When it comes to watches, there are many different brands and styles. However, when you want quality and craftsmanship, German watch brands are some of the best of the best.
In this blog post we’ll take you through 11 of the best German watch brands.
These 11 top German watch brand names offer a variety of styles that will suit any taste. Whether you’re looking for a dressier timepiece or something more casual, these German watchmakers have what you need.
Some are big name luxury watchmakers, like A. Lange & Söhne and Glashütte Original. While also mentioning luxury independent watchmakers like Dornblüth & Sohn too.
Best German Watch Brands
- A. Lange & Söhne
- Sinn Spezialuhren
- Montblanc
- Junghans
- Glashütte Original
- MeisterSinger
- Mühle Glashütte
- NOMOS Glashütte
- Archimede
- Dornblüth & Sohn
- Union Glashütte
1. A. Lange & Söhne
Founded: 1845 (relaunched 1990) Founder: Ferdinand Adolph Lange (relaunched by Walter Lange) Location: Glashütte, Germany
Probably the most famous German watchmaker on this list. A. Lange & Söhne has a long watchmaking tradition in luxury timepieces.
They’re the first watch brand to start up in the German silver mining town of Glashütte. Now famous for making high quality watches.
They relaunched the watch brand in 1990. After the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989.
Their Lange 1 is one of their most popular and award winning timepieces.
It’s a manual mechanical watch. With its large date display standing out. Paired with an easy to use correction pusher.
It also features the up/down power-reserve indicator.
Their timepiece collections are diverse. With moonphase watches, tourbillon timepieces, and chronographs to choose from. All luxurious and high quality pieces.
Check them out on the A. Lange & Söhn online store.
2. Sinn Spezialuhren
Founded: 1961 Founder: Helmut Sinn Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany
The German watch brand Sinn Spezialuhren, are simply referred to as Sinn. Often wins awards for their well designed timepieces.
Their core products are pilot chronographs, and navigation clocks. If you’re in need of a luxury pilot watch, this German brand has plenty to choose from.
Their pilot watch, the 104 St Sa | A. Won the Excellent Product Design Award in the German Product Design Awards for 2021.
This timepiece is a classic pilots watch. From the 104 Series.
The 104 range all come with a transparent case back. Giving you a peek into the automatic movement of the watches.
The award winning watch has a hard coal electroplated dial which gives it that sub-metallic luster. Paired in well with the stainless steel case.
An easy to read watch with luminous indices and hands, ringed with a pilot’s bezel.
Their specialty is pilot watches, yet they have dive watches, chronographs, and business focused timepieces to choose from.
You can find a selection of Sinn watches on Amazon. Like their tough UX GSG-9 dive watch.
3. Montblanc
Founded: 1906 Founder: August Eberstein Location: Hamburg, Germany
Montblanc are a German luxury goods company. Selling many luxury items. From leather goods, to writing equipment, to luggage, and ties.
This brand is diverse with their offerings.
In terms of watches, they offer automatic and quartz powered watches. Plus, Montblanc have a popular range of smartwatches to choose from too.
Their vintage inspired timepieces are truly gorgeous. From their Montblanc 1858 collection.
All of the collection is made of luxury three-hand watches. All featuring numerous complications.
The Montblanc 1858 Geosphere features an automatic movement, a titanium case, and a world-time complication.
The German brand still produces their writing items in Germany. Yet their timepieces are made in Switzerland. And they’re also now owned by Swiss luxury watch group, the Richemont Group.
You can find a good selection of the Montblanc watches on Amazon.
4. Junghans
Founded: 1861 Founder: Erhard Junghans & Jakob Zeller-Tobler Location: Schramberg, Germany
Junghans has a lengthy history in the world of clocks and watchmaking. They were once the largest clockmaker in the world, in 1903.
Their Meister Driver Collection takes inspiration from the automobile industry.
Their Mesiter Driver Chronoscope is an automatic timepiece with a stopwatch function. It’s got the look of an old school speedometer for the indices on the dial.
Plus with a clear case back, you can take a look at the self-winding timepiece inside.
They’ve got a beautiful watch and clock museum. Located in one of their old manufacturing facilities. In the Black Forest region of Germany.
You can find a large selection of the beautiful Junghans watches on Amazon.
5. Glashütte Original
Founded: 1845 Location: Glashütte, Germany
Glashütte Original is one of the world’s best known luxury German watchmakers.
Glashütte is a town in the region of Saxony. It’s been a hot bed of watchmaking since the mid 1850s.
This watchmaker only uses their own movements. And up to 95% of their watch parts are designed and created in-house.
They take pride in creating elegant, beautiful heirlooms. While also enjoying creating original and innovative ranges.
