Frankfurt, Schramberg, Glashütte: the heart of the German watch industry beats in three cities and brims with diversity. From the engineering wonder of a Sinn special watch to the Bauhaus-inspired elegance of Junghans watches, the spectrum of automatic models is huge and competes against a Glashütte brand world that couldn’t be more varied. Our guide explains which automatic watches are the optimum for your taste and wallet.

Sinn watches: Professional instruments for every use

If you talk about automatic watches from German manufacturers, you can’t avoid the traditional company from Frankfurt am Main, which was founded in 1961. Worldwide, the company represents the prototype of robust, technically advanced timepieces for everyday life and the toughest operations. Up to 2,000 meters water depth in the automatic U2? No difficulty at all. Special developments such as the JAGDUHR 3006, the EZM 12 specially designed for air rescue services and the EZM 7 fire department watch demonstrate the enormous degree of specialization at Sinn. Although the company uses mostly bought-in movements from Sellita, which is why manufacture enthusiasts don’t get their money’s worth, it offers an unparalleled pool of ingenious developments in return. No other automatic watches from German manufacturers can boast the scratch-resistant TEGIMENT technology, the Ar-Dehumidifying technology to increase functional reliability, or the HYDRO technology, which enables mirror-free reading under water.

Target group: Technology enthusiasts, practically oriented watch wearers who are looking for a quality product for life are in the right place with Sinn. But beware: classics such as the Frankfurt Financial District Watches and the Pilot’s Watch 104 also cater to elegant preferences.

Junghans: Dedicated to elegance

German automatic watches with a real “gentleman” factor are made in the small town of Schramberg in Baden-Württemberg, where Junghans has been manufacturing its quality mechanical products since 1861. Compared to Sinn, the manufacturer prioritizes aesthetic considerations in its most famous models: Max Bill watches, the Junghans Meister collection and other lines stand for minimalism, Bauhaus charm and domed watch glass with maximum recognition value.

From a functional perspective, few automatic watches from German manufacturers in this price segment are more exciting: the Meister Worldtimer has made the world time watch affordable, the Meister Gangreserve has established a completely new representation of the remaining automatic power, and the iconic Max Bill Automatic needs no explanation at all. Relative to Sinn, the entry into the world of automatics is more affordable: while the Frankfurt-based company starts at around 1,000 euros with the 556 model series, the Schramberg-based company has a chic basic model in its lineup for around 700 euros with the Form A watch.

Target group: Traditionalists who appreciate a timeless look and can do without German manufacture movements will get their money’s worth with Junghans watches. The variety of colors and functions is excellent for both sexes.

Glashütte: Where does the journey begin in the German watch mecca?

By far the largest variety of automatic watches from German manufacturers is produced in the Müglitz Valley in Saxony: Typical identifying features such as decentralized dials and the large panorama date extend through all price ranges – from the entry-level secret tip Bruno Söhnle to Germany’s most exclusive watch manufacturer, A. Lange & Söhne. Bruno Söhnle is one of those manufacturers that many buyers don’t have on their radar, despite an incredibly interesting automatic range. Wrongly so! Especially the collections Pesaro II, Munich and Stuttgart are a prime example of local elegance. Exceptional rarities like the Rondo Automatic Regulator stand for traditional design at a fair price and clearly stand out from the crowd. Although so-called “atelier calibers” with their own modifications and decorations are built into more upscale models, anyone looking for complete German manufacture movements should knock on Nomos Glashütte’s door in the neighborhood.

Nomos: Manufacture automatic watches in a unique style

Like Junghans, the brand, founded in 1990, draws much of its inspiration from the Bauhaus style that shaped its four basic collections: the Tangente, Orion, Ludwig, and Tetra. What excites us most about Nomos is the affordability of genuine manufacture movements like the DUW 3001 in the Club Campus Neomatik 39: no other automatic watches from German manufacturers offer fully in-house mechanics below the 2,000-euro mark that also feature the in-house developed assortment (“Swing System”). A cream puff for technology maniacs! Compared to the likewise in-house hand-wound movements, however, the percentage price surcharges are hefty, which is why we recommend taking a look at the variants without a rotor.

