In the 18th century, the manufacturing of anchors for pendulum clocks was still very work-intensive, as this component was made of a massive piece of steel. Clockmakers in the Black Forest replaced the classic anchor with a sheet metal strip which was bent into the desired shape with a wrench – which only took a few seconds.
With many other simplifications, the Black Forest clockmakers were able to significantly accelerate their manufacturing process and thus make it cheaper. Their success proved them right: In the first half of the 19th century about one third of all European clocks were made in the Black Forest.
Our museum has now had the opportunity to acquire the wrench and other innovative tools from Engelbert Schonhardt’s clockmaking workshop in Furtwangen thanks to the support of the Association of Friends of the German Clock Museum.
Bending wrench for sheet metal anchors, Furtwangen, around 1865 (?), Inv. 2022-110