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Help me! Gustav Becker info
- Thread starter birddog1
- Start date
Grant Perry
NAWCC Member
Beautiful clock.
Douglas Ballard
Registered User
I've never seen a gong attached to the movement (I don't think, anyway). Seems they are normall attached to the case, using the case as a sounding board.
Kevin W.
NAWCC Member
Nice looking clock, i too had not seen a gong attached to a movement before either.
Birddog, your clock was made at the GB Braunau, Bohemia factory about October-November 1898 based on the movement serial number. The style of the clock case is Vienna Regulator Style Altdeutsche, which was quite popular in the 1890's and early 1900's.
Doug and others, the gong mounting on the back of the movement is typical of Austrian clocks, including Vienna Regulators and the German industrial clocks made in the Vienna style such as those by GB in their Braunau factory. Not only the gong mount on the back of the movement but also the inverted keyhole mount slots that fit on a four-post bracket are typical of Austrian clockmaking. The GB Braunau striking clocks all had the rear movement coil gong mount from 1888 (start of production in Braunau) up to the end of 1899, when the rod gong mounted on the back of the case began to replace the coil gongs. It took a little over five years until second half of 1905 for this transition to be complete, however, and a few Braunau clocks had gongs on the movements as late as 1910.
I agree with JTD. The dials for Braunau clocks of this vintage were either two-piece enamel or two piece metal with a silvered engraved chapter ring and embossed gilt center. A few dials were also seen with an enamel chapter ring and gilt embossed center.
I don't know the source of the info given to you about where these clocks were sold but it is not correct. These clocks were made for sale throughout Europe including the Baltic States and to Russia, to North and South America, Australia, and other worldwide sales. To restore your clock should not be a major job as the case appears to be in reasonably good condition. Personally I would look for a replacement dial of the types I have described. There are usually a number of them at any given time on Internet sale sites.
I wrote here:
https://mb.nawcc.org/showthread.php...weight-clock&p=1060854&viewfull=1#post1060854
This is classical Austrian style movement produced there for local market mainly. And this has a different connotation, I think. Becker introduced this type of movement that the Austrians have the sense of buing domestic products.
Here's the first article about Braunau in OUUZ, from March 1889. The author hopes, the new branch in Braunau was build not only for tax avoidance and assembling only products from Freiburg (alarm clocks mainly!).
Piotr, thanks very much for the scan of the OUUZ article. Having compiled my database using similar information from the DUZ regarding when the Braunau factory was started and products produced, I agree that one reason for setting up the factory was to avoid Austrian tariffs. It is also obvious from comparing certain clocks finished at Braunau, some movements were undoubtedly partially completed in Freiburg and then finished in Braunau including stamping of the Braunau logos and serial numbers. Specifically this included the GB pendulum movement alarm clocks and spring driven wall clock movements (time & strike and bim-bam strike).
From the movement designs and data accumulated to date it is apparent that all weight-driven movements with the Braunau logo were made at Braunau. The weight-driven movements were all of the Austrian design school; no similar designs have yet been documented to have originated in Freiburg.
The OUUZ article laments it is a worry that the Braunau factory, due to its exemption from Austrian tariffs, would be nothing more than an assembly facility for resale into Austria and not one that made substantial high quality clocks. From my data and all information accumulated to date that seems to have been quite premature and not at all GB's intent nor its actual practice. From the beginning they made a large number of very high quality weight driven wall clocks and hall clocks, including two-weight time & strike and bim-bam movements not to mention that essentially all production of GB three-weight grand sonnerie striking clocks were made exclusively at Braunau.
As far as alarm clocks are concerned, GB did assemble alarm clocks at Braunau. The earliest example I have documented was completed in the first year of production 1888, SN 3775. The highest serial number I have for these is 504187 made in 1909 although I suspect they continued this business for as long as Freiburg was still making the same movement. The highest Freiburg pendulum alarm example in my data has serial number 736805, made in 1913. For whatever reason, the number of Braunau alarms in my data is small, indicating that not very many were actually completed. It is not easy to determine how many, since the Braunau alarm clocks were intermingled with all other Braunau production serial numbers. The Freiburg alarms had their own separate serial numbering system that shows about 810,000 serially numbered alarm clocks were made at Freiburg from the beginning in 1876 and continuing to the start of WWI. Starting about mid-1912 the pendulum version was phased out, being replaced with the same movement but having a balance wheel escapement.
