Design
This extraordinary mantel clock is a wonderful example of the adventurous design of the 1950s. Its asymmetrical case, tapering into a teardrop-like point, recalls the flowing lines of the kidney-shaped tables of the period and the distinctive shapes associated with Rockabilly style.
The white front contrasts beautifully with the black chapter ring, gold-tone numerals, and hour markers. Two polished spherical feet support the case above a low, white base. Gold-tone trim accentuates its unusual silhouette.
One particularly charming feature is the curved glass cover, which opens to the side. The dial bears the ROYAL name, while the movement at the back is clearly signed Hettich. This clock captures the optimism and creative freedom of the postwar years in its own distinctive way.
Technology
Inside is a mechanical movement made by the Hugo Hettich clock factory, featuring a floating balance. This unusual design needs no conventional pendulum and allows for a compact movement. The clock is wound with a key through the winding hole on the front of the dial.
The rear of the movement provides the adjustments used to regulate its timekeeping. According to the marking, one division on the fine-adjustment scale corresponds to a rate change of approximately one minute per week.
The manufacturer's history and its connections with the Garant clock factory are documented in the linked manufacturer profile.
Story
This clock has found a new home in North Carolina, USA. The AI-generated interior scene places it on a kidney-shaped table in a room styled after the 1950s. A historic black-and-white view recalls Ludwigshafen on Lake Constance, where the Hugo Hettich clock factory was based.
Manufacturer
Hugo Hettich Clock Factory
Ludwigshafen on Lake Constance (Bodman-Ludwigshafen)
· Lake Constance – Baden-Württemberg
· Germany
The history of the Hugo Hettich clock factory began in 1942, when Hugo Hettich and Kurt Blesch founded Blesch & Hettich in Ludwigshafen on Lake Constance. Both had previously worked at the Gustav Bössenroth clock factory in Berlin.
In 1949, the two men went their separate ways in business. Hugo Hettich continued operating the factory in Ludwigshafen under his own name, while Kurt Blesch founded the Garant clock factory in nearby Sipplingen. Their shared origins can also be seen in their clock movements: identical or closely related movements are known bearing either the Hettich or Garant name. The two manufacturers should nevertheless be regarded as separate companies.
One distinctive feature of Hettich clocks was the floating-balance escapement developed by Hugo Hettich, for which he had filed a patent application as early as 1941. Alongside various domestic clocks, the company was particularly known for its mechanical anniversary clocks, which also enjoyed international success. At times, exports accounted for as much as 60 percent of sales.
In 1979, Bruno and Günther Söhnle acquired a majority stake in the company. Following financial difficulties, the business passed to the Herbert Trenkle clock factory in 1984. Clock production in Ludwigshafen finally ended on May 31, 1987.
