A brass dial is a clock dial made from a brass plate, usually with separately applied cast spandrels in the corners and a silvered chapter ring bearing the hour numerals. Brass dials were the standard form for English longcase and bracket clocks from the late seventeenth century until painted dials became widespread in the later eighteenth century.
A typical brass dial includes a matted centre, created by punching or rolling a fine textured surface, which provides a contrast to the polished and silvered elements. The chapter ring carries Roman hour numerals and an outer minute track, often with Arabic numerals, while subsidiary features may include a seconds dial, a calendar aperture, a moon phase, a strike/silent lever or a name boss. Square dials were followed by the arched dial in the early eighteenth century, and some later examples are of single-sheet silvered brass, engraved overall. The maker's name usually appears on the chapter ring or a plaque. Collectors look for crisp engraving, original spandrels, unrestored or sympathetically resilvered surfaces, and dial feet that match the movement. A brass dial that has been transferred from another clock, or a later dial fitted to an older movement, can be detected by examining the dial plate and movement pillars carefully.
