The cabinet clock watch from the museum’s collection is a narrow wooden cabinet with a glass door. There is a clock panel inside with Arabic numerals. A round pendulum is attached to the case of the clock, and the weights are suspended on cables. There are two small viewing windows on the sides of the cabinet. The clock is in a non-working state.
On the back wall of the cabinet, there is a metal plate with a relief inscription of the clock model “Harfen Gong”, which means the sound of harps in German. The logo with the image of an anchor, the GB initials, and the inscription “Gustav Becker Freiburg in schl” are preserved on the back of the clock. This indicates that the clock is made by the German-Swiss company Gustav Becker known for its high-quality mechanisms.
The founder of this company, Gustav Becker, learned watchmaking from many masters throughout Germany, which at that time was the center of the watch industry. After graduating from the watch school, Gustav perfected his skills in Vienna. In 1847, he opened a small watch shop in the German city of Freiburg. Becker produced high-precision watches of the Viennese model, quickly achieved good results, and soon expanded his business.
The real breakthrough came in 1852 at a trade fair in Silesia. At this exhibition, the master presented a watch under the Gustav Becker brand with an anchor stamp and the GB initials. Subsequently, the anchor with the initials became the main logo of the company. Gustav Becker’s table clock model attracted the attention of visitors and won the gold medal ‘Medal d’or’ for its design. This award gave him recognition, which allowed for attracting qualified workers for his workshops. Becker began to use the image of this medal in the future. On the back of the clock from the museum collection, visitors can see a round stamp of the medal with the inscription: “Medaille d”or’.
Becker’s production became the largest watch factory in Europe. The best masters of Europe were invited to the factory. Becker received numerous orders, including those from the Royal Court. His products have won many awards and certificates, and the watchmaker himself was honorably accepted into the Royal Society of Commerce. In 1889, the company changed its name to the United Freiburg Watch Manufactory and became one of the largest suppliers of interior watches to the world, including the Russian market. Gustav Becker watches are valuable not only for their high-quality mechanisms, but also for their unique design. Their cases at one time kept up with the furniture fashion, and today they vividly illustrate their era.
On the back wall of the cabinet, there is a metal plate with a relief inscription of the clock model “Harfen Gong”, which means the sound of harps in German. The logo with the image of an anchor, the GB initials, and the inscription “Gustav Becker Freiburg in schl” are preserved on the back of the clock. This indicates that the clock is made by the German-Swiss company Gustav Becker known for its high-quality mechanisms.
The founder of this company, Gustav Becker, learned watchmaking from many masters throughout Germany, which at that time was the center of the watch industry. After graduating from the watch school, Gustav perfected his skills in Vienna. In 1847, he opened a small watch shop in the German city of Freiburg. Becker produced high-precision watches of the Viennese model, quickly achieved good results, and soon expanded his business.
The real breakthrough came in 1852 at a trade fair in Silesia. At this exhibition, the master presented a watch under the Gustav Becker brand with an anchor stamp and the GB initials. Subsequently, the anchor with the initials became the main logo of the company. Gustav Becker’s table clock model attracted the attention of visitors and won the gold medal ‘Medal d’or’ for its design. This award gave him recognition, which allowed for attracting qualified workers for his workshops. Becker began to use the image of this medal in the future. On the back of the clock from the museum collection, visitors can see a round stamp of the medal with the inscription: “Medaille d”or’.
Becker’s production became the largest watch factory in Europe. The best masters of Europe were invited to the factory. Becker received numerous orders, including those from the Royal Court. His products have won many awards and certificates, and the watchmaker himself was honorably accepted into the Royal Society of Commerce. In 1889, the company changed its name to the United Freiburg Watch Manufactory and became one of the largest suppliers of interior watches to the world, including the Russian market. Gustav Becker watches are valuable not only for their high-quality mechanisms, but also for their unique design. Their cases at one time kept up with the furniture fashion, and today they vividly illustrate their era.
