In the 19th and 20th centuries, German clockmakers were known by a number of prestigious names, including Gustav Becker, Junghans, Lorenz Furtwängler, and Winterhalder & Hofmeier, to mention a few. These clocks are all highly sought-after and collectable. Winterhalder & Hofmeier of Neustadt, Baden, are not well known, but they produced clocks for export, such as the mechanism below, which was sold to the Colonial Clock Co. of Zeeland, Michigan, in the 1920s. Around 1730, the Winterhalder family started producing clocks. Around 1850, the company Winterhalder & Hofmeier first appeared. In 1933, the firm stopped making products.
When compared to other grandfather clocks, the pieces of Winterhalder & Hofmeier clocks are substantial and weighty. The Herschede #1 mechanism with nine tubular bells is remarkably similar to the design of the levers, especially the chime lift lever. I think the Winterhalder design served as the inspiration for the Herschede #1 design.
Tapered pins on the front plate and screws on the back plate are used on the posts to keep the plates together.
The Graham escapement and the pallet assembly quality is unmatched, and the components are enormous. In the global market for hall clocks with tubular bells, Winterhalder & Hofmeier competed with Elliott and Herschede. At the time, all of these clocks were extremely costly, with the majority of them costing as much as a vehicle.