Glashütte: Germany's time factory
At one point, we all associated watches with Switzerland. Japan too if you're more keen to know Seiko. But if you're really into the rabbithole, you'd know Deutschland is on the list too.
Germany has been producing timepieces for a good while now. Hell, the first ever portable watch was built in Nuremberg in 1505 by Peter Henlein.
But, undoubtably the most famous German city of watchmaking is Glashütte. Ferdinand Adolph Lange, establishing his buisness in 1845, he was the first to make a watch in Glashütte. The famous A. Lange & Sohne name was adopted in 1868.
Lange's factory was bombed in WW2, and after taken and nationalised by the East German Government. The Glashütte watch industry was consolidated under the state owned GUB (Glashütter uhrenbetriebe. But in 1990, Adolph's grandson revived the company and launched new watch models in 1994. Today it's owned by Richemont (owners of Vacheron, Cartier just to name a few).
Today the city of Glashütte continues it's tradition with companies like Nomos, Glashütte Original, Tutima and Wempe to name a few again 😅.
I like talking watches. So, engage with me in my comments! (meme on the banner from Time+Tide watches)
It is on my to-visit travel list.
The history of that area is incredible. Including what happened with the creation of GUB and then after the wall came down, and the entities that emerged and those that were created, are all interesting stories related to it's history.
I might be in Germany later this year, so genuine question, how worthwhile is a trip to Glashütte? Yes, it’s the center of German watchmaking, but how much is there to see and do? It’s not easy to get to, no direct trains to major cities like Berlin or Dresden as near as I can tell. The trip takes multiple hours with transfers. And, as near as I can tell, none of the watchmakers offer tours and such. I would love to see the inside of Nomos or Lange, but that doesn’t seem to be possible. Which leaves the museum, and otherwise a small, possibly quaint German town. Is there anything else? What am I missing?
Junghans is in Glashütte? 🤨
Junghans is in Glashütte? 🤨
Thank you for the correction! Meant to put Wempe, but was thinking about Junghans 🤣
Dresden is the city, Glashutte is a small town in Saxony which is a valley with a population about 7K inhabitants and a total of nine watch manufactories.
I've been waiting for my A Lange Sohne Up/down for over a year now but might go grey.
I might be in Germany later this year, so genuine question, how worthwhile is a trip to Glashütte? Yes, it’s the center of German watchmaking, but how much is there to see and do? It’s not easy to get to, no direct trains to major cities like Berlin or Dresden as near as I can tell. The trip takes multiple hours with transfers. And, as near as I can tell, none of the watchmakers offer tours and such. I would love to see the inside of Nomos or Lange, but that doesn’t seem to be possible. Which leaves the museum, and otherwise a small, possibly quaint German town. Is there anything else? What am I missing?
Personally I didn't visit Glashütte, so I can't really provide info about the contents and visitable places...
Check out Teddy Baldessare’s YouTube for his visit there. I would also love to visit it. There is a watch museum there.
Here’s a link:
https://nomos-glashuette.com/en/magazine/summer-in-glashuette