Post Your Gustav Becker Clocks Here

[String Ha]

I am cleaning and reviving a Gustav Becker watch... Harfen gong 5... P 54 serial 2036160

 

[J. A. Olson]

A production date of mid-1908 would make this one of VFU/Gustav Becker's earlier chime clocks. The Harfen Gong with 5 rods is unusual since they normally had just 4 rods for a strike chord. The smaller 5 rod blocks are typical for a Westminster chime setup.



It benefits to restore a nice old clock. I can check my available catalogs to see if your case is listed, however not every model was catalogued and sometimes these movements were sold to casemakers which opted to make their own cases instead. Some of the customary cases were very unusual.

 

[String Ha]

Reviving a masterpiece of a time Gustav Becker p 54

 

[String Ha]

 

[String Ha]

Gustav Becker P54 clock have been revived from oblivion!

 

[KurtinSA]

Thanks for the video! I noticed that the clock is out of beat.

Kurt

 

[BertMart]

I just received this two-weight Gustav Becker grandfather clock which has been in our family since about 1974. We had it shipped from NJ to TX and professionally set up and serviced. The serial number is 2,415,607, circa 1926. The only history we have is that the clock was surprisingly bequeathed to my uncle, a New York City mail carrier, by a woman to whom he had hand-delivered mail to her third-floor apartment (vs. the bank of mailboxes on the first floor) due to her disability, apparently because he had commented on the chime. The cabinet and face cover have some damage and it is missing a back foot. I want to make an appointment with a cabinet repair person recommended by the grandfather clock repairman. Any advice would be most welcome.

 

[J. A. Olson]

A fine example of a Gustav Becker hall clock. Simple but elegant, and well constructed.

Measure the remaining feet so the new foot matches in both size and looks, splits in the dial framing would be ideally filled and stained to match the case. Staining and a good coat of fine wax won't hurt.

The dial itself looks quite good and doesn't look like it needs any treatment. Gong rods could benefit from a gentle cleaning: I always spritz some lubricant oil onto a cloth, then gently wipe the rods. They don't have to come out of their captive block.

The Regina Gong is a 5 rods bim-bam strike and was among the more popular gong offerings.

 

[KurtinSA]

The serial number is 2,415,607, circa 1926.

According to John Hubby's dating info, the clock dates to more like 1922. The DRP 171659 number was granted in 1906 and GB was using it until the 1922 period.

Kurt

 

[BertMart]

According to John Hubby's dating info, the clock dates to more like 1922. The DRP 171659 number was granted in 1906 and GB was using it until the 1922 period.

Kurt

Kurt, thanks for the updated dating on the clock!

 

[rjdj2000]

Hello,

First time poster here. Just purchased this Gustav Becker clock a week or so ago. Did not chime at the time and upon further inspection this past weekend, the spring that goes behind the rack was not in the correct position. After getting that fixed and the hammer adjusted, it chimes beautifully now.
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Unfortunately I did not get a picture of the back of the movement to try to get it dated. At some point I will get a picture of it so I can get a date of the clock.

Well I needed to move this clock as it was above a radiator, which is not good as I think the case has twisted a little bit now. My fault for not moving it sooner and hopefully it will not twist anymore as it is not above the heat. Anyways, I was able to get pictures of the back of the movement with serial information. Pictures attached.

 

[KurtinSA]

Clock was built in the Braunau factory in mid 1909.

Kurt

 

[tracerjack]

Looking at the case, I assumed 1910 thereabouts, since it doesn't have chime correction, just a simple bar that prevents the hammers from reaching the rods. Working with mostly Kienzle and Junghans, I only recently realized GB's can be dated more accurately than that depending on the logo stamps and serial number. Can someone date this one? The GB logo is on the left facing the back plate, the Gold Medal on the right. The serial number is #2162919. Thanks.

