Re: Jahresuhr-Schwenningen (1907)
Zep, thanks for the additional material. The 1904 advert with patent numbers virtually clinches that W. Würth & Co. were the makers of the group of clocks I've compiled, as both these patents (DRP 144687 and DRGM 215537) were found with clocks that can be conclusively dated to late 1903/early 1904 and have features that appear consistently throughout the production of these movement designs.
DRP 144687 granted 29 Sept. 1903 was the patent for the Wille temperature compensating pendulum, No. 7 in the Repair Guide and is stamped on all the plates with which this pendulum (matching serial numbers) has been found. This clearly coincides with the founding of the Würth company. Further, this DRP is found ONLY on plates of movements that have other key features appearing throughout the production.
DRGM 215537 was granted 16 December 1903 for the guide slots cut into the top of a pendulum disc, in which pins underneath the adjusting weights can slide. This prevents turning of the weights on the disc, and is found on pendulum No. 20 in the Repair Guide. This pendulum in turn is found (matching serial numbers) on most of the clocks I believe were made by Würth after serial number 2900 made about the end of 2003 or early 2004. From a thorough search of clocks in my collection and business inventory there is no question pendulum No. 20 was the first with that feature. It was used later by others, notably for Huber-designed and patented pendulums made after 1910 that were used by GB, Kienzle, Badische, and of course Huber.
Based on the evident connection with Würth seen from the above two patents, I searched the listing from the DUZ that Doug Stevenson put together and found all the DRGM's granted to Würth and subsequently listed in the Bulletin article on torsion patents published in the February 2006 issue. These provide even more evidence that this particular group of clocks must have been made by Würth.
This following DRGM is for the disc pendulum with graduated sub-discs operated by gears to adjust time, and I have two examples documented with matching serial numbers to the movements.
DRGM 257636 W. Würth & Co. 13-7-1905
Adjustment mechanism for a torsion pendulum, with which the adjustment weights are adjustable inside the pendulum disc and moved by wheels.
I believe the next one could be the heavy 3-ball pendulum No. 26 in the Repair Guide, attributed there to Haas but found mostly with Ph. Hauck clocks. None of these have yet been documented with one of the "Würth" movements but that could yet happen.
DRGM 270879 W. Würth & Co. 26-1-1906
Precision adjustment mechanism for turning pendulums, with which the rotating motion of three swinging weights are arranged, with the moved weights being transfered to pointers.
The following is an improvement on DRGM 257636.
DRGM 282267 W. Würth & Co. 31-5-1906
Adjustment device for torsion pendulums, such that the movement of the adjustment mechanism by a wheel are fitted with two springs rim-curved to avoid gear-tooth play on the pendulum weights digit wafers.
The following DRGM is unquestionably the gimbal upper bracket No. 14!!! The date of the DRGM coincides with its appearance on both the "Würth" clocks and later on Kienzle clocks, where it was used at least until WWI.
DRGM 302860 W. Würth & Co. 23-2-1907
Turning pendulum suspension, with which the feather mounting elements are mobile around two axes of rotation cutting under 90º each other.
Once again, the following DRGM is unquestionably the gimbal suspension No. 14, describing an improvement in DRGM 302860.
DRGM 314710 W. Würth & Co. 18-7-1907
Turning pendulum suspension, with which into closed ring divide the feather/spring attachment block around two under right cutting axes of rotation are mobile.
So, while we don't quite have a "smoking gun" here (such as a Würth ad showing the backplate design of one of their clocks) there certainly is a preponderance of evidence that Würth was the maker of a group of clocks numbering around 20,000, that all have common features not found on early JUF, Huber, or Hauck clocks made in the same time frame that Würth was noted to be in business. One of these features (front plate bridge for the anchor arbor) shows up on Kienzle clocks made in 1908 or later, indicating some kind of cooperation may have occurred with Würth at that time. Also, Kienzle used pendulum No. 20 for a number of years starting about 1908 and onward.
The features found on "Würth" clocks include:
1) Click layout with no click spring pin hole, per Plate 1049 and others.
2) No use of suspension guards, with possible exception of clocks assembled by Bowler & Burdick that may have been added by B&B (Plate 1008A).
3) Fixed pallets from the first production through about serial number 3000, then adjustable pallets for all subsequent production (No change in backplate design with this change).
4) Removable anchor arbor bridge in the front plate, after serial number 3000 (coincides with change to adjustable pallets)
5) First and exclusive use of pendulum No. 20 at least to 1907 based on matching serial numbers.
6) First and exclusive use of the rotating disc adjustable pendulum.
7) Exclusive use of a movement support plate with double ogee form at the front.
8) First use of upper suspension bracket No. 14.
9) The only 400-Day clocks with banking pins for the anchor.
10) First and only known use of offset anchor until J. Kaiser in 1950's.
The back plates that I now conclude were most likely made by Würth include:
1007A, 1008A, 1009, 1009A, 1009AA, 1049, 1049A, 1053, 1437, 1438, 1440, 1603, 1613.
Note that all the rectangular plate movements have the exact same click layout. There are two basic round plate designs (1009A, 1009AA, 1437, 1438 are one design, 1053 is a different design) all which the Repair Guide report as "Manufacturer Not Known". None of these have a click spring positioning pin hole. The first four round plates all have offset anchors with counterweights, the first clocks with this feature and not seen again until the J. Kaiser Universe narrow plate models in the 1950's. Most of the round plate clocks documented so far have banking pins for the anchors, seen in the plate drawings for 1009A as threaded holes at an angle to the eccentric nut. Plate 1053 has also been documented to have banking pins, and rectangular plates 1008A and 1029A have banking pins.
One final note regarding the "Würth" clocks is that quite a number of their movements (and complete clocks) were used by Bowler and Burdick, complete with the "Anniversary Trade Mark Registered" markings on the movement back plates or dials or both. Würth is not mentioned in any reference found so far as a supplier to B&B, however we don't have any concrete info from B&B records as to who actually were their suppliers. All that is known right now is that we have documented movements believed to have been made by Huber and JUF, and have conclusive evidence that Hauck and Kienzle did supply movements. Now, we have strong evidence that Würth also supplied B&B, with 13 examples documented out of a total now of 70 clocks in the database believed to have been made by Würth.
More research will be needed before we can give a completely certain answer that these were all made by Würth, but as I mentioned above a preponderance of evidence now points to that conclusion.
I already had good documentation on all those except KP's S/N 2149, but was missing the pallet configuration and the pivot bridge info.
