A rare industrial oak cased water level slave dial, Gents, Leicester, second quarter of the 20th century With brass-framed mechanism applied to the swing-out dial panel incorporating two electromagnetic servos for either advancing or reversing the hands on the dial via pivoted toggle shunts engaging with a starwheel driving the motionwork, the interior with further electric fittings and incomplete wiring, the hinged front with silvered circular dial inscribed Gents & Co. Ltd., Makers Leicester within two concentric bands each with Arabic numeral divisions for twelve units, the inner in red and labelled FEET, the outer black and labelled INCHES, with two respectively coloured hands within brass bezel, over a pair of twin coil relays and brass push-button switches labelled HIGH and LOW, the rectangular case with cavetto cornice over arch-glazed front door applied with an ivorine label inscribed PODINGTON to lower rail, on skirt base, (localised worm damage to rear panel), 59.5cm (23.5ins) high. Gents of Leicester were founded by John Thomas Gent in 1872 and specialised in producing electric timepieces principally for semi-public and industrial use alongside fire alarm systems, telephones, transformers and related products. The firm initially operated from Faraday Road, Leicester, later (after WWII) moving to nearby Kibworth. They were bought-out by the multi-national organisation, Chloride, in 1981. The current lot was possibly made for Podington airfield which was built in 1940-41 to house RAF bombers squadrons before being made available to the USAAF 8th airforce.