Styles of Vienna Regulators - Antique Wall Clocks - Part Two
Alt Deutsch - 1870 to 1895
By far the most abundant style of Vienna Regulator, the Alt Deutsch clocks stand out with their ornate and beautifully made cases. For many people, this is the style that epitomizes Vienna Regulators. It is almost unbelievable that they derived from the simple lines of the earlier Empire and Biedermeier periods.
The hallmark of the Alt Deutsch clocks is their use of Corinthian Columns on the doors. Typically these are full columns with fluting, though the Austrians, and the German factory of Lenzkirch used some broken columns with hanging finials.
Pendulums are zinc-backed in the earlier clocks and steel backed in the later. Nearly all pendulum rods are made of wood, though some elaborate metal rods were seen later on.
While the dial bezels were typically spun brass, the dials were porcelain, brass or a combination with a porcelain chapter ring and a brass dial centre. Dial centres were often engraved or embossed - often with matching weights and pendulums. These clocks typically have very elaborate hands.
Baroque - 1875 to 1895
The Baroque, or more correctly Second Baroque style clocks reflect the highly ornate styles of the Baroque period (1550 to 1700). Generally, if a clock has Corinthian columns it is Alt Deutsch, if it has asymmetrical carvings on the headpiece and tail it is a Baroque piece. Both styles are very ornate, but the Alt Deutsch is symmetrical, with rectangular detail accompanying the classical columns, while the Baroque clocks are lavishly carved, with elaborate, asymmetrical head and tail pieces. Baroque cases were made with walnut, cherry and mahogany veneers.
Pendulums are zinc-backed in the earlier clocks, and steel backed in the later. Nearly all pendulum rods are made of wood, though some elaborate metal rods were seen later on. While the dial bezels are typically spun brass, the dial centres were often engraved or embossed brass - often with matching weights and pendulums. These clocks typically have very elaborate hands.
Jugendstil - 1890 to 1920
Right around the turn of the 20th century, the architectural styles in Vienna changed dramatically. The new architects rejected the non-functional decorations of the earlier periods for an efficient functional design. The clocks followed suite. Unnecessary decoration was eliminated, but craftsmanship was not diluted. The Jugendstil style of Vienna regulator became popular.
The Jugendstil style reminds us of the adage - from ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Early Vienna Regulators were simple, boxy, austere designs. These developed to the elaborate reality of the Alt Deutsch and the Baroque, and then returned to the very simple box clocks of the last period of Vienna Regulators, the Jugendstil style. This period corresponds to the German Art Nouveau furniture period. Jugendstil cases were made of maple, walnut, and various fruit woods. Many are solid wood (i.e. not veneered) cases, although these may well be faux grained.
The Jugendstil cases are plain, rectangular with a simple flat design. What they lack in case style they make up with the use of bevelled and leaded glass in the doors, and often ornately engraved or embossed dials, weights and bobs. You have to see a Jugendstil clock running to truly appreciate how visually striking the pendulum is, swinging behind the leaded and bevelled glass windows.
These clocks tend to have steel-backed pendulum bobs, wood pendulum rods, spun-brass bezels, fairly elaborate dial centres and hands, and often very well-made cases.
By World War I, the beautiful Vienna regulators had virtually ceased to be manufactured in favour of the cheaper "Box" clocks.
German vs. Austrian Regulators
In addition to the above styles, there are inherent differences between the Vienna Regulators made in Austria and Germany. In part, these are the differences between clocks made by individual makers with their apprentices, and the clocks made in Factories.
As one gets to know Vienna regulators one starts to notice specific features - the detail in the hands, the way the escapement is made, the way the mechanism is mounted to the back board, the use of serial numbers. It is these features that can guide one in recognizing the German from the Austrian makers.
Of course, if there is "Wien" on the dial, this makes it real easy, but beware of "fakes" and "marriages".
Please realize that one needs to speak in generalities as one outlines the differences between Viennese and German clocks. There are exceptions to everything that will be pointed out below.
There were more Vienna regulators made in Germany than in Austria. But, since the German factories only began producing clocks after 1850, nearly all of the true Biedermeier and earlier clocks came from Vienna or other clock-making centres like Prague, Linz, or Budapest.
In general the Viennese clocks had hands with finer detail than the corresponding German hands. Viennese clocks tend to have thinner columns on the Alt Deutsch clocks, tend to use more seat-boards/slotted wooden supports, and single-piece verges in the escapement.
German clocks tend to be more massive, use stouter hands, rarely use seat boards, favouring instead the four-posted key-hole mounts or the brass seat plate that slot into brass brackets attached to the back board. Mechanisms often have adjustable verge pallets.
German clocks are typically factory-made pieces, with serial numbers and trademarks on the back plates. On the other hand, with the exception of the "Remember" clocks, very few Austrian clocks have markings on the back plates.
The German factories often included subsidiary seconds dials at the top of the dial. These "second" dials were typically installed on eighty-beat movements with thirty-tooth escape wheels. This resulted in a second hand rotating 1 1/3 times per minute, or taking 45 seconds for a revolution. The Viennese did not typically do this.
In summary, the clocks made in Germany represent mass production that was the direct result of the industrial revolution. Gustav Becker copied many of the American methods; Lenzkirch copied many of the French methods. Their combined output dwarfed the output of all of the Austrian makers.
The Remember (Gebruder Resch) clocks are Austria’s response to the Industrial Revolution producing very high quality factory clocks - easily on a par with the best clocks out of Germany.
The Austrian clocks reflect the best the old world apprentice system could produce - clocks made by individual makers who put their names on the dial and their best workmanship and attention to detail into the clocks they produced.