Mühle and Union: Renaissance Glashütte traditional brands

If you want to wear a German watch with a nautical tradition dating back to the 19th century, Mühle Glashütte is the right choice: Compared to Nomos, the self-winding calibers, such as the SW-200 in the Teutonia II Medium, are bought in, but are more affordable in return. The Panova three-hand watch brings endless character to the wrist in three-digit spheres and is one of our absolute watch favorites from Germany.

Those who prefer professionalism to elegance benefit from the nautical experience at Mühle: models like the S.A.R. Rescue Timer withstand the toughest conditions, while the chronographs are powerful masculine statements. The Teutonia Sport I in particular deserves a closer look.

If you want to experience your automatic watches from German manufacturers in classic beauty and without frills, you can’t miss the Union Glashütte range. Timeless dress watches like the Viro Datum, Noramis and Seris are the hobbyhorse of the brand founded in 1893 by entrepreneurial genius Johannes Dürrstein. But there’s another way: if you love edgy watches with the exotic factor, you couldn’t wear a more original design legend than the Union Glashütte Averin Chronograph Moonphase.

High-end with a German touch

We’ve talked a lot about affordable automatic watches from German manufacturers, but the domestic watch industry also dominates the upper end of the spectrum with two top manufactures: Glashütte Original and A. Lange & Söhne. At first glance, the similarities can be striking; especially the dials of the luxury Pano Edition and Lange 1 collections seem like siblings. The difference lies in the price range: if you want to wear perfect luxury in the traditional style of Saxon watchmaking, you buy an original and get a top-notch overall package with a very good price-performance ratio, from the manufacture movement to the finest ornaments. Those who spend an average of 5,000 to 15,000 euros for a Glashütte Original receive quality standards that surpass even Swiss contenders like Omega and Breitling.

It’s hard to imagine Lange & Söhne playing in a different league again. The fact is: the high-end luxury brand produces the most exclusive, elaborate and in every respect spectacular hand-wound and automatic watches from German manufacturers. Only 5,000 units are produced per year, each one meticulously assembled, disassembled and reassembled by hand to ensure a level of perfection that has no equal in this country. The manufacture also sets technical standards: most watch experts worldwide agree that the Datograph ticks the best chronograph movement of all time. The pleasure begins at around 20,000 euros for the simplest Saxonia with three hands.

Der Beitrag German manufacturer automatic watches in comparison erschien zuerst auf Uhrinstinkt Magazine.

Gérald Genta, Max Bill, Richard Orlinski: the most famous watch designers of all time are inextricably linked with their masterpieces, some of which have been causing excitement on our wrists for decades. Other design watches come from the pens of talents who are rather unknown outside the watch world. We take a look behind the facades of six of the most prominent creations of our time and illuminate the minds behind their success.

Junghans Max Bill

Bauhaus in its purest form: when Swiss architect, painter and sculptor Max Bill was commissioned by Junghans in the mid-1950s to design a kitchen clock, he gave top priority to perfect legibility and created a dial whose sober and simple design remains legendary to this day. In 1961, the corresponding wristwatch followed, immediately adopting the succinct name of its creator and becoming the German watch legend par excellence: for over 60 years, the Junghans Max Bill has been a best-seller and today’s collection holds more design watches than ever before. Whether men or women, quartz or automatic, chronograph or radio-controlled watch: the purist icon from the Black Forest draws old and young into its wake and is the ultimate flagship of the traditional brand. One of our absolute favorites is the Max Bill Chronoscope with black dial (Ref. 027/4601.02), which discreetly packs its stop function and has an extremely noble aesthetic in its dark design. The latter is further enhanced by the domed case and crystal shape, which makes each Max Bill stand out from the crowd.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak

Stainless steel watches in the luxury segment? Unthinkable before the introduction of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak in 1972. The iconic design watch was created by Swiss Gérald Genta, a freelance designer in 1970, who was commissioned by Audemars Piguet to create an entirely new waterproof sports watch. Within 24 hours, Genta delivers the revolutionary result: never before had design watches had an octagonal bezel with visible screws and nestled on the wrist with an integrated bracelet. Initially, success was limited because, despite its steel case, the designer watch was more expensive than many a gold watch of the 1970s. But in the decades that followed, the Royal Oak became the most successful high-end sports watch of all time, was given a beefy sister model in the form of the Royal Oak Offshore, and became the aesthetic model for countless other designer watches. For example, for the Patek Philippe Nautilus, introduced in 1976, which Gérald Genta is said to have drawn on a napkin in less than five minutes.

