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One of the better quality/best-known German clockmakersfrom the mid to late 19th century was Gustav Becker. Born in 1819, Becker trained as a clockmaker in Germany and Austria. In 1850 he opened workshops in Freiburg, Silesia, Germany in 1850. Initially, Becker struggled with untrained help, but won the "Medaille d’Or" for design at the 1852 Silesia Trade Exposition. Becker incorporated that first medal and his initials, G.B., into his trademark and, as you will see below, into many components of his clocks, from movement mounts to wall standoffs to beatplates and pulleys.
This award gave him the recognition that he needed to attract skilled craftsmen to his workshops. Numerous awards and certificates followed, from trade expos as far-flung as Australia and as close to home as Vienna. He was very adept at leveraging this new-found notoriety to the benefit of his business enterprise.
Gustav Becker Factory Workers
Becker clocks are not too difficult to identify. Until 1880 and the introduction of the spring driven mechanism, almost all of Gustav Becker’s clocks were weight driven Regulator wall clocks. Becker’s clocks bear his trademark and serial number on the dial and weights are usually marked with his initials. Serial numbers reference the year of manufacture, so determining age is made very simple. An excellent resource for this information and more is available in the book "The Gustav Becker Story", by Karl Kochmann, and "Gustav Becker Clocks", by T.D. Ly.
Dutch Agent's Ad for Gustav Becker Clocks
After the introduction of the spring driven mechanism, a whole new variety of clocks was made possible. The Becker workshops at their height produced more than 400 varieties of clocks. The cases of these clocks reflect the furniture trends of the day and range from very simple to elaborately ornate. The casework is extraordinarily well done and often incorporates hand carving. Germany has never lacked for skilled carvers and the talent of the region’s artisans is evidenced in the Becker clock cases.
Becker clocks weren’t limited to wooden wall clocks, though. Everything from anniversary clocks to wristwatches is available with the Becker trademark.
Gustav Becker clocks are known for their quality workmanship and the Becker name on a clock will make it more valuable than lesser-known maker’s clocks of similar quality. These collectible works of art are not as expensive as their furniture counterparts and can range in price from $500 to $5,000 and more. Although Gustav Becker only lived until 1885, clocks bore his trademark until 1935. The Junghans Company absorbed Becker, Lenzkirch, Hamburg American, etc. into a clock company that continues in business to this day.
Beat Plate with Gustav Becker Anchor Logo
Wall standoffs with Gustav Becker Anchor Logo
Pulley with Gustav Becker Anchor Logo
Movement Mount with Gustav Becker Anchor Logo
click to enlarge
Gustav Becker Serial Numbers (Freiburg only/not Braunau - see logos table in right column)
Year Serial No. Year Serial
No.
1850 480 1890 800,0001860 4000 1892 1,000,0001863 10,000 1900 1,500,0001865 15,000 1913 1,850,0001867 25,000 1923 1,860,0001872 50,000 1925 1,945,3991875 100,000 1926 2,244,8681880 260,000 1927-
1935 Unknown1885 500,000
(movement of clock pictured above)
Gustav Becker Marketing Sign
Gustav Becker "Open-Well" Clock(reminiscent of/easily mistaken for Lenzkirch)
Gustav Becker 2-Weight, c.1874owned by the famous (retired) Air New Zealand pilot
Paul Philips
We are looking for photos of GREAT Gustav Becker clocks,many of which are much nicer than those shown in the side columns.
If you have a Becker-marked clock that is in excellentphysical condition and would like to share it with the world,
or if you have Becker-related advertising or otherwise related, please send us a note.