Regarding production for "local sales", I very strongly believe GB looked well beyond sales to Austria, as there were tax advantages for export of goods made in Austria as well. Braunau production grew rapidly from about 15,000 clocks in their first full year to over 25,000 per year in 1900 and then to a peak of over 38,000 clocks per year in 1913. Consider in that same year that Freiburg's production of serial numbered clocks (including alarm clocks) was about the same as Braunau with more than half of those being alarm clocks, so it is easy to conclude that GB was using the Braunau factory to make their "high end" clocks for worldwide export. This is well supported by the number of Braunau clocks documented with presentation plaques in multiple countries around the world, starting as early as the mid-1890's.
Production at Braunau declined when WWI started but did not stop during the war, returning to a level of about 25,000 clocks in 1918. After the Armistice, however, new production of their weight driven clocks declined rapidly and was discontinued in 1921. Instead, a large number of a special edition of Freiburg's Amerikaner movements were finished starting in 1920 and continuing until 1925, evidently that production stopping about the time of the serial numbering system change in Freiburg. In 1925 and 1926 it appears that "new old stock" Braunau weight driven movements were finished and given the new low digit serial numbers. By 1927 Braunau was only assembling non-serial number Amerikaner and other types of clocks, which continued until the early to mid-1930's under Junghans ownership. There was more activity under Junghans but that's another story.
From the movement designs and data accumulated to date it is apparent that all weight-driven movements with the Braunau logo were made at Braunau. The weight-driven movements were all of the Austrian design school; no similar designs have yet been documented to have originated in Freiburg.
The OUUZ article laments it is a worry that the Braunau factory, due to its exemption from Austrian tariffs, would be nothing more than an assembly facility for resale into Austria and not one that made substantial high quality clocks. From my data and all information accumulated to date that seems to have been quite premature and not at all GB's intent nor its actual practice. From the beginning they made a large number of very high quality weight driven wall clocks and hall clocks, including two-weight time & strike and bim-bam movements not to mention that essentially all production of GB three-weight grand sonnerie striking clocks were made exclusively at Braunau.
As far as alarm clocks are concerned, GB did assemble alarm clocks at Braunau. The earliest example I have documented was completed in the first year of production 1888, SN 3775. The highest serial number I have for these is 504187 made in 1909 although I suspect they continued this business for as long as Freiburg was still making the same movement. The highest Freiburg pendulum alarm example in my data has serial number 736805, made in 1913. For whatever reason, the number of Braunau alarms in my data is small, indicating that not very many were actually completed. It is not easy to determine how many, since the Braunau alarm clocks were intermingled with all other Braunau production serial numbers. The Freiburg alarms had their own separate serial numbering system that shows about 810,000 serially numbered alarm clocks were made at Freiburg from the beginning in 1876 and continuing to the start of WWI. Starting about mid-1912 the pendulum version was phased out, being replaced with the same movement but having a balance wheel escapement.
Regarding production for "local sales", I very strongly believe GB looked well beyond sales to Austria, as there were tax advantages for export of goods made in Austria as well. Braunau production grew rapidly from about 15,000 clocks in their first full year to over 25,000 per year in 1900 and then to a peak of over 38,000 clocks per year in 1913. Consider in that same year that Freiburg's production of serial numbered clocks (including alarm clocks) was about the same as Braunau with more than half of those being alarm clocks, so it is easy to conclude that GB was using the Braunau factory to make their "high end" clocks for worldwide export. This is well supported by the number of Braunau clocks documented with presentation plaques in multiple countries around the world, starting as early as the mid-1890's.
