documentation within the collection's wider dolls' house catalogue.

Evidence for this section
  • “From centre of back wall, the rest of the clock is attached to the wall.”
  • “Measurement From Conservation.”

Open research questions

  • What is the historical dating of the original Kilpatrick & Co. London movement?
  • Were there other watch components reused elsewhere in the construction of Pendle Hall?

Source evidence

Recorded claims and source quotations for Wristwatch movement re-purposed as a kitchen clock for a dolls' house
FieldSource-reported valueSource quotation
Registration numberHT 25767“Registration number: HT 25767”
MakerMrs Felicity A. Clemons“Maker, name: Mrs Felicity A. Clemons”
SignedKilpatrick & Co. London“On back: 12775 / Kilpatrick & Co. London”
Dimensions33 mm width, 8 mm height“Overall Dimensions, dimensions: 33 mm (Width), 8 mm (Height)”
Dating1940s“Clock - Kitchen, Dolls' House, 'Pendle Hall', 1940s”
Original contextReused wrist watch clock face“This is a reused personal wrist watch clock face.”

Visible details

  • The dial features black Roman numerals and a secondary 5-60 minute track.
  • The movement back plate is engraved 'Kilpatrick & Co. London' and numbered '12775'.
  • A central serial number '12775' is present on the front dial.
  • The component shows evidence of previous use as a functioning watch mechanism.

Research qualifications

  • The exact production date of the original watch movement is not specified.
  • The movement's functional status within the dolls' house context is not explicitly confirmed.

Photograph identity and source facts were screened before import; rights clearance remains pending.

Consulted source

Clock - Kitchen, Dolls' House, 'Pendle Hall', 1940s

Reviewed 2026-10-26 · Record 6a6869d3c2

Terms in this record

Glossary explanations for terms named in this object’s record.