VR-543 Late Biedermeier Vienna Regulator by J. Munch in Iserlohn with cast iron trim
Iserlohn, today, is city of roughly 60,000 in what used to be West Germany, near Dusseldorf, and roughly 450 miles to the north west of Vienna. While its beginning as a city date to the 13th century, one has to wonder how a clock-maker talented enough to produce such a marvelous piece came to be practicing his art in such a remote location. Given the industrial nature of the city today, being known for the production of heavy machinery, it is not unlikely that the area was also an industrial center 150 years ago. Such an area would, of necessity have iron foundries, perhaps explaining the use of cast iron trim on this rather rare piece. Note, I was tempted to say impossibly rare, what with the pie-crust bezel, two weights, and cast iron trim, but that seemed a little over-dramatic. Even if you will never see another clock like this one.
Rare - for several reasons. While I have one other clock in my collection with cast iron trim, it is truly a very rare feature. If I figure that my buyer passes on 3 clocks for every clock we buy, and we have bought 500 clocks, roughly 1 in 1,000 has cast iron trim. Then there is the concept of a two weight piece with a single-piece dial and a pie-crust bezel: Two weight clocks are uncommon in the Biedermeier period - again, we have bought only 3 to date. So, combining the rarity of cast iron trim (1 in 1,000) and two-weight single-piece dial with pie-crust bezel (3 in 1,000), we come down to a likelihood of finding another with these features at 3 in a million.
The beauty of the cast iron trim is evident in the photo’s - very finely-detailed castings, with lines and features not duplicated in the typical carved trim we find on most Viennas. And, while the headpiece has several repaired cracks, it is in exceptional and wonderful condition. This piece calls to mind a discussion I am having with a new collector - who, in our correspondence, has come to recognize my fascination with the extreme variety of these clocks, and nuances that make them each unique. The more I learn, the more I am drawn to clocks that are not just like the one in an original catalog. Don’t get me wrong, being able to know the provenance of a piece is wonderful - knowing where your Becker was made in 1865, and being able to demonstrate its origins is a powerful attraction. But, I suppose as a collector matures in their knowledge, they naturally begin to look for the special, or perhaps the rare. Bottom line, while I find this clock fantastic, it is not typical, or even close to typical.
When was this piece made - given its distance from Vienna, I would not be surprised to find it was from as late as 1860. Or, as early as 1840. We just don’t know. We do know that the quality of the mechanism, case, bob, pulleys, in fact, all the parts, is appropriate for a Biedermeier piece. And then there is the unusual - for instance the door lock mechanism - more like the door lock on a Swedish piece in my collection than what one would find in Vienna. But then, the local influence shows in parts like the door latch, or the cast trim.
This piece is in exceptional condition - it has clearly been professionally restored in Europe. The finish to the rosewood veneer is virtually flawless - yes, it has the cracks one associates with old veneer, without which one starts to wonder how old a piece really is. The weights and bob are virtually perfect, if very tarnished. And, yes, when I turned over the bob it is brass backed, held together by two small screws.
The pulleys works of art, the wall stabilizers unusual with their small brass knobs and screws, the glass all wavy, but now as pronounced as on some of the pieces, the key, with its knurl ridge to the center of the tube ever so nice - even the dial is near perfect, with only 2 very short hairline cracks. And then there are the delicate and oh so right hands.
Look at the pictures, study the details, and decide if you want to pursue a clock that is truly one of a kind.
Read MoreRare - for several reasons. While I have one other clock in my collection with cast iron trim, it is truly a very rare feature. If I figure that my buyer passes on 3 clocks for every clock we buy, and we have bought 500 clocks, roughly 1 in 1,000 has cast iron trim. Then there is the concept of a two weight piece with a single-piece dial and a pie-crust bezel: Two weight clocks are uncommon in the Biedermeier period - again, we have bought only 3 to date. So, combining the rarity of cast iron trim (1 in 1,000) and two-weight single-piece dial with pie-crust bezel (3 in 1,000), we come down to a likelihood of finding another with these features at 3 in a million.
The beauty of the cast iron trim is evident in the photo’s - very finely-detailed castings, with lines and features not duplicated in the typical carved trim we find on most Viennas. And, while the headpiece has several repaired cracks, it is in exceptional and wonderful condition. This piece calls to mind a discussion I am having with a new collector - who, in our correspondence, has come to recognize my fascination with the extreme variety of these clocks, and nuances that make them each unique. The more I learn, the more I am drawn to clocks that are not just like the one in an original catalog. Don’t get me wrong, being able to know the provenance of a piece is wonderful - knowing where your Becker was made in 1865, and being able to demonstrate its origins is a powerful attraction. But, I suppose as a collector matures in their knowledge, they naturally begin to look for the special, or perhaps the rare. Bottom line, while I find this clock fantastic, it is not typical, or even close to typical.
When was this piece made - given its distance from Vienna, I would not be surprised to find it was from as late as 1860. Or, as early as 1840. We just don’t know. We do know that the quality of the mechanism, case, bob, pulleys, in fact, all the parts, is appropriate for a Biedermeier piece. And then there is the unusual - for instance the door lock mechanism - more like the door lock on a Swedish piece in my collection than what one would find in Vienna. But then, the local influence shows in parts like the door latch, or the cast trim.
This piece is in exceptional condition - it has clearly been professionally restored in Europe. The finish to the rosewood veneer is virtually flawless - yes, it has the cracks one associates with old veneer, without which one starts to wonder how old a piece really is. The weights and bob are virtually perfect, if very tarnished. And, yes, when I turned over the bob it is brass backed, held together by two small screws.
The pulleys works of art, the wall stabilizers unusual with their small brass knobs and screws, the glass all wavy, but now as pronounced as on some of the pieces, the key, with its knurl ridge to the center of the tube ever so nice - even the dial is near perfect, with only 2 very short hairline cracks. And then there are the delicate and oh so right hands.
Look at the pictures, study the details, and decide if you want to pursue a clock that is truly one of a kind.
