Design
This mantel clock has an almost square wooden case with gently rounded corners and a dark lacquered exterior. The front is finished in a light, golden-brown wood veneer.
At the centre is a large round dial with a gold-coloured centre and a white chapter ring. Slim hour markers and slender, pointed metal hands complete the design. The “Mauthe” name appears above the centre of the hands.
A convex glass cover with a brass-coloured frame protects the dial. The clock stands on two angled feet made of brass.
Technology
Inside is a mechanical Mauthe movement with a balance-wheel escapement and mainspring winding.
The striking mechanism produces a Bim-Bam chime on three gong rods. On the hour, the clock strikes the corresponding number of hours; on the half-hour, it strikes once.
The striking mechanism can be silenced using a lever on the back of the clock.
Manufacturer
Friedrich Mauthe GmbH
Schwenningen (now part of Villingen-Schwenningen)
· Black Forest – Baden-Württemberg
· Germany
The history of the Mauthe clock factory began in 1844, when Friedrich Mauthe established a business trading clock parts and Black Forest clocks in Schwenningen. By the late 1860s, the company had begun producing its own clock movements.
In 1876, his sons Christian and Jakob took over the business. They transformed the family enterprise into a major industrial clock manufacturer. A modern factory was built in 1881. By around 1900, Mauthe employed more than 1,100 people and produced alarm clocks, wall clocks, grandfather clocks, and mantel and sideboard clocks, among other timepieces.
After World War II, Mauthe expanded its range to include wristwatches. Among its better-known timepieces were watches awarded by Volkswagen to drivers whose cars had covered 100,000 kilometers without major engine repairs.
The growing popularity of quartz technology placed increasing financial pressure on the company during the 1970s. In 1975, the long-established clock manufacturer filed for insolvency. The Mauthe brand was revived by a new watchmaking company in 2011.