 

[J. A. Olson]

John Hubby was the one with the detailed VFU/Gustav Becker serial database. I don't have all the numbers on hand but this looks like an earlier clock, going by the additional gearing that was supposed to transmit power from the strike train to the chime train. This was a complex attempt to get the chime train through the week without stalling. It was swiftly remedied by simply using a larger chime spring which required using a separate sash to hold the spring barrel's rear arbor.

A lot of German factory-production clocks were prototyped on short notice to keep up with demand and production. It was not like the pre-factory days where any clockmaker could take several days to outline and prototype a single clock to ensure everything was perfect. Inevitably this meant that some aspects of the first batch didn't get everything right on the first try. However they were competent and popular enough to warrant continued production and development, which gave rise to the movements we normally find. Clocks that had a much longer development cycle usually got everything right on the first try.

 

[tracerjack]

It took me awhile to understand how that line of wheels transferred power without interring with either train since the wheels would turn in either direction. It is a strong movement, but yes, not ideal. The hammers are quite fussy since they are so long. I can see why they occasionally miss the center of the rod, but I have yet to identify why they end up closer or farther away after I have carefully set them to strike properly. The sound of the rods is lovely, especially the deep tone for the strike. Hopefully Kurt will see my post as I know he has dated several from John Hubby's database.

 

[KurtinSA]

John's tabulation shows that 2162919 is the latter part of 1910.

Kurt

 

[tracerjack]

John's tabulation shows that 2162919 is the latter part of 1910.

Kurt

Thanks Kurt. So nice to have verification on my guess of 1910.

 

[Bentrider]

Hello, all. This is my first post.

I've been enjoying the various 'Clock and Watch Porn' videos on Youtube for a few months and, as is my wont, thinking, "I'd like to try that."

Finally, I found an old wall clock going cheap which seemed suitable for some novice tinkering. It was missing a minute hand but everything else was there and the case looked good. Having got it home I was able to give it a wind and get it ticking and on turning the cannon pinion, it started striking the hour. When it got to 14, however, even a rank beginner like me could tell all was not entirely well so I started investigating.


The movement was covered in old, sticky oil. It looked like it might have been dipped in the stuff. On the back I found a maker's logo with the name 'Gustav Becker' and a quick Google produced enough info to suggest I may have picked up a bargain. There was also a Serial No - 2130951 which I think dates the movement to 1925-1926.

I've dismantled the movement and started cleaning it. It looks structurally sound. Fortunately, I won't have to start learning how to re-bush the spindle holes just yet. The main problem might be the mainsprings. The one on the time side was absolutely caked in green, sticky gunk. I managed to manhandle it out of the barrel enough to clean it but the outer end wouldn't unhook. It looks like the original hook has been replaced with an old screw head which has been passed through a 'washer' to stop it slipping through the hole in the spring then hammered flat(ish) on the outside of the barrel. The strike side mainspring was reasonably clean but it appears to have broken and been repaired. The two ends hadn't been lined up very well and a raised corner was digging a groove in the barrel cap. The coils are also very uneven so I didn't bother trying to get it out. Both springs also look to be a little short; they occupy very little of the space inside.

Any comments or advice would be appreciated.

 

[Teckelhut]

Dont know the age. Got it at a yard sale for $20. Runs like a champ and I love it. The chimes are beeeeauuuuutiful!

 

[tracerjack]

Hello, all. This is my first post.

I've been enjoying the various 'Clock and Watch Porn' videos on Youtube for a few months and, as is my wont, thinking, "I'd like to try that."

Finally, I found an old wall clock going cheap which seemed suitable for some novice tinkering. It was missing a minute hand but everything else was there and the case looked good. Having got it home I was able to give it a wind and get it ticking and on turning the cannon pinion, it started striking the hour. When it got to 14, however, even a rank beginner like me could tell all was not entirely well so I started investigating.


The movement was covered in old, sticky oil. It looked like it might have been dipped in the stuff. On the back I found a maker's logo with the name 'Gustav Becker' and a quick Google produced enough info to suggest I may have picked up a bargain. There was also a Serial No - 2130951 which I think dates the movement to 1925-1926.

