When we talk about countries with a great watchmaking tradition, we primarily think of France and Switzerland. Much less so of Japan and Germany. While Japanese brands have mainly developed after the quartz crisis of the 1970s, some watchmaking houses have a much older history in Germany.
So, if you want to perfect your knowledge on the subject, here are 10 German brands to know if you love beautiful watches.
A. Lange & Söhne
Founded in 1845, the Ferdinand Adolphe Lange manufactory is the one that allowed the emergence of the German watch valley. Like many others afterwards, it was in the small town of Glashütte where it was born.
After being “swallowed” by the East German state apparatus in 1951, the factory made a comeback in 1990 under the impulse of Walter Lange. The brand’s watches stand out for their classic design, often with an oversized date display and numerous complications. A. Lange & Söhne is today considered a benchmark in high-end watchmaking.
Glashütte Original
Glashütte Original follows the same watchmaking tradition as A. Lange & Söhne, with very refined design watches and a rare sophistication.
As its name suggests, the company’s history goes back to the first watchmakers settled in Glashütte in the mid-19th century. It then took the German reunification to see the Glashütte company (re)born as such, which is now part of the tentacular Swatch Group.
Among its most iconic watches, we can mention the Pano collection, with its asymmetrical dials, as well as the Senator, which reinterprets the codes of classic and vintage watchmaking.
Montblanc
We tend to forget, but the Montblanc brand is indeed German. And it does more than just pretty pens or leather goods.
She took her first steps in the watchmaking department in 1997 and her watches stand out for their elegance and attention to detail. Thus, the crown is regularly adorned with the brand’s iconic white star, especially on the Star Legacy model, one of the most popular today.
Montblanc also claims to have an adventurous spirit, with watches designed for the deep sea and high altitudes, as exemplified by its Iced Sea collection or Geosphere.
Junghans
Founded in the Black Forest of Germany in 1861, the Junghans company was once the largest watchmaking company in the world, with over 3000 employees.
More than 160 years after its creation, it enjoys unwavering popularity among lovers of beautiful watches… yet at the same time, it’s somewhat unknown to the wider public. No matter: its both sober, elegant and timeless collections, inspired by the Bauhaus movement, perfectly embody German watchmaking expertise. The Max Bill watch is undoubtedly the best example.
Laco
For a long time, the Junkers brand embodied German expertise in the field of aviation watches. But a conflict with the rights holders led to the disappearance of this company founded by the great-granddaughter of the German aviation pioneer Hugo Junkers. Today, aviation watch enthusiasts can turn to names like Iron Annie or Laco.
This one was born in the region of Pforzheim in 1925, under the name of Lacher & Co. Its history has “obviously” been marked by the Second World War, during which it produced watches for the Luftwaffe pilots. Even today, these toolwatches shine for their robustness, readability and precision.
MeisterSinger
The history of the MeisterSinger brand is much more recent, as it was only established in 2001. A birth in the 21st century, of course, but with a consciously retro style. Here, there’s no question of packing it full of technology; Manfred Brassler, the founder, prefers to go back to basics and deliver a watch inspired by the first sundials, at a time when people didn’t feel the need to tell the time down to the exact second. That’s why MeisterSinger watches only have a single hand.
These timekeepers therefore offer a different view of time and often stand out with colorful dials and rarely used complications like the chime at the passing of the Bell’Hora.
Nomos Glashütte
Here is a brand that has fully benefited from the reunification and revival of German watchmaking. NOMOS was indeed created in 1990 in the city of Glashütte (even if its models are now designed in a Berlin studio). Expertise (with an in-house caliber), affordable price and timeless minimalist design (with a strong Bauhaus influence) have allowed NOMOS to quickly gain international stature.
From the Tetra with a square case to the Ludwig and its Roman numerals, via the Autobahn inspired by the automobile or the elegant Metro, the company is today considered as one of the most desirable German watch brands of the moment.
Muhle Glashutte
We remain in Glashütte, but we return to the origins of German watchmaking, with a company with a very rich history, founded nearly 150 years ago. Known for their precision and ruggedness, the Mühle instruments were notably favored by the German special forces (at sea or in the air), but some watches also display a more classic and elegant design, like the Teutonia collection.
Meaning
Founded in 1961 by a certain Helmut Sinn, the brand first specialized in “air” watches. This makes sense knowing that the founder was precisely a pilot and aerobatics instructor… But since the man was definitely a jack-of-all-trades, he also designed various models of chronographs and diving watches over the decades.
Today, Sinn watches have maintained the reliability that made their reputation, with navigation instruments of impeccable legibility. Those who are looking for a more sophisticated timepiece can turn to the 600 series, designed in tribute to the banks and the financial district of Frankfurt, the birthplace of the brand.
Stowa
We conclude this brief overview of German watchmaking with the Stowa brand, established in 1927 at the initiative of Walter Storz. Like many others at that time, the company initially equipped the armed forces, particularly the navy and the Luftwaffe. And like many others subsequently, Stowa also drew its inspiration from the Bauhaus movement.
Today, the brand still gives pride of place to classic and timeless models, from the Flieger Bronze Vintage to the Antea Back to Bauhaus. For a little more originality, you will have to head towards the Prodiver divers collection…
This top 10 of German watch brands cannot claim to be exhaustive. Those who enjoy discovering new names might also want to consider Union Glashütte, Zeppelin, Tutima, or even Philipp Nitzsche.
As mentioned in the preamble to this article, France and Switzerland do not have the monopoly on watchmaking expertise, so do not hesitate to cross borders to sometimes find beautiful gems!
💡To go even further: Here are the 30 watch brands that an enthusiast must absolutely know!