The clock is mounted on the tower of the Kimpton Clock Tower Hotel on Oxford Street.
The Kimpton Clock Tower Hotel is a Grade II*-listed building that dates back to 1890. The building was originally The Refuge Assurance Company headquarters.
The Grade II* listed description given by Historic England reads as follows;
"SJ8497NW OXFORD STREET 698-1/32/268 (East side) 03/10/74 Former Refuge Assurance Company Offices (Formerly Listed as: OXFORD STREET Refuge Assurance Company Offices)
GV II*
Insurance company offices. 1891 by Alfred Waterhouse, extended 1910 and 1912 by his son Paul Waterhouse, and further extended in 1930s. Steel frame, clad in red brick with liberal dressings of deep brown and buff terracotta, and grey Dalbeattie granite to base of tower. Irregular plan formed by original square block on corner of Whitworth Street, block to south of this added 1910 (triangular at rear), tower between and linking these added 1912, and rectangular block added to east end of original Whitworth Street range in 1930s. Very large and ornate eclectic design with French Renaissance accent and some Baroque features. Four storeys with basements and attics, the first block with a large corner element and then 6-bay facades to both streets, next the tower flanked by deep 1-bay re-entrants, with 3-bay porch in front, and a 6-bay range beyond this; with brick piers, enriched bands between floors, undulating parapets, tiered shaped gables to the end bays and a tiered octagonal turret with domed roof between those at the Whitworth Street corner, and a very tall square clock-tower, pilastered and banded, with a prominent cornice and Baroque cupola. Large closely-spaced cross-windows to the first 3 floors, coupled 2-light mullioned windows to the top floor, all with elaborate terracotta surrounds including twisted columns, pierced aprons (etc) and those at 2nd floor with decorated segmental pediments. The corner element has a round-headed doorway with richly-ornamented terracotta surround carried up to 1st floor and finished with a toy-sized fort; various small rectangular windows in the right-hand side, and a mullioned and transomed window in the left side tiered through 4 floors. Main entrance at base of tower in single-storey 3-bay porch of white granite in Baroque style, with round-headed central arch in projected surround of engaged Tuscan semi-columns, broken segmental pediment (etc), flanked by square-headed openings with Ionic columns, and swagged bulls-eye windows and balustraded parapets above. Interior: inside porch, enclosed forecourt surrounded by massive arcades and colonnades in buff glazed terracotta, with doorways, niches (etc) in Baroque style; other parts believed to be of similar quality, but not inspected. Very conspicuous landmark, and probably the apogee of "Manchester style" late C19 commercial architecture.
Listing NGR: SJ8414597533"
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The 220ft baroque clock tower was added to the building in 1910 by Paul Waterhouse and provided the building’s new main entrance, and the quarters on the clock face feature a stylised Manchester bee.
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The circular clock face is mounted on the tower and is surrounded by an ornate stone border with carved bows and leaves. The clock face has a decorative diamond and triangle design at the centre with black hands and minute marks. There are markers to indicate where the numerals would be and a stylised bee marks the position of the numbers - 12,3,6 and 9.
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