Post Your Gustav Becker Clocks Here

Nice clock, Congratulations! John Hubby will give you an exact date based on his revised serial numbers but I'm reasonably sure it is the Braunau factory and probably around 1910 based on John's previous listing. It is definitely an eight day, time and strike.

How about a picture of the whole case.......

Best,

Richard T.

 

Richard,
Thanks, for the reply. I was hoping that it was an 8 day, as I did not want to have to wind it every day . Sorry, I thought I had posted a complete picture, well I guess not, here is what the clock looks like.

Chuck

 

John,
Thanks for information on my new clock. Where you say I am missing a panel, there is glass there. Upon inspecting it from the inside it seems to have be put in the same way the crystal glass below was done. Do you think it could have come that way or did someone do a good job of replacing the panel with glass? I thought it was strange that the movement did not lock into place, are these locking devives hard to make? (seems not to be). As always, thanks for all your help.

Chuck

 

John,
I really like the latter one with the beveled glass, I will need to look into this, when I tear the movement down for cleaning.( this winter) THANKS!

Chuck

 

Hi, gang.

Hoping John Hubby or someone may be able to assist with possibly a date of manufacture or any other info regarding this Gustav Becker clock of mine.

As you can see from the pics, this poor clock has seen better days. When I bought it (just over a year ago), it had been infested with termites (hence the damage visible to the back interior of the case), was missing the top/crown, and missing the pendulum.

I contacted a termite company, made arrangements to leave the clock in a vacant house that was being tented, and then picked it up afterward. The top piece is a replacement, and you clock gurus will easily notice that it's far from a 100% match. The average person who comes in my house, however, never notices. For a while it had a brand new pendulum hanging in it, but man did that make me grit my teeth every time I looked at it! I finally found a vintage bob at a flea market which matches the face of the clock quite well as far as a general "look" goes, but I have no idea what the original pendulum bob would have looked like.

As for identification on the back plate, you can see that the "G" from the "GB" is not really visible. It doesn't appear to be worn off; I think it's more likely that when the plate was originally stamped they didn't stamp the G-side of the logo hard enough. You can just barely see a hint of the "G." As for a serial number, there's nothing other than the "P.42" visible.

In looking at the Freiberg logo information previously posted by John Hubby, it looks like my clock dates from sometime during the period of 1909-1933. Not sure if it can be nailed down any more specifically than that....

Anyway, thanks in advance for any info that anyone might have about this clock.

John

 

Nice find, SS: Looks like your choice of pendulum may be correct - the ubiquitous RA bob. Looks like about 1910 to me. Justa guess til th' GB scholars show up.

 

Hi, John (and Scottie).

Thanks very much for the detailed information. I really appreciate it!

Take care,
John

 

Just a little addition for you historians JOHN, etalii, and all those followers of BECKER. Thought I'd share one of the dirty dozen; This one a 1 wt. P27 - beautiful example of this later era. Arced, brass pallet arms; vulliamy pallets, spring loaded lower keyhole mount, no power mtc., but just in pristine original condition. All bushings excellent and none replaced.
Here for your pleasure and annals.

 

Hi I am new to this forum but I would be interested if you can help me date my Gustav Becker Vienna wall clock, if thats what it is ? I have just Inherited this clock but after looking at this forum I have noticed that a lot of these clocks have fancy carvings for the top of the clock, however mine has not and I wondered if it should and if so where can I get one ?

Also I would like to no how to set the chime as it does not appear to chime when it reaches the hour, however it will chime if I move the hands to the hour also the chime is not clear but a dull thud.

can you help me

many thanks Ian Bain

 

http://img385.imageshack.us/images/thpix.gif

http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/7559/ullapoolclock066mt4.th.jpghttp://img223.imageshack.us/images/thpix.gif http://img171.imageshack.us/images/thpix.gif

 

Hi, IB! Welcome to the board. We have on board an EXCELLENT GB historian, John Hubby, who'll appear shortly with his expert opinions. For dating, he'll ask for a closeup picture of the logo and a number stamped on the plate.
Until he and others arrive, I believe yours would be called a Vienna STYLE regulator. Vienna regulators are normally regarded as weight driven. Yes, there was a decorative top piece. Suppliers make these in various styles and widths. eBay is also a good source for old, original ones. Let's start with "thud". Hammer needs at LEAST a thirty second - 1/32" clearance from rod or gong it strikes. A sixteenth or more would be preferable. To get that clearance, lightly bend the hammer arm upward for necessary clearance. As for not striking, it may be the lift lever is not being lifted high enough to begin strike by itself.
Yours is called a STRIKING clock as "chime" would refer to a clock that plays a melody such as "Westminster", etc.
Yours looks to me like about 1910 but John'll be able to date it closer.
Welcome a board! Nice clock.

