From the medieval tower clock to the modern wristwatch: for centuries, the fascinating history of timekeeping has been bound up with pioneering spirit, innovation and social progress. One of the most important steps toward modern horology was the invention of the pocket watch, which is attributed to the late-medieval master locksmith Peter Henlein. We set off on a journey through time to get to the bottom of the achievements, life and legacy of this legendary craftsman.
Myth and Truth – A Mysterious Biography
Born in Nuremberg, probably around 1480, Henlein witnessed the evolution of timekeeping instruments firsthand.
While sundials, water clocks and hourglasses had for millennia allowed only a rather imprecise reading of the time of day, mechanical movements now made it possible to distinguish exact hours of equal length.
Precise biographies, however, were a rarity at the time, as the life story of Peter Henlein known today shows: only a few dates of his career are truly certain. What is established is that the presumed inventor of the pocket watch earned his master's title in the locksmith's trade in 1509 and, as Nuremberg's municipal records show, was repeatedly commissioned to build and repair tower clocks.
Mentioned around 1512 by the theologian and vehement opponent of Luther, Johannes Cochläus, Henlein is said to have been the first to create a portable wheel-driven clock. Yet it is precisely this claim that modern historians view critically. Given that the mainsprings essential for building compact timepieces had already been developed half a century before Henlein, presumably in Italy, his role as the inventor of the pocket watch is highly doubtful.
Nevertheless, the three-times-married locksmith was a famous figure in his day who achieved considerable wealth and enjoyed a reputation similar to that of the prominent Nuremberg painter Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528). Recognized to this day as a central historical figure of German watchmaking, he died in his hometown in 1542.
Prized by Princes and Kings: His Timepieces
Although Peter Henlein probably did not invent the first portable timepiece, his achievements in refining this technology are beyond question. He specialized in two types of timepiece common at the time: the drum watch and the so-called pomander watch. The former type, a cylindrical model resembling a modern tin can, includes the most contested object in Henlein's biography – his supposedly first pocket watch.
On display at the Germanisches Nationalmuseum since 1897, it is, according to the latest findings, neither a forgery nor a one-hundred-percent original. This is mainly because parts of the piece date from later years of the 16th century, by which time the celebrated inventor had already died.
Henlein was far more famous, however, for the pomander watch, which he sold in elaborately decorated and partly gilded versions to the Nuremberg city council and to high-ranking nobles of his time. Until the 17th century, pomanders were portable, spherical hollow containers mostly used to carry fragrances such as musk, ambergris or civet.
Henlein succeeded in fitting the spring drive, which already existed at the time, into these spheres and equipping them with an internal dial and movement.
From 1500 to Today: Pocket Watches Through the Ages
The inventors of the early 16th century fired the starting shot for the pocket watch's centuries-long success story. Initially widespread in Peter Henlein's variants, the early portable timepiece had only an hour hand because of its inaccuracy – it was not until the mid-17th century that fitting an additional minute hand became common. During this period, the variety of designs produced also exploded: from the savonnette (hunter case), the variant with a spring-loaded lid still familiar today, to the lidless Lépine (open face) and the particularly thin dress watch, wealthy customers could choose from numerous versions.
Only with the industrialization of the 19th century, which enabled mass production of timepieces instead of laborious manufacture work, did the pocket watch make its breakthrough among the middle class. For the first time, it allowed people to keep appointments at any time, gave its wearers greater independence and thereby boosted society's progress and productivity. Pocket watch production peaked around 1900, after which it was increasingly displaced by the wristwatch in the decades that followed.
Antique Piece or Modern Accessory? The Pocket Watch Today
For several years now, pocket watches seem to have been staging a gradual comeback. Not only various fashion brands but also established Swiss manufacturers such as Tissot with its T-Pocket Collection have added at least one of these traditional timepieces to their lineup. Hybrid models that can be worn as either a pocket watch or a wristwatch are also growing in popularity. This rise shows that a portable timepiece no longer stands for colonialism and history books – on the contrary, today it is considered stylish and fashionable. It works not only as an individual everyday accessory but also cuts a surprisingly fine figure on festive occasions.
Worn in the vest pocket of a suit, the visibly displayed watch chain is guaranteed to turn heads. Even the inventive Peter Henlein could hardly have imagined that his small timepieces would be back in fashion more than 500 years after his time. Regardless, his achievements are remarkable, whether or not he was the inventor of the pocket watch: it was he who massively advanced, and perhaps even decisively shaped, the centuries-long process leading to modern horology. If he could see our fascinating wristwatches of the 21st century, he would surely be proud.
