Vertical Dial

Sir Christopher Wren is just one of many architects to have taken on the three-dimensional challenge of the vertical dial (latitude, longitude and angle to the ecliptic). Humble yet historic, this piece represents quiet elegance, offering a thoughtful and dynamic embellishment to vertical surfaces.

Variations & finishes

1. Slate

Slate with a stainless steel frame and letter-cut by hand.

2. Copper

Copper with sign writing in 23 3⁄4 carat gold leaf.

3. Stone

We offer a choice of hard stone. All are letter-cut by hand and finished with 23 3⁄4 carat gold leaf.

4. Strip

Strips of bronze, brass, copper or stainless steel can be fixed directly on the wall with laser-cut numerals.

5. Lead

Lead vertical sundial with 23 3⁄4 carat gold leaf sign writing.

6. Mosaic

Mosaic sundials come with the option of a brass, bronze or stainless steel gnomon.

Design details

Whilst clocks keep time, the vertical dial historically sets time. Similarly to Armillary Spheres, Sundials have marked human timekeeping as far back as 1500 BC, setting the pace of public life in the ancient world. These ancient sundials would indicate the changing seasons, sunrise and sunset, and prayer times in monasteries.

No two vertical dials are the same as they are site-specific to your wall, your house, your longitude, your latitude, and to your world. We make copper, mosaic, lead and stone sundials to suit the architecture or style of the building they are intended for.

The declination of the wall to the sun is carefully measured to ensure accurate time-keeping. A south-facing wall is often the best place to position a wall sundial, particularly if you live in the United Kingdom, as it receives the most sunlight throughout the day.

Our vertical dials offer so much more than a standard garden sundial, as your wall dial can be adorned with what’s known as dial furniture: the name of your house, the year it was built, a family motto, or meaningful quotation.

Product information

The method of installation will depend on the material, scale, and location of the vertical dial. For mainland UK clients, David Harber will undertake the installation. For international clients we provide detailed instructions, but it is not a particularly complex procedure.

The finishes used on the vertical dial will exhibit some natural weathering with age, however, periodic cleaning will help preserve its beauty. We would recommend that it be cleaned at least once a year with only warm water and a soft cloth to remove any detritus. Use of any abrasive cleaner will damage the finish and must be avoided. Maintenance instructions will be issued on installation.

A historic instrument which measures solar time. Vertical dials are commonly found on the side of important buildings and are often adorned with etchings or engravings of meaningful dates or quotes.

Vertical sundials are designed to your exact longitude and latitude to ensure they perform as accurate time pieces. The dial plate has a gnomon, an object used to cast a shadow, and hour lines to indicate the passing of time. Vertical sundials can be made using many different materials from stone to lead, depending on how decorative you want your timepiece to be.

Throughout the day, the shadow cast by the dial’s gnomon (the part of the dial designed to cast a shadow) will fall on or near the numbered hour lines etched on the dial. When the shadow is on the hour line, the time is the number of that line. If the shadow falls between two hour lines, the time is between those numbers.

Although both designs measure time, there are subtle differences between them. The shadow on south-facing vertical sundial moves counterclockwise and on a horizontal dial, the shadow moves clockwise. If they are well designed and well aligned, which all David Harber sundials are, both styles work as accurate but decorative timepieces.