This clock was made from a French 75mm artillery shell case. It is inscribed Obus du 75 Bataille de la Marne Septembre 1914. The first Battle of the Marne took place 6 - 10 September 1914; it marked the end of the German advance into France and the beginning of trench warfare. This was an Allied tactical victory so a fitting subject for commemoration.

Following the war, various firms such as the British Army and Navy Store offered to mount or personalise war souvenirs brought back by service personnel. Clocks made from shells and bullets were a popular form.