Although seldomley accompanied or made with a bracket these clocks which sit perfectly on a table or mantle piece have acquired the sobriquet of bracket clock.

Bracket clock cases and dials like the long case clock mirror the developments in styles and use of materials as other contemporary furniture. Early Charles 2nd bracket clock cases use ebony, walnut and marquetry in their decoration, the Georgian period saw the introduction of mahogany and later in the early 19th century one finds satinwood and rosewood.

The diversity in the range of bracket clocks is as varied as one would expect from over 150 years of development as has fascinated the many who have cultivated fine collections.

Mechanically the bracket clock is very similar to the longcase clock. One significant difference however is that the bracket clock is powered by a coiled spring and not a weight. This feature gives the bracket clock a degree of portability. The strike repeat and quarter repeating mechanisms on many bracket clocks suggest that the original
owners carried them from room to room and even took them to bed.