Glashütte – Germany's watchmaking heart

In a remote valley in eastern Germany, only a few dozen kilometres from Dresden, lies a small town that has come to symbolise world-class German watchmaking art: Glashütte. With its barely 7 000 inhabitants it is perhaps hard to believe that this quiet place has developed into Germany's indisputable watch mecca. But behind the silent facade hides over 175 years of watchmaking history, a tradition-rich craft culture and some of the world's most respected watch brands.

Text: Andreas Johansson

Glashütte's journey to the epicentre of watchmakers began in 1845, when Ferdinand Adolph Lange, a visionary watchmaker, convinced the kingdom of Saxony to invest in watchmaking as a way out of poverty for the then run-down mining town. The silver deposits in the area had dried up, and unemployment was widespread. Lange proposed that one should instead build an industry around precision mechanics. With financial support from the state he founded a workshop and began to train young men in the art of watchmaking. That was the start of a tradition that still lives on.

Lange was not alone for particularly long. During the following decades several other watchmakers established themselves in the town, among them Moritz Grossmann, Julius Assmann and Adolf Schneider. Together they created a watch industry characterised by precision, technical innovation and a close collaboration between small workshops and specialists. They developed unique features such as the three-quarter mounted plate, engraved balance bridges, screwed chatons and finely polished surfaces characteristics that even today define Glashütte's watchmaking art.

In 1878 Germany's first watchmaking school was also founded in the town, which further anchored the knowledge and the quality thinking. One of the school's most famous teachers was Alfred Helwig, who in 1921 constructed the flying tourbillon a technical achievement that has become a symbol of high-class watchmaking.

But Glashütte's history is not only success and progress. The town has also gone through difficult periods. During the Second World War parts of Glashütte were bombed, and after the end of the war equipment and workshops were confiscated by Soviet forces. In what was then East Germany the industry was nationalised and all independent watch manufacturers were merged into a single state company: VEB Glashütter Uhrenbetriebe (GUB). During the GDR era large volumes of affordable wristwatches and export products were manufactured, often with simpler design and mechanics, but the traditional craft knowledge was nevertheless kept alive to a certain extent albeit out of the spotlight.

When the Berlin Wall fell and Germany was reunited in 1990 a resurrection began for Glashütte's watch industry. VEB GUB was privatised and was given the name Glashütte Original. Under new owners they again invested in high-quality mechanical movements and their own manufacturing of components. At roughly the same time Walter Lange grandson of Ferdinand Adolph relaunched the classic brand A. Lange & Söhne. That became the start of a new golden age for the town.

Glashütte Original was bought in 2000 by the Swatch Group, which gave the brand resources to invest in new technology and production. They built a modern manufacturing centre where virtually all parts, from movements to hands and dials, are produced in-house. The brand's models particularly in the Senator and Pano series are known for their large date windows, advanced complications such as moon phase display and the characteristic asymmetrical dial. It is elegance with German engineering precision.

A. Lange & Söhne, for its part, quickly positioned itself in the luxury segment with complicated, often hand-engraved movements and small productions with extremely high quality. The brand became a direct competitor to Swiss prestige brands such as Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin. Models such as the Lange 1, Zeitwerk and Datograph have established themselves as modern classics within haute horlogerie.

Another name that is often associated with Glashütte today is NOMOS Glashütte, founded in 1990. Unlike the historical brands NOMOS invested in minimalist design inspired by the Bauhaus movement. The company manufactures its own movements and has become known for its clean-lined watches in more reasonable price classes which has broadened Glashütte's watch offering further. NOMOS has won several international design prizes and attracts a younger audience to the otherwise quite tradition-heavy watchmaking.

But it is not only the big brands that give Glashütte its unique status. Smaller manufacturers such as Moritz Grossmann, Tutima, Union Glashütte and Mühle Glashütte also play an important role in the town's ecosystem. In addition there are educational institutions such as the Alfred Helwig school, as well as the German official chronometer testing authority, Deutsche Chronometerprüfstelle, which helps to maintain a high quality standard.

According to German law only watches where at least 50 percent of the value creation takes place in Glashütte may be marked with the town's name. Most manufacturers here exceed this requirement by a wide margin, often over 90 percent of the components are manufactured locally. It is a unique form of vertical integration that is unusual in today's global manufacturing landscape.

Today Glashütte is not only a production centre, but also a tourist destination for watch enthusiasts. Many of the factories offer guided tours, and the town has a watchmaking museum where visitors can follow the development from the workshops of the 1800s to today's high-tech labs. The atmosphere in the town is characterised by precision, pride and a quiet, almost reverent respect for the craft. There is something in the Saxon airand perhaps in the slow pacethat makes the place ideal for watchmaking art.

That Glashütte has managed to establish itself as an international watchmaking centre is therefore not only due to history and tradition. It is just as much about resurrection, long-term thinking and an uncompromising investment in quality. With its world-leading brands, technical innovations, education programmes and close collaboration between companies, it is clear why this small German town is called Germany's watch mecca and why it will probably keep that title for many years to come.

Famous watch brands from Glashütte

A. Lange & Söhne

Founded in 1845 by Ferdinand Adolph Lange. Luxurious, technically advanced brand with models such as the Lange 1, Zeitwerk and Datograph.

Glashütte Original

Originally part of the state-owned GUB. Today an internationally respected brand with its own movements and collections such as Senator and Pano.

NOMOS Glashütte

 Founded in 1990. Known for its minimalist Bauhaus design and award-winning own movements (the DUW series).

Moritz Grossmann

Originally a pioneer from the 1800s. Relaunched in 2008 with a focus on classic craftsmanship and manual precision.

Tutima

 Founded in Glashütte in 1927, returned to the town in 2011. Known for robust pilot and chronograph watches.

Mühle Glashütte

Family company with roots in marine instruments, now a producer of reliable tool watches and chronometers.

Union Glashütte

A brand with historical roots that today is part of the Swatch Group, positioned between Glashütte Original and NOMOS in terms of price.