Gustav Becker
Gustav Becker (1819–1885) was one of the most important clock manufacturers in 19th-century Germany, and his company became the largest clock factory in the world during his lifetime. Born in Neurode, Silesia (now Nowa Ruda, Poland), Becker trained as a watchmaker before establishing his own clock factory in Freiburg im Schlesien (now Świebodzice, Poland) in 1847.
Becker’s factory grew rapidly, and by the 1880s it employed over 1,000 workers and was producing more than 500,000 clocks per year. The company specialized in high-quality regulator clocks, Vienna regulators, and precision wall clocks, many of which were exported throughout Europe and to North America.
Gustav Becker clocks are typically identified by the company’s distinctive trade mark — a sunburst anchor mark — stamped on the movement. His movements are renowned for their accuracy and fine finishing, and many examples survive in excellent working condition today.
After Gustav Becker’s death in 1885, the company continued to operate under family management before eventually being absorbed into the Junghans concern in the 1920s. Despite this, clocks produced under the Gustav Becker name remained popular well into the 20th century.
Collectors prize Gustav Becker clocks for the quality of their movements and the elegance of their cases, which ranged from simple oak wall regulators to elaborate carved cases with porcelain dial inserts. Serial numbers can be used to date Becker clocks with reasonable precision.