Matthew M Posted July 19, 2022 Share Posted July 19, 2022 Hi Thomas, I am a clockmaker in Australia and have a wrought Iron tower clock movement C1700-1800. I think it was made in Austria. It is 1.6 metres long and would have come from a large public building. It has only one mark(stamp) which is on the longest part of the frame. A very clear "bear" in profile. I am told it may be a blacksmiths mark. I can send you some pictures if you would be willing to look for me? Do you have any way of tracking down the maker or where it was made/date? Many thanks in advance for any help.....Matthew. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George N. M. Posted July 19, 2022 Share Posted July 19, 2022 Matthew, just so you know, Thomas is currently off line due to computer issues. So, he may not respond immediately. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted July 19, 2022 Share Posted July 19, 2022 I'm no expert on clocks of any sort, but if the movement is Swiss, that might be the symbol of the city of Bern. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted July 19, 2022 Share Posted July 19, 2022 When I talked to Thomas the other night on the phone I think he said he’d be back online today sometime, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 20, 2022 Share Posted July 20, 2022 Bern Switzerland was my first guess, if I'm the Thomas you are looking for. I'm not very up on clockwork and how they are/were stamped so I don't think I would be the best resource on this. Sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew M Posted July 25, 2022 Author Share Posted July 25, 2022 Many thanks Thomas and George for looking at this for me. I will keep researching but so far it is a mystery! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted July 25, 2022 Share Posted July 25, 2022 (edited) Welcome from the Ozark mountains. We won't remember your location once leaving this post, hence the suggestion to edit your profile and add it. When I was in the U.S. Coast Guard and stationed on a Light Station, the civilian keeper was French and a clock repairman. One time he was working on a large Grandfathers clock. It was made in Austria and the movement frame had that bear mark. I would sometimes help him by cleaning parts for him and that's how I ran across the bear mark. While talking about the mark he explained the Bear was a "Hallmark" of the Swiss makers and a lot of Austrian clock makers would import Swiss works for their clocks. The only other thing I remember about that clock (other than the case was very ornate and had a fancy cast brass plate inside with the initials G B on it. I polished a lot of brass while stationed there. Do you have the case and pictures of it? I would guess it's possible G B made/imported tower clock movements also. Another thing, if you know which building it came out of, they may have some history.info about the clock. Edited July 25, 2022 by Irondragon ForgeClay Works add thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew M Posted December 15, 2022 Author Share Posted December 15, 2022 Hi Irondragon, Greeting from Australia. Many thanks for your post about the "bear" stamp" . I am waiting on the Museum Of Timkeeping inthe UK to give me their opinion of the clock and its age/origin. Since my last post I found the same stamp on the pendulum rod (the rod is 2.6 metres long) so I know it is original to the clock. The movement in the pictures is I have of the original clock but I have repaired it and it works. That is interesting about the origin being Swiss. I will keep researching. Here is a link to a YouTube video in case you are interested in seeing it running. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7s8YYRB-AY If I find any more information on the stamp I will post it. Many thanjs! PS: Sorry it took so long to reply to your post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted December 16, 2022 Share Posted December 16, 2022 It's obviously larger than I thought. What are the whirling blade looking things? Are the blades governors to prevent the works from spinning too fast? Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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