Museum piece
This mantel clock has a gently rounded, almost trapezoidal wooden case. Its distinctive wood grain contrasts beautifully with the light-colored dial surround, which follows the contours of the case. Slender gold-colored hands, applied hour markers, and two small brass feet reflect the design of the 1960s. A glass-fronted door, hinged at the side, protects the dial and opens to provide access for winding and setting the clock.
Inside is a mechanical movement made by Franz Hermle, caliber 130-020. Its striking mechanism produces a Bim-Bam chime on three gong rods. On the hour, the clock strikes the corresponding number of times; on the half-hour, it strikes once. A recording of the chime can be heard in the linked video.
This clock has found a new home in Manitoba, Canada.
Manufacturer
Reichenbach am Heuberg · Swabian Jura – Baden-Württemberg · Germany
Franz Hermle founded the clock factory Franz Hermle & Sohn in Gosheim on the Swabian Jura in 1922. By 1930, it was already among the region's most modern clockmaking businesses. A further production site opened in Reichenbach am Heuberg in 1951, specialising in large clocks and mechanical movements with various striking mechanisms. After Franz Hermle's death in 1953, his sons continued the business. The third generation joined in 1968 and 1974, with Gerd and Rolf Hermle respectively. Hermle North America was established in Amherst, Virginia, in 1977.
Following the insolvency of Hermle Uhrenmanufaktur GmbH in 2009, the clockmaking business was reorganised under Rolf Hermle in 2010 as HUM Uhrenmanufaktur GmbH & Co. KG. Today, Hermle remains a fourth-generation family business. It combines the manufacture of mechanical large clocks and movements with precision-turned components for industries including automotive engineering, mechanical engineering and medical technology. Since 2021, production has been concentrated at the Reichenbach am Heuberg site in Baden-Württemberg.
Company history: https://hermle-reichenbach.de/unternehmen/