Often releasing limited edition collections. Like their Alfred Helwig Tourbillon 1920 timepiece.
They’re now owned by the Swiss Swatch Group. The largest watch group in the world.
Yet, they’re still a German watchmaker. Making all their timepieces in Germany.
You should visit the Glashütte Original Museum one of the best watchmaking museums in Germany.
6. MeisterSinger
Founded: 2001 Founder: Weller Manfred Brassler Location: Münster, Germany
This newest German watch brand on this list stands out from the rest. Because their watches only use one hand to tell the time.
Their philosophy is to go back to the roots of timekeeping. By ensuring their watches display time in a relaxed manner. Their timepieces help slow down the pace of modern life for their wearer.
Their single hand luxury watches stand out from the crowd. And often win many design awards.
Like their Astroscope, which was the 2021 winner of a German Design Award for its unique design.
The Astroscope timepiece displays the days of the week using celestial bodies from Norse mythology. For example Monday is displayed as the moon ☽, while Friday is Venus ♀.
This Munster watch brand have many single hand timepieces to choose from.
Check out a big selection of Meistersinger one hand watches on Amazon.
7. Mühle Glashütte
Founded: 1994 Founder: Hans-Jürgen Mühle Location: Glashütte, Germany
The German watch brand; Mühle Glashütte. Is a watchmaker who specializes in nautical timepieces.
All of their timepieces are suited for swimming.
Even their Russian leather straps have a been treated to be water-repellent. However, it’s best to not wear them for a dip in the pool.
Their S.A.R. Rescue Timer is a sea ready, tough watch.
This timepiece was especially made for sea rescuers, hence the name.
The watch has a huge level of water resistance of up to 100 bar. Meaning this watch can be worn during a deep sea dive.
If you’d like an insight into how Mühle create their sea worthy watches. Then take a virtual tour of their factory in Glashütte.
8. NOMOS Glashütte
Founded: 1990 Founder: Roland Schwertner Location: Glashütte, Germany
German watch brand NOMOS Glashütte are known for their clean, modern watch designs.
Their award winning updated Tangente Neomatik 41, is an innovative timepiece.
The Tangente features the date ring, placed around the edge of the watch. Each day, the date is highlighted by two mini red lines.
Plus they’ve got their cool, and complex racing inspired watches. From their aptly named Autobahm collection. Designed by German designer Werner Aisslinger.
Their timepieces are made with their in-house built movements.
Plus all their timepieces are made in Germany.
You can check out a good selection of NOMOS Glashütte watches on Amazon.
9. Archimede
Founded: 1924 Founder: Karl Ickler Location: Pforzheim, Germany
Archimede is a Ickler family run German watch brand. Founded on Karl Ickler’s watchmaking career, which began in 1924.
They specialize in mechanical watches designed and made in Pforzheim, Germany. With hand-wound or automatic timepieces to choose from.
Almost every component of the Archimede watches are made in-house.
Their watch collections range from their bestselling Pilot watches. To their 1950s inspired timepieces, and outdoor tool watches.
Their Pilot 42 GMT watch is a real beauty. With its easy readability due to the contrasting blue and red hands. Its a timepiece made for the seasoned business traveler, or pilot.
10. Dornblüth & Sohn
Founded: 1999 Founder: Dieter Dornblüth & Dirk Dornblüth Location: Kalbe, Germany
The luxury watch brand D. Dornblüth & Sohn was started by a father and son watchmaking duo.
This watchmaker makes all of their luxury timepieces by hand using traditional watchmaking methods. Only producing 10 to 15 watches per month.
They make their own watch movements. And all of them are made in Germany.
Their 99.6-M Mondphase creation, tracks the 29.5 day lunar cycle. That’s their watch pictured above.
They release a very small amount of watches on their online store. However, they do manufacture individual timepieces on request.
11. Union Glashütte
Founded: 1845 Founder: Johannes Dürrstein Location: Glashütte, Germany
Union Glashütte are considered one of the more affordable brands of the Glashütte watchmakers.
They’re still a luxury German watchmaker. Their watches are of heirloom quality.
They’re timepieces are diverse. From their jewelry like watches from the Sirona Collection. To their Noramis Collection inspired by the 50s and 60s.
However, all their watches are designed for practicality. They avoid over elaborate design.
They only use mechanical movements in their timepieces. That can be viewed through their clear case backs. With handcraft workmanship playing a key role.
Union Glashütte are owned by the Swatch Group. Which is the same watch group that owns Glashütte Original.
To Sum Up
Germany, especially the region of Saxony, have many super watch brands and manufacturers.
Now discover more top watch brands from other countries around the world.
