Basch Chess Clock, Holland / Germany, 1955-1985

Basch Chess Clock, Holland / Germany, 1955-1985

Here is an interesting chess clock by Basch, a well known games and sports supplier from Deil, a small town some 10 km outside of Leerdam / Holland. It seems that these clocks were tailormade for Basch, acting more as a retailer than a real manufacturer of chess equipment. The clock was most likely produced some time post 1955.

The clockworks used for the clock were made in Weigheim, the easternmost district of the German town of Villingen-Schwenningen, a center of German clock manufacturing. The imprint on the clockwork shows that this is a Mercedes clock manufactured by Gebrüder Hauser. Mercedes was the brand under which Gebrüder Hauser marketed its alarm clock movements.

The watch factory Gebrüder Hauser was founded in 1923 by Otto and Josef Hauser in Weigheim. Josef Hauser retired in 1926 and founded his own company. The company name Gebrüder Hauser was then given the additional title of owner Otto Hauser. In addition to alarm clocks, the company also manufactured plug-in movements (some with pendulums). In 1951 his son Eduard Hauser joined the company, which was converted into a general partnership in 1953. From 1955 small alarm clocks and chess clock movements were produced. 1965 Norbert Hauser joined the company, which was converted into a Kommanditgesellschaft, i.e. a German limited partnership. Uhrenfabrik Gebrüder Hauser KG, Weigheim was closed on 31 July 1998.
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