Production at Braunau declined when WWI started but did not stop during the war, returning to a level of about 25,000 clocks in 1918. After the Armistice, however, new production of their weight driven clocks declined rapidly and was discontinued in 1921. Instead, a large number of a special edition of Freiburg's Amerikaner movements were finished starting in 1920 and continuing until 1925, evidently that production stopping about the time of the serial numbering system change in Freiburg. In 1925 and 1926 it appears that "new old stock" Braunau weight driven movements were finished and given the new low digit serial numbers. By 1927 Braunau was only assembling non-serial number Amerikaner and other types of clocks, which continued until the early to mid-1930's under Junghans ownership. There was more activity under Junghans but that's another story.
Two more newspaper clippings.
First Braunau GB advertisement in OOUZ, published in April 1889. In offer are alarm clocks only.
But in the short article from August 1890 you may read that in Braunau produced already special (speziell) regulator weight driven movements, spring drivem regulator movements and many other clocks.
First Braunau GB advertisement in OOUZ, published in April 1889. In offer are alarm clocks only.
But in the short article from August 1890 you may read that in Braunau produced already special (speziell) regulator weight driven movements, spring drivem regulator movements and many other clocks.
Piotr, thanks again for the additional scans, very helpful!! These articles and ads do make me wonder how quickly GB started their production of weight driven wall clocks at the Braunau factory. My data "do" show only alarm clocks and spring driven wall clocks up to serial number 14xxx, which could be proof they did begin operations only as an assembly factory. However, after that number their Austrian design weight driven wall clocks quickly became the dominant production, with very few Freiburg design movements being recorded between 1889 and 1913.
It now appears they decided to change their production plans for Braunau sometime in 1912. My data show that the last 3-Weight grand sonnerie striking movements were completed in early 1913 after a run of over 20,000 movements, following which time about 25,000 of the first "special" Freiburg Amerikaner movements were completed in Braunau, stamped with Braunau serial numbers. After that, Braunau focused on making two-weight wall models through WWI and until 1921 as I mentioned earlier; then it is evident all "new" production of Austrian design movements was stopped.
Sales of grand sonnerie clocks were continued through the whole period from 1913 to 1926 using movements from inventory but with the 1912-1913 serial numbers. Many of these clocks have been documented being stamped with "Made in Tschechoslovakia" which was not possible before November 1918, and a few have been documented with presentation dates from the 1920s. A similar situation existed with the "special" Freiburg Amerikaner movements finished in 1913.
From all the data and information collected to date it is clear that Braunau did use consecutive serial numbering that included all their own production of Austrian design movements as well as those supplied by Freiburg, so the total production of about 922,000 clocks I have developed continues to be correct. I do see that it may be necessary to rework the early years (1888 to 1895) pending confirmation of more early alarm clocks and spring driven wall clocks, and also find a way to present "sales" versus "production". For example, special consideration will need to be given for the grand sonnerie clocks and also the "special" Freiburg Amerikaner clocks that were made in two large batches and then sold from inventory for several years.
It now appears they decided to change their production plans for Braunau sometime in 1912. My data show that the last 3-Weight grand sonnerie striking movements were completed in early 1913 after a run of over 20,000 movements, following which time about 25,000 of the first "special" Freiburg Amerikaner movements were completed in Braunau, stamped with Braunau serial numbers. After that, Braunau focused on making two-weight wall models through WWI and until 1921 as I mentioned earlier; then it is evident all "new" production of Austrian design movements was stopped.
Sales of grand sonnerie clocks were continued through the whole period from 1913 to 1926 using movements from inventory but with the 1912-1913 serial numbers. Many of these clocks have been documented being stamped with "Made in Tschechoslovakia" which was not possible before November 1918, and a few have been documented with presentation dates from the 1920s. A similar situation existed with the "special" Freiburg Amerikaner movements finished in 1913.
From all the data and information collected to date it is clear that Braunau did use consecutive serial numbering that included all their own production of Austrian design movements as well as those supplied by Freiburg, so the total production of about 922,000 clocks I have developed continues to be correct. I do see that it may be necessary to rework the early years (1888 to 1895) pending confirmation of more early alarm clocks and spring driven wall clocks, and also find a way to present "sales" versus "production". For example, special consideration will need to be given for the grand sonnerie clocks and also the "special" Freiburg Amerikaner clocks that were made in two large batches and then sold from inventory for several years.
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