Freiburg in Silesia (Świebodzice), Germany (formerly Silesia, now Poland)
Gustav Becker
VerifiedWall, regulator and mantel clock movements
History
Becker built one of the largest German clock factories of the nineteenth century, supplying Vienna-style wall regulators and mantel clocks across Europe before the business was taken into Junghans.
Gustav Eduard Becker opened his first clock shop in Freiburg, Silesia, on April 1, 1847, after returning from his training as a journeyman in various European clockmaking centers. Following a breakthrough at the 1852 Silesian Clock Fair, the company expanded significantly to become one of the most prominent industrial clock manufacturers in nineteenth-century Germany. The factory initially produced Vienna-style pendulum clocks but adapted to include simpler, cheaper designs during the 1880s due to competitive pressure from the Black Forest region. In 1930, the business was officially consolidated with Junghans, ultimately ceasing production of the Gustav Becker brand after the Second World War.
The extended history summarises the open references listed under Sources; each statement was checked against the cited passage. Confirm key dates in period documents before relying on them.
Timeline
Gustav Becker's recorded dates, dated events from this profile and its sources, and dated pieces and sales from the object catalogue. Dates are as each record gives them.
1847 · Career
Founded (Freiburg in Silesia (Świebodzice))
1847 · Career
Gustav Eduard Becker opened his first clock shop in Freiburg, Silesia, on April 1, 1847, after returning from his training as a journeyman in various European clockmaking centers.
1852 · Career
Following a breakthrough at the 1852 Silesian Clock Fair, the company expanded significantly to become one of the most prominent industrial clock manufacturers in nineteenth-century Germany.
Circa 1880 · Catalogued piece
circa 1890-1900 · Catalogued piece
1930 · Career
In 1930, the business was officially consolidated with Junghans, ultimately ceasing production of the Gustav Becker brand after the Second World War.
Current watchmaking & later fate
- The Gustav Becker brand ceased production of clocks after the Second World War when the factory location was transferred to Poland.
As stated in the references listed under Sources, retrieved 2026-10-27. Ownership and collections change; check the maker's own announcements for the latest position.
Key models
- Classical Gustav Becker clocks
- Introduced in the 1860s, these timepieces evolved from simple designs into complex and highly ornamental models.
- Jubilee Clock Number 500,000
- Dedicated to Otto von Bismarck on his 70th birthday in 1885, this floor clock featured a monumental design in the historicism style.
Major innovations
- The company established industrial production of Vienna-pattern regulator movements, which initially provided the firm's commercial success.
Known markings
- Anchor with 'GB' trademark
- Exhibition medal marks
- Serial number stamped on the back plate
- The firm utilized an anchor symbol as a primary trademark to identify its movements.
- A gold medal emblem earned at the 1852 Silesian industry fair was adopted as a signature mark on the back plates of its clocks.
Serial numbers
Movements carry serial numbers with published approximate ranges by year; the medal-and-anchor trademark also helps bracket the date.
Collecting significance
Common enough to be an accessible entry into German clockmaking; early, finer examples are considerably better made than late production.
Identification and dating notes
- The company name changed following a merger in 1899 to Vereinigte Freiburger Uhrenfabriken Aktiengesellschaft vormals Gustav Becker.
- Reference lists of serial numbers help identify production dates for clocks manufactured in the Freiburg factory.
In the object catalogue
9 catalogued objects are recorded under Gustav Becker. Attributions are as given by each source and are not independent authentication.
- Gustav Becker 'Lipizzaner Horse' Seven Day Wall Regulator ClockRegulator
- Gustav Becker 19th-century walnut Vienna regulator wall clockRegulator · 19th century
- Gustav Becker double-weight Vienna regulator wall clockRegulator · Circa 1880
- Gustav Becker Giltwood Cartel ClockCartel clock · circa 1890-1900
- Gustav Becker Gründerzeit wall regulatorRegulator · circa 1890
- Gustav Becker late 19th-century Vienna-style walnut regulatorRegulator · late 19th century
- Gustav Becker Regulator ClockRegulator · circa 1880
- Gustav Becker Vienna Wall ClockWall clock · ca 1890
- Gustav Becker Walnut Vienna Regulator Wall ClockRegulator · 19th century
Provenance
Where the 9 catalogued pieces by Gustav Becker were recorded, with the collectors, owners and sales their records name.
Provenance map
Each piece is linked to the museum, auction house or dealer whose record it comes from, and to any other house or collection its own provenance names. Select a name to see its pieces.
Auction houses · 6 pieces
Dealers & other listings · 3 pieces
Vintage Clocks UK
Dealer · 2 pieces
Gustav Becker double-weight Vienna regulator wall clockRegulator · Circa 1880 · Record source
The record names no sale, lot or earlier owner.
Gustav Becker Vienna Wall ClockWall clock · ca 1890 · Record source
The record names no sale, lot or earlier owner.
Auction history
| House | Sale & lot | Object |
|---|---|---|
| LiveAuctioneers (auction platform) | — | Gustav Becker 'Lipizzaner Horse' Seven Day Wall Regulator Clock |
| Bamfords Auctioneers & Valuers | lot 141 | Gustav Becker 19th-century walnut Vienna regulator wall clock |
| Kunst- und Auktionshaus Quedlinburg | lot 734 | Gustav Becker Gründerzeit wall regulator |
| Bonhams | lot 333 | Gustav Becker late 19th-century Vienna-style walnut regulator |
| Schmidt Kunstauktionen Dresden OHG | lot 902 | Gustav Becker Regulator Clock |
| William J. Jenack Auctioneers | lot 0270 | Gustav Becker Walnut Vienna Regulator Wall Clock |
Each line is copied from the object's source record and is not independently verified. Holders are as recorded when the piece was catalogued: museum objects may not be on display, and sold lots have since changed hands.
Photographs
Photographs are illustrative examples of the type, not necessarily the exact object described. Verify details against the source file page.
Sources & references
- Gustav Becker, Wikipedia (English), retrieved 2026-10-27 (text CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Gustav Becker (Uhrenfabrikant), Wikipedia (German), retrieved 2026-10-27 (text CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Seriennummernverzeichnis Gustav Becker, Watch-Wiki, retrieved 2026-10-27
- Becker, Gustav/pl, Watch-Wiki, retrieved 2026-10-27
- List of clock manufacturers, Wikipedia (English), retrieved 2026-10-27 (text CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Published Gustav Becker serial number tables in collector literature
- Serial tables give approximate ranges rather than exact dates.
Where sources disagree, the disagreement is stated rather than resolved silently.