Re: Gustav Becker dating.
lesbradley said:
Does John Hubby or anyone else have any data on year of manufacture from the Braunau factory serial nos.?
Les, I've documented the Braunau clocks from beginning of production in Feb. 1888 to close about March 1926. I posted a list of numbers and dates on another thread in the "Clocks" Forum, however the data between 1900 and 1918 have been changed because of the discovery of previously unknown Austrian patents that were stamped on a movement I bought a couple of years ago. The Austrian patent records have only recently been put on line and I was able to date these two patents having been granted in January 1912, compared to my earlier estimate of late 1909 for the serial number in question. That caused a two-year plus shift in the data at that point, so I've reconstructed the data tables accordingly.
Following is a list of the current data table. The "anchor points" are the beginning of production in 1888, the introduction of the rod gong in 1899, dated inscriptions in 1904 and 1925, the subject patents in 1912, and the creation of Czechoslovakia in November 1918 which resulted in "Made in Tschechoslovakia" being stamped on the movements. The present data show a relatively steady output of clocks from the early 1890's until WWI, when production slowed (but did NOT stop) from over 30,000 clocks per year to just under 20,000 clocks per year, continuing to taper off until the Junghans takeover in early 1926. Junghans closed the operation and moved inventory of complete and unfinished clocks and materials to the Freiburg location where they were finished out. They apparently sold the factory to another clockmaker but we don't know yet who that was.
Here is the list, use with the understanding that it is still subject to change as more accurate info becomes available. The serial numbers shown are the estimated first number for that year, they all start with "1" because of the system I use for statistical rendering of the numbers:
1888.15 1
1889 15001
1890 34001
1891 54001
1892 74601
1893 95601
1894 117001
1895 138801
1896 161001
1897 183601
1898 206601
1899 230001
1900 253901
1901 278301
1902 303301
1903 329001
1904 355501
1905 382901
1906 411301
1907 440701
1908 471301
1909 503101
1910 535901
1911 569501
1912 603601
1913 638001
1914 672001
1915 705001
1916 736001
1917 762001
1918 783001
1919 803001
1920 823001
1921 843001
1922 862501
1923 880501
1924 897001
1925 911501
1926 925001
Now, here are some "Gee Whiz" things I've learned from my research into both Freiburg and Braunau clocks:
1) 3-weight Grand Sonnerie striking clocks
ALL of these made by GB were made in Braunau. I have yet to find any of these bearing a Freiburg logo or serial number.
2) Austrian style mounting brackets
All of the weight-driven clocks made in Braunau used the Austrian system of mounting brackets with four "bayonet" posts to hold the movement in the clock case. The back plates of these Braunau clocks all have four inverted "keyhole" slots where the bayonet posts fit in to support the movement.
3) Slide plate mounting brackets, mounting boards.
Both Braunau and Freiburg used a metal slide plate with matching bracket or a wood mounting board for mounting the movement in the case. Braunau used this ONLY for their spring drive clocks, whereas ALL of the Freiburg clocks, both weight and spring driven, used the metal slide plate with matching bracket or mounting board system to support the movements where appropriate. Table clocks have the movements mounted to the front of the case in most instances
4) Rod Gong
Braunau were the first to introduce the use of the rod gong patented by Johann Obergfell in December 1898, these gongs showing up on Braunau clocks in eqrly 1899. By 1903 virtually all Braunau striking clocks used rod gongs. The first documented use in Freiburg is in 1906, after that they continued to mainly use a coil gong except for their Westminster clocks (first documented late 1907). Becker patented a number of coil gong and rod gong designs, which were used on both Braunau and Freiburg clocks.
5) Spring drive wall clocks
The earliest spring drive wall clock documented so far was for Freiburg in 1877.
6) Braunau clock models
From data collected to date, it appears that Braunau only made the following types of clocks:
>> Weight driven wall clocks, in Time Only, Time and Strike (hour and half-hour single and bim-bam strike), Time and Strike Grand Sonnerie clocks.
>> Spring driven wall clocks, in Time Only and hour & half-hour single and bim-bam Time and Strike.
>> Time only and Time and Alarm novelty clocks with elegant fine wood cases with gilt brass fittings.
>> Time and Alarm clocks.
There is no evidence to date that any table clocks, mantel clocks, Westminster chime, 400-Day clocks, or American style movements were ever made at Braunau. Only ONE example of a floor standing clock has been documented. All Braunau clocks documented to date have serial numbers, even the alarm clocks.
7) Freiburg clock models
Freiburg made the whole range of clocks EXCEPT they did not make the 3-Weight Grand Sonnerie models as noted above. We know that Freiburg made all of the following:
>> Weight and spring driven floor clocks (grandmother and grandfather), in Time Only, Time and Strike (hour & half-hour single and bim-bam strike), Westminster chime, and musical chime clocks.
>> Weight driven wall clocks, in Time Only, and Time and Strike clocks (hour and half-hour single and bim-bam strike).
>> Spring driven wall clocks, in Time Only, Time and Strike (hour & half-hour single and bim-bam strike), Westminster chime, and musical chime clocks.
>> Spring driven mantel clocks, in Time Only, Time and Strike (hour & half-hour single and bim-bam strike), Westminster and musical chime clocks. NOTE that the GB dual chime (Westminster and Whittington) clocks appear to have only been produced AFTER the Junghans takeover in 1926.
>> 400-Day clocks, starting with cylinder escapement design in 1873, converting to Graham deadbeat escapement in 1902, and continuing to 1933 when all 400-Day clock production was stopped.
>> Lever escapement table and wall clocks, some claimed to be used by the German Navy.
>> American style movements were introduced in 1909 and continued until 1940 (Junghans from 1926 to 1940). These did not have serial numbers but some were stamped with the year and month of manufacture in the late 1920's and 1930's.
>> Alarm clocks of various designs, none with serial numbers.
>> Inexpensive pocket watches to compete with the U.S. "Dollar Watches". These did not carry serial numbers.
I am posting the graph for Braunau serial numbers in a new message, the file would not upload to this one for some reason.
John Hubby
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