best watch brands in greman

4 German watch brands you should know

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A Lange & Sohne: Lange Zeitwerk

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Switzerland has long been heralded as the Mecca of watchmaking. The Alpine country is steeped in horological history and is home to household names like Rolex, Tag Heuer and Patek Philippe. However, a certain Teutonic country to the North of Switzerland isn’t lagging too far behind.
A poor sense of humour aside, ze Germans have ranked among the best in whatever they've set out to achieve, whether it’s football, automotive engineering, beers or a damn good bratwurst. The small towns of Pforzheim and Glashutte in Germany are incubators to some of the most innovative watchmakers in the world, all angling for a piece of real estate on your wrist.
German Peter Hele invented the first mainspring and even assembled the first known portable timepiece in 1504, decades before watchmaking commenced in Zurich. However, the war wasn’t kind to industry in Germany, and the early Twenties saw a lot of watchmakers close their doors for good. It wasn't until the re-unification of Germany in the Nineties that some iconic brands were revived and they haven’t looked back since. Here's our pick of the best timepieces from the top German horological houses.
Brand: A Lange & Sohne
Pièce de résistance: Lange Zeitwerk (Rs 34,00,000)
In 1990, A Lange & Sohne recommenced business after shuttering its doors 145 years earlier. Based in the quiet village of Glashutte, Lange & Sohne has come a long way in its 20 years since the revival. The company only produces 5,000 watches a year all of which run on in-house calibers, designed and manufactured in Germany. The brand has quickly regained its lofty reputation and is often mentioned in the same breath as Breguet or Patek.
Brand: Nomos
Pièce de résistance: Zurich World Timer (Rs 3,45,000)
Another resident of Glashutte is Nomos, a young brand that first saw the light of day in 1990. Nomos is best known for its Bauhaus-inspired watch faces and simple yet elegant designs. Over the years, Nomo has become a full-fledged ‘manfuacture’ producing intricate and decorated movements. The Nomos Zurich World Timer is probably the freshest take on a world time complication to date.
Brand: Glashutte Original
Pièce de résistance: Senator Chronometer (Rs 15,50,000)
Although Glashutte Original was recently purchased by the Swiss behemoth that is the Swatch Group, the brand still sticks to its German heritage. Every one of the estimated 5000 watches made annually all run off in-house movements. Glashutte Original is also one of the few brands that can boast that 95 per cent of all watch components are made in-house.
Brand: Sinn
Pièce de résistance: 756 S UTC (Rs 2,35,000)
In 1961, German pilot Helmut Sinn began making watches made for aviators after being annoyed by the high cost of pilot’s watches. Sinn quickly made a name for himself making some top quality watches available at affordable prices. Among some of its best innovations is the Diapal, the first watch escapement made with no lubricant. Sinn may not make its own movements, but it does use some of the best and most durable materials like the proprietary Tegiment hardened steel.
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