German watches, history, brands and models

German watchmaking prides itself with a longstanding pedigree in watchmaking that dates back to the eighteenth century. A German luxury watch is not a second choice to its Swiss-made sibling, but the other way around, in most cases. A German watch often offers superior technical prowess, decoration, and craftsmanship. Made-in-Germany timepieces cover a broad spectrum, and the offering is impressive in either models and prices. They cover every class of products, from affordable luxury to top-end super-complicated timepieces.

German wristwatches

A German wristwatch comes priced from below one thousand Euros to several hundred thousand. The small town of Glashütte is, no doubt, where some of the most sophisticated German watches manufacturers are headquartered, like NOMOS Glashütte, Glashütte Original, A.Lange & Söhne, Tutima, Moritz Grossman, Mühle Glashütte, for example. The youngest representative of this league is NOMOS Glashütte; the most prestigious are A.Lange & Söhne and Glashütte Original. In 2020, the small Saxon city celebrates 175 years of watchmaking. The brands mentioned above are just a handful of German watch brands.

German pendulum clocks

The German watchmaking school also prides itself on producing exquisite pendulum clocks. It all started with historical names like Kienzle, founded in 1822. In contrast, Erwin Sattler is a market leader in making the world's most refined pendulum clocks (along with handsome table clocks and home wall watch winders).

German military watches

During World War I and II, the German watch brands played a crucial role in providing instruments to the German army. Timepieces like the Laco-produced B-Uhr watches, or the Glashütte chronograph, are collectors' items. Some German watch brands still manufacture and supply watches to the military; these are Sinn Spezialuhren (a Frankfurt-based brand) and Tutima. However, we invite you to discover more by visiting our Military Watches column.