 

Thanks Scottie for the information, I will try what you suggested lightly bending the hammer to a sixteenth of a inch, can you also tell me how to
Synchronise the strick I would be much obliged, also how often should I wind it up

John I will take a photo of the whole clock to see if you can match it up with a top from your catalog. John can you also tell me what the P and the P45 indicates

I am really enjoying learning about this clock, I have also put a photo of my great gran mothers pocket watch which I have been given info on can you have look and give me your expert Opinion

 

Hi, Ian, welcome to the message board. The P45 indicates the length of the pendulum in cm.
Can you tell us what your strike is doing (example, striking 10 at 12 o'clock).
Your clock should be wound up weekly, although it may have a 14 day movement.

 

Hi Harold

I will listen tonight and get back to you and how can I tell if its a 14 day movement or not ?

PS

Have you any relatives back in the old country Mr Bain ?

 

Ian, I probably do have relatives in Scotland. My Great Grandfather immigrated to western Canada in the mid 1800's.
To tell if you have a 14 day movement, wind it up fully and see how long it will run before stopping.
You should consider having the movement serviced, as, like anything mechanical, it will require cleaning and oiling periodically.

 

Just a little aside HAROLD, but that 1wt, T/O, movement only I posted on page 17 is P27. P27? 1 wt Vienna. Now I haven't finished regulating it but - a ten inch pendulum on a Wiener? I don't disbelieve the meaning of that "P" - just question it in my case.

 

Hmmmmm; Very interesting. Nearly regd. now and at 25" from susp to reg nut. That IS 64cm. As for a conversion, I'm certain it would be linear - something like 64/27 = n or P = 27n such that the function could be applied to any Braunau "P" weight driven to convert it to cm.
In this example - P27, 27(64/27) = 27(2.37) = 64cm or 25".

 

Here ya go JOHN:

No case: Have movement only with dial. Pendulum, pulley, weight, etc. are not original. Hands are not original so I omitted them.
I do not find movement no. anywhere on dial. However, I share with you inscriptions there .

 

and . . . . .

 

I didn't include the postmount because, again - it's not original. Somewhat labor intensive, but I make my own. It fits like a glove as it should. Note I have drilled no holes for mounting it nor have I mounted a suspension post. That allows the new owner to 1. Put holes where they want and 2. Mount the post either on the backboard or postmount. Most probably the original was suspended from the postmount. That also provides the new owner latitude inside the case and preference of pendulum location - higher or lower in the case. I prefer mine to flirt with the base - that is, swing nearly on the floor of the case and if possible be on the same center as the pallet arbor - the most efficient location.

 

Here: Let's try this again, just in case the info is of value.

 

The repair mark is for 26.VII.1948.
The fellow put in a new whatever we call them.
The gut-string things.
You know, Saiten.

The scratches to the right appear to be a name.

Regards,
Zep

 

Forgot to add this (below) which gives an idea how the older Sütterlin style looks in a regularized font (for the second line).

Z.

 

Too small. Try again
And of course it should be singular -- Saite.

 

Dang ZEP! Do you work in CID at the forensics lab? You COULD!
GREAT stuff, ZEP. Thanks!

 

Hi Harold and John for the information

Harold my clock doesnt strick on the hour it only strikes when I move it to the hour, I assume there must be somthing wrong with the Mechanism ? is there anything I can do to sort it ?

John you asked me to attach a full photo of the clock so you can maybe match what kind of top might of went with my clock:-

Hope you can help me again,

Many thanks

ian

[/ATTACH]

 

Ian, its unusual that it will strike when you move the hands manually, but not when the clock is running. I don't know what your level of clock repair skill is, but I would run it on a test stand to see why, with the dial off, so you can see if the rack hook is being lifted far enough on the hour to release the rack for the strike. That is probably where the problem is.

 

Here JOHN and others: Possibly near the end of the Freiburg era? I have only what you see - no dial - nothing else. Rather clean condition will be easy to resuscitate:

 

Site choking on pix this eve:

 

Hi John, here are the pictures of the third T/O movement I have. You may already have this one documented, as I think I posted it as some point. The movement and case are a marrage, so I add it only for interest (probably only mine. Even though this dial has no seconds scale, the movement still has the extended escape wheel pinion. So I figurered they used the one movement fits all approach as far as dials where conserned

 

Hi Harold

I am such plonker the clock strikes okay I was just to impatient to wait for it moving to the hour. However to clock is running about 7 minutes fast, how do you slow it down ? I take you move the pendulum ?
is it up or down ?

Thanks again

Ian

 

Move the pendulum down, by turning the nut at the bottom of the pendulum rod. Turning from right to left should lower the bob. If it's 7 minutes fast a day, I would start by turning the nut two complete turns, reset the time, and see how far off it is 24 hours later.

 

It has a 60 second scale on the seconds bit but it only takes something like 45-47 seconds for the hand to complete a rotation. That's the norm for these isn't it?

 

Yes John, that is interesting! It sure would seem that there must be some earlier movements with seconds bits out there somewhere. I am drawn to T/O weight movements and Beckers seem to be the ones I most often win. I will add any that I am lucky enought to get in the future.

 

Here's a recent GB I got at auction. Any information on it will be greatly appreciated!

 

Nice find. Congrats. Early 19's? Braunau perhaps. Enjoy!

 

John - thanks! Here's some photo's so you can work your magic Also an interesting jewler's mark.