# Gustav Becker Wall Clock



## Deco

My Great Grandfather bought this clock in Scotland (probably Glasgow) about 1908 whilst working there.

I remember it hanging in the tiny hallway of my Granny's house in Driminagh, Dublin. Apparently I used to sit on the bottom step of the stairs watching the pendulum & waiting for the clock to strike. Even before my Mother inherited it, she often told me it would one day be mine because of my fascination with it.

When my Mother got hold of it in the early 80's my Dad & I stripped the wooden case back & french polished it which is the finish you can see on it today.

It was given to me in 2008 (it's 100th birthday as I subsequently found out!), but only worked intermittently. I got the movement professionally serviced in a clock shop in Dublin. The clock is now running perfectly & currently resides in the 'good' room where it doesn't annoy the 710 too much. She claims to hate it as do the rest of my family/friends!

So I thought I'd share it with folk that might share my appreciation of it.

The following is an amalgamation of information I got from some very knowledgable lads on the NAWCC forum:

The serial number shows the clock was made in early 1908, around March or April of that year. It was made at the Gustav Becker Freiburg factory in Freiburg, Silesia, one of the two major factories operated by Becker. It has a rod gong for the chime; the striking hammer on the back of the movement is shaped as if it was set up to strike on a rod and not on a coil gong. The rod gong was patented in December 1898 by Johann Obergfell and first seen on GB clocks made at their Braunau factory in 1899. The Freiburg factory did not use them until 1905 and even then continued the use of coil gongs for about 2/3 of their wall and grandfather clocks. On the other hand GB used rod gongs on almost all of their Braunau factory clocks after 1903.

The "seconds" hand actually makes a complete turn in 45 seconds, that is one of the anomolies of these GB clocks. They did make a lot of clocks that beat seconds and thus the seconds hand takes a full minute to go around, but the huge majority of their wall clocks from around 1875 onward have this "quick seconds" feature.

The 'quick seconds' feature is down to pendulum length. A "seconds beat" clock would tick sixty times per minute. However, a seconds beat clock has a pendulum one meter (theor.) in length. Actually, it's nearly four feet long! This entire clock is not four feet tall. The pendulum is only about 27" long and ticks probably 80 ticks or beats per minute. So - pendulum length is what BPM is all about and the subsidiary seconds hand is simply for aesthetics.

What appears to be a backwards "Y" 64 is actually "P 64". The "P" is likely poorly stamped so that it kind of looks like a "Y". The P 64 represents the length of the pendulum measured from the top where the suspension spring is fixed to the center of the pendulum bob, in centimeters.

Some pictures from 2008 - I'll try to get better ones anon....:-


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## a6cjn

Thanks for posting the pics and info

I think it's good to have a piece which has family history and memories and it's a superb example

Chris


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## Mark 1

A good history and a clock with a nice patina. When you do get some other pictures of it, could you show a close up of the crown arrangement at the top with the turned pieces etc, please?...(Cabinetmakers curiosity)

Thanks.

Mark.


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## Roger the Dodger

Lovely clock, Deco.....that case with the turned pilasters and finials is superb, and it looks as if you and your Dad made a cracking job of the French polishing. Gorgeous!


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## Deco

Mark 1 said:


> A good history and a clock with a nice patina. When you do get some other pictures of it, could you show a close up of the crown arrangement at the top with the turned pieces etc, please?...(Cabinetmakers curiosity)
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> Mark.


Pics Mark, if you're still around?























































Dec


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## Karl Eastwood

Love your Vienna. I have just acquired one of the same movements so I am looking to possibly replicate your clock. To do so I will need even more pictures and also dimensions if you could. I am particularly interested in the gong arrangement as I haven't seen this type before. Anything you could send me would be appreciated, though I have a long way to go to finish restoring the movement, let alone anything else. I can see this will be a summer job. On another note, I know what you mean with the view your wife has. My wife hates my clocks, though I must admit I do have six grandfatherclocks, fve viennas, three edwarian box clocks, and a load of others. She can't stand the ticking so Ihave to be selective as to which I am getting to set going every week. I can be contacted on karlfandangoataoldotcom.


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## bazza3

Hello,

As a new member and struggling to find my way around this site ( I'm 1939 vintage ) also I have just become the owner of Gustav Becker twin weight Regulator wall Clock very similar to yours and having difficulty finding some kind of accurate date,the dates are very confusing and I find 1900 to 1913 is very wide range.My serial number is 1588541 and was wondering how close it is to yours ?

Regards bazza3 (Barry)


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## mel

If it was bought in Glasgow (the original posting) it's what Weegies (Glaswegians) used to call a

"Wag-at-the Wa'"

or "Wag at The Wall" - and these oft times went on holiday to the corner "Pawn" shop to keep family fed when times were harder, then redeemed when money came in again :lol:

Still popular and sought after, from very simple swinging pendulums up to regulator versions for more accurate timekeeping. Alas, Mrs Mel doesn't like the lovely chimes, so I had to part with my last one - - women are so hard to live with


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## bazza3

*Hello,*

*Is there anyone who could tell me the correct gap setting from hammer to gong coil on a Gustav Becker twin weight regulator wall clock. Thanks*


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## bazza3

Hello,

As a new member and struggling to find my way around this site ( I'm 1939 vintage ) also I have just become the owner of Gustav Becker twin weight Regulator wall Clock very similar to yours and having difficulty finding some kind of accurate date,the dates are very confusing and I find 1900 to 1913 is very wide range.My serial number is 1588541 and was wondering how close it is to yours ?

Regards bazza3 (Barry)


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