I've dismantled the movement and started cleaning it. It looks structurally sound. Fortunately, I won't have to start learning how to re-bush the spindle holes just yet. The main problem might be the mainsprings. The one on the time side was absolutely caked in green, sticky gunk. I managed to manhandle it out of the barrel enough to clean it but the outer end wouldn't unhook. It looks like the original hook has been replaced with an old screw head which has been passed through a 'washer' to stop it slipping through the hole in the spring then hammered flat(ish) on the outside of the barrel. The strike side mainspring was reasonably clean but it appears to have broken and been repaired. The two ends hadn't been lined up very well and a raised corner was digging a groove in the barrel cap. The coils are also very uneven so I didn't bother trying to get it out. Both springs also look to be a little short; they occupy very little of the space inside.

Any comments or advice would be appreciated.

People do all kinds of weird things to clocks. Since the serial # on yours is lower than mine (dated to 1910) and has the same logo, yours may be older than you think. You definitely need a new mainspring to replace the repaired one. Once you get it out, you will need to measure the width, thickness and length of the spring. You most likely will not find an exact match for it, but will find something close enough. You can shorten ones that are too long. Clock supply companies all carry a wide variety of mainsprings. Try to get ones made in Germany or Japan. For the barrel with the screw head for the barrel hook, if you think the screw head is reliable, use it as is until you gain enough experience to replace the hook. If you don’t feel confident enough to make those decisions, take the barrels to a professional clock repair person and get an estimate for how much it would cost to get them serviced and the one mainspring replaced.

 

[Bentrider]

People do all kinds of weird things to clocks. Since the serial # on yours is lower than mine (dated to 1910) and has the same logo, yours may be older than you think. You definitely need a new mainspring to replace the repaired one. Once you get it out, you will need to measure the width, thickness and length of the spring. You most likely will not find an exact match for it, but will find something close enough. You can shorten ones that are too long. Clock supply companies all carry a wide variety of mainsprings. Try to get ones made in Germany or Japan. For the barrel with the screw head for the barrel hook, if you think the screw head is reliable, use it as is until you gain enough experience to replace the hook. If you don’t feel confident enough to make those decisions, take the barrels to a professional clock repair person and get an estimate for how much it would cost to get them serviced and the one mainspring replaced.

Thanks. I dated my clock with info on another website but I just found John Hubby's tables and it certainly puts mine at early 1910. I've filed down the sharp edge on the broken spring so that it doesn't catch. I'll stick with the springs as they are for the time being until I feel more confident in what I'm doing. I'm hoping that any irregularity caused by the broken spring won't be so significant if it's just driving the strike mechanism. In the meantime I need to track down some suitable hands.

 

[Yahagi]

[CYTAT="tarant, stanowisko: 1568808, członek: 7538"]
Nadal mam problemy z wyszukiwaniem czasu zmiany silnika forum.
Dyskusja zaczęła się około roku 2011, kiedy cytatem się uruchomił z SN. Oto JH, podsumowujący do:
* 1876-1914 Budzikom przypisano okresowe dostawy seryjne od wszystkich innych zegarów GB w tym okresie. Moje dane zegarowe, że w tym okresie poprzedzającym co 810 000 takiej sytuacji. Zauważyłem też, że po wywołaniu I okupacji, numery seryjne nie zostały już przyłożone do budzików. Nie na pewno na pewno, te zegary, dlaczego należy pomagać, ale uważać się, że pochodzi z początkowej bazy danych na importowanych francuskich zegarach i zegarach; Następnie chcesz uzyskać osobny produkt do produkcji dużej ilości, więc sterowanie ręczne sterowanie produkcją dla produkcji produktów serii numerów produktów. Miej ten okres, że rok, rok, rok, rok, około 21 500, który wyprodukował ten zegar na zegarze WSZYSTKI inny typ zegarów szeregowych 50-70 000 rocznie.

IMHO GB rozpoczęło dostarczanie budzików później, na przełomie 77/78.
[/CYTAT][/CYTAT]