About Us

Shortly after the dissolution of Christian Becker Incorporated, The Torsion Balance Company on May 9, 1944 registered the name "Christian Becker" as a trade-mark with the United States Patent Office and had the exclusive right to that mark until May 9, 1964. Harold H. Fries died on June 29, 1946 and his shares were ultimately registered in the name of Wills and Company as nominee.

Upon the death of Harold H. Fries, it was found there was no one suitable to act as directing head. The attorney for the estate, Walter D. Fletcher, was designated as President of The Torsion Balance Company as an interim measure until a new directing head could be found. In the intervening months, this effort went on, and on December 13, 1946, Charles E. Donovan was made Vice President and active directing head of the Company. He was elected President of the Company on November 12, 1947.

At the meeting of the Board of Directors on December 13, 1946, it was decided the Company would undergo a complete modernization. In the course of this modernization a new plant was erected, the three principal lines of balances were redesigned to be more acceptable in the market, new machinery was acquired, new tooling and new sales policies were adopted, new accounting procedures were installed, and practically a new organization was created.

Who is Christian Becker?

Christopher Becker came to New York from Arnheim, Holland in 1836, leaving his two sons Jule and Henry in Holland. With his other sons Christian and Ernest, he established an observatory at 54 Columbia Street in Brooklyn where he manufactured nautical and astronomical instruments.

In 1854 Professor J. Renevick of Columbia College asked Christopher to manufacture an analytical balance to supplement several British and German ones he already had. The result was good, and Becker and Sons was founded for the purpose of manufacturing balances and weights. Christian and Ernest were the “Sons� of Becker and Sons. In 1861, possibly to get away from the Civil War, the family returned to Holland and manufactured balances in Antwerp. It is likely the other two brothers Jule and Henry participated in this venture and gained their knowledge of balances in this way. When the Civil War ended (1865), Christopher, Christian, and Ernest returned to the United States and established a new factory in Hudson City, New Jersey. Jule and Henry established Becker and Sons, Rotterdam and H. L. Becker, Fila, Brussels. Whether there were originally two joint ventures is not clear, but Jule is predominately associated with the Rotterdam Company and Henry with the Brussels firm.

Christopher moved from Hudson City, NJ to Newark, NJ in 1874 to New Rochelle, NY. In 1884 the sons left Christopher and founded their own business as Becker Bros. Christopher continued his business as Christopher Becker but apparently died soon afterwards.

In 1892 Ernest died, and the name was changed to Christian Becker. The company was bought by The Torsion Balance Company.

In 1915 Christian's two sons, Christopher and Frank, continued to be associated with The Torsion Balance Company. Christoper died in 1949 and Frank in 1956.

Christopher (Sr.) is credited by the 9th Edition of Brittanica with the invention of plane bearings.

Christopher (Jr.) held the patent on the chainomatic device (1915) and received the Franklin Medal for this development.

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