Clock History
in Black Forest

Manufacture | Art & Design Solution

530 Years of Craftsmanship

The History of the Bürk Family

1491
The History of the Bürk Family
The history of the Bürk family begins in 1491 with a feudal tenant at the Talhausen Mill near Trossingen. Over generations, the family evolved until settling in Schwenningen.
1698
The Bürk Family in Schwenningen
Since 1698, the Bürk family has been based in Villingen-Schwenningen. This tradition continues to shape our work to this day.
1855
170 years of Bürk company history
Founding of the Württemberg watch factory Bürk – Söhne by Johannes Bürk in VS-Schwenningen at the source of the Neckar

Several hundred years ago, the clock-making industry began in the Black Forest. Parts for Black Forest clocks were made on almost every farm. On one homestead they made cases (the so-called rack makers), again another farm family took care of the production of clock plates and on the next farm the movements were made or assembled. In this way, everyone formed their own independent craft.

Over the centuries, the craft developed. As a result, a perfectionist production of clock parts, clock movements and complete clocks developed in the Black Forest, with today’s main centre Villingen-Schwenningen, which promoted the industrialisation of clock making.

Johannes Bürk – my great-great-grandfather – the initiator laid the foundation for industrialised clock manufacturing with the founding of the Württemberg clock factory Bürk Söhne in Schwenningen am Neckar in 1855.

For over a century, he, his son and their descendants helped shape the history of the town, which for decades rose to become the “largest watchmaking town in the world” because of the number and importance of its watchmaking factories. Virtually every employee worked in the watch industry. During this time, the city gained international importance.

1984
Insolvency of the Württemberg clock factory Bürk. (In the following years, the brand was taken over by Moser Baer).
1997
Bürk-Mobatime emerges from Bürk as a newly founded company. The main shareholder is the Swiss company Moser-Baer AG. All Bürk rights and products are taken over.
2010
Foundation of Richard Bürk GmbH Watch manufactory - production of customised individual pieces and small series, clocks & watch components and parts production.
2020
Acquisition of the Jmius brand founded in 1905 by Richard Bürk GmbH
2022
Integration of V.Schär Zeigerfabrik und Uhrenkomponenten, founded in 1924, into Richard Bürk GmbH.

Company

With heart and soul...

…our companies are structured as follows:
Special developments and construction of watches, watch components
and parts manufacturing and production of watch parts by means of
machines developed by ourselves. Implementation of the entire value
chain by Richard Bürk GmbH.
– everything comes and remains in one hand –
– Manufacture – at its best

Manufacture in action

Manual production is very important to us.
Our machinery, which supports our work processes, is in many cases not available for purchase.
Some of our machines are even so special that they were manufactured by ourselves.

– Manufacture – lived!

Saw clocks

Traditionally and individually made for you

The saw clock is by its design a mechanical precision gravity clock in which the clock body is driven by its own weight by sliding down a rack. The mass of the precision movement, which is additionally magnified by a solidly designed metal case, serves as the weight for the drive. The movement moves vertically from its highest position (top) downwards on a rack. Instead of a barrel or chain winding mechanism, the movement contains a gear wheel that engages directly with the rack.

When the body of the clock sinks, the rack is forced to rotate and drives the clock. The watch is wound by simply pushing it upwards on the rack. The running time of the Richard Bürk saw clock is defined by the length of the rack. Based on suggestions and customer requests, electromechanical winding systems are being investigated in the current new developments in the field of winding systems (vertical movement movement).
The similarity of the rack to a saw gives the clock its name.

Saw clocks were mainly manufactured between the 17th and 18th centuries.
The Richard Bürk GmbH saw clocks have an escape wheel escapement and all shafts are fitted with ruby bearing jewels, which ensures that the movement runs almost maintenance-free and precisely. In the field of saw clocks, Richard Bürk GmbH offers an almost unlimited range of design possibilities.
The use of different materials glass, ceramic, steel, aluminium, wood, etc. (e.g. glass carriers, glass plates) and colours up to personalised clocks (e.g. name dial, dedication, etc.).

Please let us know your wishes… we will be happy to realise them for you…