Does anyone know about this clock and maker?

[Dannob]

I have this tall wall clock hanging in my guest room and it was knocked off the wall. Surprisingly little damage. A piece of the wood fell off from dry glue, and the pendulum suspension spring broke in half. Also the string on the weight snapped and dropped to the floor of the case and cracked some wood at the joints. All repairable. When I was repairing it I noticed writing on the back. It appears to be signed by Josef Walz 1887. I have done some research only to find a Josef Walz who built cookoo clocks. The movement has a small "W" on the back plate. I am posting some photos, several to get close enough, hoping someone can help me decipher the writing and solve the mystery of the beautiful clock.

 

[new2clocks]

I have this tall wall clock hanging in my guest room and it was knocked off the wall. Surprisingly little damage. A piece of the wood fell off from dry glue, and the pendulum suspension spring broke in half. Also the string on the weight snapped and dropped to the floor of the case and cracked some wood at the joints. All repairable. When I was repairing it I noticed writing on the back. It appears to be signed by Josef Walz 1887. I have done some research only to find a Josef Walz who built cookoo clocks. The movement has a small "W" on the back plate. I am posting some photos, several to get close enough, hoping someone can help me decipher the writing and solve the mystery of the beautiful clock.

View attachment 636814 View attachment 636815 View attachment 636816 View attachment 636817 View attachment 636818

Any pictures of the backplate?

Regards.

 

[JTD]

The writing on the back of your clock is not easy to read, partly it is written in Latin script and partly in the German Kurrentschrift. Writing in pencil on a rough wooden surface does not make for easy reading more than a hundred years later!

Josef Walz is easy to read, the next word is Uhrmacher (clockmaker), followed by a word which I have not yet deciphered.

The next line starts with a word which is probably a town name but not deciphered at the moment, and then 'den 1en März 1887' (the 1st March 1887).

Schmid lists two clockmakers named Josef Walz, one making cuckoo clocks in Furtwangen in the 1950s/60s, so clearly not the person who wrote on your clock. The other one is listed as working in Villingen in 1876, where he exhibited 'artistic clocks' in the Villingen trade exhibition of 1876. This may be your man.

I will try to decipher the two words I have so far not been able to read, and will report back if I have any success.

JTD

 

[Ticktocktime100]

Hi,

JTD correctly pointed out the word “Uhrmacher” which means both clockmaker and clock repairer - on that basis, and in view of the date of 1887, I believe Josef Walz merely worked on/sold your clock and is not the maker. A look at the movement may determine the manufacturer, hence the request above. The clock is commonly termed a Vienna regulator, and stylistically your example looks distinctly Austrian, although many were also made in Germany. I would place the date around 1870, and for that reason would presume it was taken in for service, perhaps for the first time, in 1887.

Regards.

 

[Dannob]

Hi,

JTD correctly pointed out the word “Uhrmacher” which means both clockmaker and clock repairer - on that basis, and in view of the date of 1887, I believe Josef Walz merely worked on/sold your clock and is not the maker. A look at the movement may determine the manufacturer, hence the request above. The clock is commonly termed a Vienna regulator, and stylistically your example looks distinctly Austrian, although many were also made in Germany. I would place the date around 1870, and for that reason would presume it was taken in for service, perhaps for the first time, in 1887.

Regards.

You guys are pretty amazing. Here are some photos of the movement.

 

[Jessk09]

Is this time only?

 

[JTD]

Is this time only?

Yes.

JTD

 

[svenedin]

The writing on the back of your clock is not easy to read, partly it is written in Latin script and partly in the German Kurrentschrift. Writing in pencil on a rough wooden surface does not make for easy reading more than a hundred years later!

Josef Walz is easy to read, the next word is Uhrmacher (clockmaker), followed by a word which I have not yet deciphered.

The next line starts with a word which is probably a town name but not deciphered at the moment, and then 'den 1en März 1887' (the 1st March 1887).

Schmid lists two clockmakers named Josef Walz, one making cuckoo clocks in Furtwangen in the 1950s/60s, so clearly not the person who wrote on your clock. The other one is listed as working in Villingen in 1876, where he exhibited 'artistic clocks' in the Villingen trade exhibition of 1876. This may be your man.

I will try to decipher the two words I have so far not been able to read, and will report back if I have any success.

JTD

I think it just says Dienstag (Tuesday). 1st of March 1887 was a Tuesday

Edit: changed my mind, not convinced now. Agree very difficult to read!

 

[roughbarked]

is this relevant?

 

[JTD]

I think it just says Dienstag (Tuesday). 1st of March 1887 was a Tuesday

Edit: changed my mind, not convinced now. Agree very difficult to read!

Well, the first letter is not a D (it seems to be Kurrentschrift V) and there is no 'n' and the penultimate letter is not an A, and .......well, I am glad you changed your mind!!

But I am still thinking about it.

JTD

 

[Burkhard Rasch]

a verry nice quality regulator, if I can trust my eyes I see a maintaining power click.(?)
Burkhard

 

[Probox]

A very nice Vienna Regulator none the less. I love the simplicity of the movement. Like an old flathead six engine. Easy to work on.

 

[Dannob]

Thank you all for your input. I really appreciate it.