English GB clock

[A.payne]

Good afternoon (in the UK)
This is my first time on the site and I’m trying to find something out about a clock that my grandmother had, which is now with me. It is not working and I do intend to get it restored but before I do I’m trying to find out a little about it.
the clock face it self has a symbol of what looks like an anchor with a crown and I’ve looked on line and it seems like it could be a Gustav Becker. I will add some photos at the end. I was told that someone made the clock for my Nan in the 1940’s but this is not clear it looks handmade but there are no details I can find on the casing itself, or the clock apart from the symbol on the face.
can anyone give me some advice on where I should be looking please?

 

[JTD]

Welcome to the board.

If you can remove the movement from the case and post a clear photo of the back plate, it may be possible to date your GB clock.

JTD

 

[A.payne]

Welcome to the board.

If you can remove the movement from the case and post a clear photo of the back plate, it may be possible to date your GB clock.

JTD

Oh gosh, I wouldn’t attempt to take the back off. I’ve taken some photos of the mechanism but I can’t get any closer.
I can see two small circles which look like they would have information on but even with a torch I can’t see anything that could be written on it.
these are the best I can get.

 

[KurtinSA]

Here's your picture that was taken from the bottom. I've circled the two thumb screws. It appears that the weights and pendulum have been removed. I'm not totally certain, and maybe someone else can jump in, but if you remove the two thumb screws with some help holding the dial, the whole movement will slide out away from the back of the clock. You can get a clear picture of the back of the plate. I'm sure you could carefully lay the dial down on a towel or something to keep from further handling it. Installation is the reverse.

Kurt

 

[JTD]

Oh gosh, I wouldn’t attempt to take the back off

I didn't suggest you should. If you follow the instructions Kurt has given you can easily remove the movement and see the back plate of the movement. No need to take the back off anything.

JTD

 

[Mike Phelan]

As Kurt says, it will slide out. The clock is about 1870 to 1900.

 

[A.payne]

Here's your picture that was taken from the bottom. I've circled the two thumb screws. It appears that the weights and pendulum have been removed. I'm not totally certain, and maybe someone else can jump in, but if you remove the two thumb screws with some help holding the dial, the whole movement will slide out away from the back of the clock. You can get a clear picture of the back of the plate. I'm sure you could carefully lay the dial down on a towel or something to keep from further handling it. Installation is the reverse.

Kurt

View attachment 641611

That’s fantastic thank you, I’ll give it a try. The weights and pendulum have come off but I do have them.
I’ll see if I can get more info from the back tomorrow.

As Kurt says, it will slide out. The clock is about 1870 to 1900.

I’ve managed to get a few pictures, hope these help.

 

[KurtinSA]

I think I see a lightly stamped "1" at the front of the serial number. If so, then the clock dates to mid 1903.

Kurt

 

[A.payne]

I think I see a lightly stamped "1" at the front of the serial number. If so, then the clock dates to mid 1903.

Kurt

That’s amazing Kurt, thank you so much, it’s a lot older than we thought.
Can I ask what the stamps say in the circles, do they mean anything?
would the clock have been made in Germany?

 

[KurtinSA]

Of course! As you can see, the clock is by the German maker Gustav Becker. The left hand circle indicates the city Freiburg, in Schleisen an area of Germany. The right hand circle is represents an award they won in the late 1800s. They carried that logo for many years, but then stopped using it maybe because the award "period" ran out or they began to make clocks they felt didn't hold up to their earlier standards. In the early 1930s, Gustav Becker was bought by Junghans and by 1932 or so, Junghans continued to build Becker clocks with old stock probably until the latter part of the 1930s.

Kurt

 

[Ticktocktime100]

Can I ask what the stamps say in the circles, do they mean anything?
would the clock have been made in Germany?

On the right you have the Gustav Becker stamp, matching the signature on the dial - it indicated beneath the logo that the clock was of course made in Freiburg, Germany. Médaille d'or, the marking in the stamp on the right, indicates that the movement type was awarded a gold medal when first presented. P64 is the reference of the movement, and beneath is the serial number. To be more precise, it was made circa 1880-1890.

Regards.

 

[JTD]

The left hand circle indicates the city Freiburg, in Schleisen an area of Germany.

The city is Freiburg in Schlesien (not Schleisen). Schlesien (Silesia in English) was province of Germany much of which is now in Poland and called Slask. The city of Freiburg is now within the borders of Poland and is called Swiebodzice.

P64 is the reference of the movement,

P64 means Pendellänge 64 (cm) and refers to the pendulum length.

JTD

 

[A.payne]

The city is Freiburg in Schlesien (not Schleisen). Schlesien (Silesia in English) was province of Germany much of which is now in Poland and called Slask. The city of Freiburg is now within the borders of Poland and is called Swiebodzice.



P64 means Pendellänge 64 (cm) and refers to the pendulum length.

JTD

Wow so much information. Thank you all so much. Would I be right that the clock wouldn’t have been in the case originally as we were told it was handmade by someone for my Nan. I’m not sure whether it is described as a grandmother or grandfather, my Nan always called it grandmother. I have always loved it and would love to have it repair so that I can use the key to wind it up like when I was a child.

 

[JTD]

Wow so much information. Thank you all so much. Would I be right that the clock wouldn’t have been in the case originally as we were told it was handmade by someone for my Nan. I’m not sure whether it is described as a grandmother or grandfather, my Nan always called it grandmother. I have always loved it and would love to have it repair so that I can use the key to wind it up like when I was a child.

Hard to say. If the case is handmade specially then it was done by a very competent cabinet maker. It's a nice looking clock.

And as for grandmother/grandfather, it is hard to tell the height from your photo and camera angle. How tall is it?

Neither point is particularly important, the most important thing is that you like it and it is a family heirloom which you can enjoy and pass on one day to someone else.

JTD

 

[Ticktocktime100]

P64 means Pendellänge 64 (cm) and refers to the pendulum length.

JTD

I appreciate the correction JTD, that makes perfect sense of course.

Regards.

 

[svenedin]

Interesting clock. I’d expect to see that type of movement in a Vienna Regulator type wall clock rather than a longcase so it is unusual, Do have it restored by a qualified clockmaker and you will enjoy it for the rest of your life. I think it’s lovely that you used to wind it at your grandmother’s house when you were a child. Do update this thread and let us know when it’s fixed and running again.

 

[A.payne]

Hard to say. If the case is handmade specially then it was done by a very competent cabinet maker. It's a nice looking clock.

And as for grandmother/grandfather, it is hard to tell the height from your photo and camera angle. How tall is it?

Neither point is particularly important, the most important thing is that you like it and it is a family heirloom which you can enjoy and pass on one day to someone else.

JTD

Thank you so much, I have always loved it and to get it working again would be my aim just to hear the ticking will take me back to my childhood.
The height of the case from the floor to the highest point at the top is 6’3”.

 

[JTD]

The height of the case from the floor to the highest point at the top is 6’3”.

I think I would class this as a 'grandfather', though some would say that it is a little bit short.

But neither grandfather nor grandmother is an 'official' description, these are just long-case clocks, or hall clocks, so you can really call it whatever you wish!

JTD