Feature: The best German watch brands
The reunification of Germany after the fall of the Berlin Wall paved the way for the Glashütte revival led by A.Lange & Sohne. This proud watchmaking town in Saxonia, eastern Germany, had seen its many individual manufactures expropriated during the communist era to form a single government-run factory, and inevitably the quality of its output suffered.
The relaunch of A.Lange & Söhne in 1990, however, laid down a marker for modern Glashütte watchmaking and the town is now home to nine highly respected brands that sit between the middle and higher end of the price spectrum.
Not that German watchmaking is limited to Glashütte, of course. Elsewhere in the country—from Frankfurt to the Black Forest—watch brands old and new are ensuring it remains a global force in horology. Here are some of our firm favourites.
A.Lange & Söhne
Revived in 1990 with the help of the founder’s great grandson, A. Lange & Söhne made an instant return to the top-tier of fine watchmaking after several dormant decades. Its presence in Glashütte has galvanised the entire town, which is now home to several other watch brands—all within a stone’s throw of each other.
The unusual Zeitwerk is one of the brand's most distinctive offerings
But it’s A.Lange & Söhne that leads the way, with even the most hard-to-please watch aficionados readily admitting that its quality is on a par with Switzerland’s finest—maybe even surpassing it. And it has done so in style, bringing us distinctive timepieces like the Zeitwerk and the Datograph while equipping them with superb movements that are miniature works of art, intricately engraved and polished by hand, so that almost every Lange is truly unique.
Glashütte Original
As part of the former communist system in East Germany, all the watch brands in Glashütte were collectivised to become one company—VEB Glashütte Uhrenbetriebe. After the reunification of Germany, and following the lead of its neighbour A.Lange & Söhne, Glashütte Original struck out on its own before being bought by the Swatch Group in 2000.
One of the brand's retro-style two-register chronographs
Like Lange, the company is happy to delve into the town’s watchmaking past for inspiration, using silver-treated dials with asymmetric designs and three-quarter plates in its movements for improved stability. Its diverse line-up covers everything from competitively priced steel dive watches to six-figure tourbillon models in precious metal.
Moritz Grossman
Another old Glashütte name brought back to life, the modern incarnation of Moritz Grossman began in 2008 after Christine Hutter, founder of the German watchmaking school in Glashütte, secured the rights to the brand. Annual production is tiny at around 200 pieces, but what Moritz Grossman lacks in output it makes up for in quality, reinterpreting ancestral craftsmanship with modern technology to make deceptively elegant watches.
The manual-wind 37 Arabic model
Moritz Grossman is still very much an under-the-radar brand, with most of its clients based in Asia and North America, but awareness is growing—not just of the brand itself, but its original founder’s historical and horological significance.
Junghans
Junghans was once a household name in Germany, employing around 5,000 people who churned out affordable alarm and wall clocks, as well as wristwatches. At one point, it was even one of the largest chronometer makers in the world. But by 2009 it had gone bankrupt and needed a wealthy local entrepreneur to save it from oblivion.
Junghans' unmistakable Max Bill, a minimalist design classic
Thanks to heavy investment and some shrewd decisions about its design direction, Junghans is now thriving again—even if its wall-clock days are over. It’s now best known for its delightfully minimalist Max Bill collection, a nod to the clocks designed for Junghans by the influential Swiss architect and designer, who emerged from the German Bauhaus movement. Junghans is yet another German brand whose watches boast a refreshingly distinctive look.
Sinn
If you’ve been following German watchmaking in recent years, you’ll probably be familiar with Frankfurt-based Sinn. Uber-functional tool watches with aviation roots, they’re some of the toughest timepieces around, often made from stainless steel coated with Sinn’s protective Tegiment layer, making it up to nine times tougher than standard steel.
This vintage-looking chronograph from Sinn has been a huge success
Sinn has some neat technology in some of its watches, including a model with a dehumidifying capsule built into the side of the case, and it’s recently diversified with some smaller dressier options. Quite a departure from their usual styles, yet even these have proved popular among the loyal “Sinneristi”.
Nomos
There has always been a huge amount of respect for what Nomos has set out to achieve, which is to make distinctive, moderately priced Glashütte watches with in-house movements, both manual and self-winding. On top of this, the brand has forged its own aesthetic by taking Bauhuas minimalism and infusing it with a sense of fun.
Nomos watches are full of character and look like nothing else on the market
It’s always easy to spot a Nomos watch due to a splash or colour or an idiosyncratic typeface, while its slender cases are another giveaway. While we’re on the subject of entry-level Glashütte watches, a special mention must go to Muhle and Tutima, two other brands that have helped put this remarkable town back where it belongs.
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