From DUFA to DUFA

I just had to make it my next project.

Returning from Salinas, I unloaded the tall case into my shop (garage), finding a temporary space for it. 

Yes this shot appears to be in the same garage as my first posting about this clock but that just speaks to central coast garage designs. I assure you it's a different garage.

The clock is tall. Like 6-1/2 feet tall. I took a closer look. The case is a little worn. It clearly hasn't gotten any love in many years but overall it's in great shape. There's a little wood strip missing on the top of the front door but otherwise it all appears to be there. 

The case design practically screams a late transition from Art Nouveau to Art Deco in 1920's. That plain, spare design, very Deco. That little wood strip flourish on the bottom of the glass, Nouveau. 

This clock is powered by weights hung on chains (no springs). I transported the weights, chains and pendulum separate from the rest of the clock. The weights appear to be original and are huge; running about 8 pounds each. Their outer cases are both cracked. Why they are cracked is as good your guess as mine but they are still very much intact.

The pendulum is 44 inches long and seems in very good shape.

On it's back is an intriguing "card" inserted in a holder. I italicize it because it appears to actually made of some tightly woven fabric.

The card appears to be related to sale and/or import and export of the item from Germany. I don't know what the heading area means exactly and the handwritten bit appears to have some letter followed by 81 / 42. Is 42 the year? A bit late for a model of this design. 

The text at the bottom is written in German and French: 

Kontrolischein

Bei Reklamationen bitte diesen Kontrollschein einsenden 

In case of complaints, please send this inspection certificate

Bon de Contrôle

En cas de contestation prière de retourner ce bon de controle

In case of dispute please return this control voucher

More mysteries to be solved!

The chains seem to be in fine shape and I strongly believe they're original. Why?

Well let's talk more about DUFA's history.

DUFA was born in Leipzig evolving from the work of clockmakers Etzold and Popitz. They formed their clockworks in 1864. In their early years they made clocks of all kinds including many tall case clocks, albeit in much more elaborate forms reflecting the styles of the era. Here is an advertisement from 1894.

While very ornate it's virtually identical in functional design to our new DUFA. 

In about 1913 the clockmakers rebranded themselves to DUFA (Deutsche Uhrenfabrik) and established this as their logo:

If you were paying attention in an earlier post you might have spied the DUFA logo on the back plate of our box clock. 

The logo is based on a famous monument in Leipzig, the Vöelkerschlachtdenkmal (whew!), that was completed in 1913 (Coincidence? I think not.).

It is a monument to the Battle of Nations. Locals apparently call it the Volki. 

OK back to our story and why the digression when I mentioned the chains.

Each of the two chains has a round anchor to hook the weights on one end and on the other a slightly more elaborate pull piece. Notice the shape of that pull piece.

Almost certainly an interpretation of the shape of the Volki.

Oh and I almost forgot! On the back of the clock case... worn but look closely.

That is the DUFA logo.

I gave the movement a quick once over. It is held in a bracket designed for easy, sliding removal and insertion to the clock case. It's all mounted on a wooden shelf of sorts that is held in place with screws that have large dials so you can unscrew them by hand. You slide the entire movement out, face and all.

You can see the two sets of 4 striking hammers. There are 8 rods in the case, just to strike the hour.

I took removed the bracket seat, the hands and face off the clock leaving just the movement. 

It's a rack and snail like our last patient. 

Dirty and stained for sure but in many ways this movement is in remarkably good shape. Here's an example that will be familiar for those who have read some of my earlier installments.

Regard this closer shot.

Remember our bushing effort from the DUFA box clock? I showed the back plate extension (a "cock") that had a very worn (oval-shaped) pivot hole from long use that required bushing.

So our new friend has a few nearly identical plate extensions and this one has a familiar pivot hole there on the upper left. The end of the pivot is protruding out.

Closer still (also brightened a touch for clarity).

While I will certainly check this more completely when I do a full breakdown of the movement, that pivot hole looks very clean, tight and original (not ever bushed for wear). This is one of a number of clues that tells me about how the clock was used (or not) and cared for (or not).

Last bit for this lengthy post.

Flipping the movement over you will see the DUFA logo on the back plate and beneath it "P 112."

Yes that's the pendulum length in centimeters.

This is very much an all-original DUFA.

Next up... cleaning and repair.