Viennese Timepieces

Author: Frederick Kaltenböck

263 pages, 527 illustrations.

The objective of this book is a comprehensive description of the clock and watch production in Vienna. The pictures showing objects of the 17th century up to the 2nd half of the 19th century give the reader an idea of the variety of clocks and watches produced in Vienna throughout the centuries.

At the beginning of the 17th century Prague, as the residential city of Rudolf II, who was an admirer and collector of clocks, was the centre of clock production in the Empire at that time. It was only after Rudolf's reign that Vienna became the centre of watch and clock making in the monarchy. To avoid questions concerning the origin, only pieces which are clearly signed Vienna have been chosen for the pictures in this book.

The author describes the development of the clockmakers' craft in Vienna by means of pictures and figures throughout the text together with historical and sociological facts. Reference is made to technical details only if they are of importance for clocks of Viennese origin.

The present volume focuses on the pictures. The portable watches shown, range from pocket watches, with fantasy watches typical also for Vienna, to carriage clocks and their predecessors, the 'Kutschenuhren'.

In the case of clocks particular emphasis is given to the wall-regulators - among which the 'LaterndlUhr' is the best known - as well as to the fanciful mantel clocks of the 19th century. Not to be forgotten are the 'Zappler', precision pendulum clocks and special clocks such as the ones in walking sticks and clocks with candle lighters.

Using selected pictures of clocks and watches from museums, private collections as well as from the antique trade, the author gives an overall picture of the art of watch and clock making in Vienna and of the ancillary trades.

Much attention is given to the time-keepers of the first half of the 19th century which very often were independent creations of the Viennese clockmakers, particularly with regard to their form. At the end of the book the reader finds an index of Masters facilitating the classification and dating of single watches and clocks produced in Vienna.