The David Sassoon clock tower is 67 feet high and has four clocks provided with patent opal glass dials, each measuring four feet in diameter. Unlike many other clock towers in Mumbai, which have stopped functioning, the clocks at the David Sassoon clock tower are all in working condition.
The clock tower is built in Neo-Palladian style, named after Andrea Palladio (1508-1580). Palladio was inspired by concepts of symmetry, perspective, and classical forms inspired by ancient Roman and Greek architecture. Hence, Palladian architecture has a resemblance to Italian Renaissance architecture, as a conscious revival was made to incorporate elements of ancient Greek and Roman thought and material culture.
Arch and keystone detail with panels of Minto tiles and dressings of Blashfield's terracotta from Stamford, Lincolnshire. The clock tower is built from Porbandar stone, which was used in many public buildings in Mumbai, like the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, the Knesset Eliyahoo Synagogue, the Bombay High Court, and Crawford Market.
The apparatus is installed on the upper floor of the clock tower. A wrought iron spiral staircase leads to the upper level of the clock tower. Access to this staircase is now prohibited, and no one can climb up.
The David Sassoon clock tower originally stood outside the gates of Victoria Garden, by the side of the main road, then known as Parel Road (now BR Ambedkar Road). In 1926, during road widening, the clock tower was dismantled brick by brick and reconstructed at its present location. The shifting was done with great sensitivity and care, retaining the earlier alignment.