Nomos Glashütte Metro

German Design Award, Red Dot, Good Design: Within a short time of its unveiling in 2014, the Nomos Glashütte Metro clears some of the most important design prizes in our country. Dubbed a “classic of the future” by the manufacturer, the timeless piece owes its success to Berlin-based Mark Braun. He has been a professor at the Hochschule für Bildende Künste Saar since 2015 and can look back on numerous collaborations with renowned brands – from Viennese crystal glass manufacturer Lobmeyr to furniture manufacturers such as Hartô or E15. With the Metro, Mark Braun has created a design watch that stands out expressively from the rest of the Nomos range. Not only the fine knurled pattern on the crown and the applied lugs, but also the literally “spot-on” dial gives the design watches a modern yet classically elegant character. In the meantime, the collection has grown to over ten variants, ranging from the classic to the luxury model in 18-karat rose gold. Whether you prefer the designer watch with a hand-wound or automatic movement is a matter of taste.

Nomos Glashütte Autobahn

Werner Aisslinger is not only one of the most important designers of our time, but also a self-confessed lover of high speeds. The fact that the internationally recognized artist likes things to be fast and sporty is reflected in the name and appearance of the Nomos Glashütte Autobahn: while the centrally positioned, concise luminous ring is reminiscent of the aesthetics of a tachometer, the curved edge of the dial marks a reminiscence of the north curve of the Berlin Avus for Aisslinger. Paired with the wide date window at six o’clock and the clear typography, the overall look of the design watches conveys pure sportiness while maintaining the simplicity typical of Nomos. What looks harmless during the day comes to life spectacularly in the dark thanks to the expansive luminous material. Just as the German autobahns with their boundless freedom mark an international peculiarity, the Nomos Glashütte is unique in the watch world. No doubt about it: this designer watch by Werner Aisslinger will continue on its successful course for many years to come.

Hublot Classic Fusion Orlinski Titanium White Alternative Pave 40 mm

What does a wristwatch from the pen of an internationally renowned sculptor and pop artist look like? Hublot provides the answer with the Classic Fusion Orlinski Titanium White Alternative Pave 40 mm (Ref. 550.NS.2200.RW.1604.ORL20): Like Frenchman Richard Orlinski’s famous animal figures, his watch captivates us with angular geometry and looks like a giant cut diamond. This is not a far-fetched association: the titanium case is set with 210 brilliant-cut diamonds, the bezel with an additional 54 of the precious gems. The bottom line is around 1.6 carats, which surround a comparatively simple dial in polished white. The same timelessness is adopted by the white rubber strap, so that the entire focus of the viewer is on the sculpture of watch case that Orlinski brings to the wrist with this design watch. Somewhere between vintage and neo-futurism, the aesthetics of these ticking works of art appeal above all to owners who do not want to disguise their wristwatch in permanent restraint.

Hublot Big Bang Sang Bleu II

The same applies to the design watches of the Hublot Big Band Sang Bleu II line (Ref. 418.CX.1107.RX.MXM22), which perform the geometric game even more brawny and imposing. The designer this time is not Orlinski, but Swiss tattoo artist Maxime Plescia-Büchi, whose London tattoo studio Sang Bleu served as the namesake for the limited edition collection. Made of black ceramic, the model shown here has a mysterious, almost intimidating effect on the viewer and features pure futurism in the dial. After identifying the hands, glimpses of the automatic HUB1240 UNICO movement with 72-hour power reserve open up. Coupled with gigantic 45 millimeters in diameter, its aesthetic details make the Hublot Big Bang Sang Bleu II the eye-catcher par excellence and should be of extremely limited interest to watch lovers with a sense of restraint. Nevertheless, the bolide is a monument in the universe of design watches and shows what an enrichment prominent artists can be for the watch world.

Der Beitrag Top 6 design watches erschien zuerst auf Uhrinstinkt Magazine.