Museum piece

Dugena Mantel Clock with Westminster Chime – 1960s

Manufacturer
DUGENA
Date
1960s
Period
A lighter touch: the 1950s and 1960s
Clock type
Mantel clock
Movement
Hermle 340-020 with floating balance escapement
Chime
Westminster chime on five chime rods
Style
Retro / 1960s
Dimensions
59 cm × 21 cm × 12 cm
Weight
2100 g
Where it is now Has found a new home
Country USA – Colorado

Design

This Dugena mantel clock from the 1960s features an exceptionally wide wooden case in two contrasting wood tones with a high-gloss finish.

The elongated, gently curved case stands on four splayed wooden feet. At its center is an almost square dial with a cream-colored chapter ring, brass hour markers and the numerals 12 and 6. The brown center of the dial bears the Dugena name.

Three winding holes and slender brass hands complete its appearance. A domed glass cover with a brass frame protects the dial. The front opens to the side.

Technology

Mechanical Hermle 340-020 movement with floating balance escapement and Westminster chime on five chime rods.

At each quarter-hour, the clock plays the next section of the Westminster melody. On the hour, it plays the complete melody followed by the corresponding number of hour strikes.

The striking mechanism can be switched off using a knob on the back of the clock.

Manufacturer

DUGENA

Meisenheim · Nahe region – Rhineland-Palatinate · Germany

DUGENA's history reaches back to the Swiss watch industry of the nineteenth century. The German general agency for the Alpina watch brand, established in Berlin in 1899, gave rise to the Deutsche Uhrmacher-Genossenschaft Alpina in Eisenach in 1917. Its aim was to distribute high-quality timepieces at affordable prices.

In 1927, the cooperative moved its headquarters to Berlin. On 24 July 1942, DUGENA was established as the brand's future name, derived from Deutsche Uhrmacher-Genossenschaft Alpina.

After the Second World War, the company moved its headquarters to Darmstadt in 1949. Under Willi Tempel's leadership, DUGENA developed into one of Germany's best-known clock and watch brands. In the 1960s, its timepieces were sold through a network of more than 2,000 specialist retailers. Alongside wristwatches, the range included wall clocks, table clocks and other domestic clocks.

After several changes of ownership, DUGENA became part of the EganaGoldpfeil Group in 1993. In 2009, the newly founded Nova Tempora Uhren und Schmuck GmbH took over the brand. DUGENA continues to exist today.