banjo clock, type of clock, so named because its upper portion is shaped like an inverted banjo. The clock was patented by Simon Willard of Massachusetts in 1802. It has a circular dial with a narrow metal frame and a bezel for the glass, which is usually dome-shaped. The top bears a finial. Below, a narrow trunk, slightly wider at the bottom than the top, protects the weight, and at the bottom a wider compartment contains the lower part of the pendulum. Slender concave metal ornaments connect the three main parts of the clock.