Teutonia Clock Manufactory

[Motion Works]

Good Day........I've come across what I believe to be an 1821-1824 Teutonia Clock Manufactory Wall clock. I cannot locate any information on this item through the standard means of collector books etc. Does anyone have any sources of information pertaining to this clock. It is constructed of hardwood as the movement plates that have rolled brass tubes sized for bushings. It also contains a simple mechanical ratchet wheel and cam to operate the alarm bell that rests on top.........It looks as though this item might have been used in early day school houses mainly due to the volume of the steel bell when ringing. The alarm is activated by a 3rd hand on the arbor. Any help or info will be greatly appreciated.....Thanks

[Motion Works]

Good Day........I've come across what I believe to be an 1821-1824 Teutonia Clock Manufactory Wall clock. I cannot locate any information on this item through the standard means of collector books etc. Does anyone have any sources of information pertaining to this clock. It is constructed of hardwood as the movement plates that have rolled brass tubes sized for bushings. It also contains a simple mechanical ratchet wheel and cam to operate the alarm bell that rests on top.........It looks as though this item might have been used in early day school houses mainly due to the volume of the steel bell when ringing. The alarm is activated by a 3rd hand on the arbor. Any help or info will be greatly appreciated.....Thanks

[chasbaz]

'Teutonia' was a trade mark used by Phillip Haas and Son of St Georgen, Schwarzwald in the 1870's. Does this clock have a Teutonia mark? It looks like an alarm wag or postman's clock, which were made up to the 1920's. I think this type of alarm bell is a fairly late type. I have a similar one - if the metal piece which supports the pallet arbor [at the front of the movement] is shaped like a hare it is a Haas product.

[Motion Works]

Hello...........Yes, this item has the Teutonia label, or what remains of the original label. It also has the word "Baden" to the right of the label. A date is hand written of 24/8-11 in that order. The verge support is indeed that shaped similiar to a hare. I had to add new bushings in both of those hare shaped piece, front and back. I did find info on Haas and Son but nothing giving a time period or worth of the clock. Seeing that it has wooden movement plates, I just figured it to be early to mid 1800's.

Thank you for your reply.

[chasbaz]

If the trademark has a scroll over the top it seems it was used beween about 1870-78. These wood-framed traditional Black Forest clocks do look older than they are in many cases. The date is probably a repairer's mark.

[Motion Works]

chasbaz........Yes there is a scroll on the manfacture's label as well as the date I mentioned earlier. But, that could indeed be a repair date. Do you by chance have any photos of the pendulum rod and bob on your clock? I recovered this piece from a garbage can here several weeks back and have been rebuilding it back to a running state. The only thing I could not find was the pendulum, nor have I found any photos of such.............thanks again.

[Eckmill]

Your "Teutonia" alarm, as others have explained, was a product of Black Forest maker Philip Haas. If you look carefully at the brass crutch arbor bearing plates, you'll see that they resemble a haas. (German for hare or rabbit)

There's no easy way to date these clocks, as they were exported in large quantities to European countries. I'd guess the numbers you found are a repair date of August 11th, 1924. Those for England have round faces with decorated surround. Sometimes with a brass bezel and glass.

Your example has the two trains side-by-side which is a later design. An earlier design has the two trains front-to-rear although a few makers continued the old style past 1900. These are known in England as "Postman's Clocks" elsewhere "wag-on-the-wall" clocks due to the long, wide swinging pendulum.

The bell bracket on your example is elaborate and odd. It may be some "handy-work." Usually the bell support is very rudimentary.

Thank you for sharing your photo.

[Motion Works]

Les.........thank you for your reply. The face of this clock is rounded with small hand painted floral designs just outside the hand arbor opening, but with no brass works or glass. I pleased to find out anything about this item as my library of clock books seem to evade this item. I did find a photo of the clock you mention of having the time train directly in front of the strike train, this clock has the side by side trains with a slight offset of the time train a bit forward of the other..........Thanks again Les.

Steve

[jacks61fd]

In the 3rd message on this question blueharley86 mentions that the word "Baden" is visable to the right of the label. Does anyone know what this word means, is it a location?

[chasbaz]

Baden-Wurttemburg is the province where the Black Forest [Schwarzwald] is to be found

[John Hubby]

I agree with the general comments on dating this clock being in the second half of the 19th century. Since it definitely is a Haas, it had to be made between 1867 (company started) and 1920 (went out of business). Generically a couple of things put it after mid-1800, being the side-by-side time and strike trains, but also the presence of all-metal gear trains. As Les points out the earlier clocks had the two trains planted front to back, also pre-1850 the gears had wood arbors with steel pins for pivots and cast brass gears.

Also, Les, I would say the repair date was 24 August 1911 (typical day-month-year) if the repair was done in Europe or England, which would indicate the clock was probably made in the 1880-1900 period.

John Hubby
Vintage & Antique Electric Clocks
All Types Torsion Pendulum Clocks

[chasbaz]

Re the pendulum, the bob would have been cast brass, about 2.5" across. The casting means that there are two lugs on the back which are drilled [and one is threaded] for the pendulum rod. Adjustment is by turning the bob. You can improvise one by using a brass disc and soldering of riveting lugs on the back. The pendulum is a bit shorter than a seconds pendulum [although some of these later clocks have a much shorter pendulum]. You can make one out of a wire coathanger, but 3/32" steel rod is better. You crudely thread one end and flatten the top end by heating and hammering. Then [also when red hot] you bend a hook in the flattened end, which will rest on the wire loop that makes up the suspension.

[Motion Works]

Chasbaz..........thanks for your reply. That's basically what I have done in order to get this clock running. The bob I wasn't sure what it might have looked like. Wood with a brass cover, or maybe a silk bob. Someone had installed an hanger that looked to be what one would find in a common cuckoo clock. Seeing that the crutch rod was nowhere close to being in prespective to that hanger, I did basically what you suggest here. I used an weighted hard wood bob that looks much like the design of the wooden dial frame.....

Thanks again.

Steve