Hometime: GlasHutte

Switzerland is the most famous watchmaking nation in the world, with Geneva arguably its capital. That being said, there is a tiny hamlet in Germany that rivals any Swiss region for its watchmaking pedigree: Glashütte

- Ashok Soman

The story of German watchmaking is dominated by one word: Glashütte. To be sure, there is more to German watchmaking than this little town in saxony, as fans of sinn and Junghans will tell you, but the history and spirit of that little town are so powerful that people sometimes mistake it for a brand itself! Yes, people who become interested in beautiful timepieces recognise that Glashütte is a sort of brand but most don’t realise just how true – and strange – that is.

We’ll get back to those points later but first, an explanation for the genesis of this story is in order. over the years, the editorial team of this magazine has visited Glashütte many times. Chances are, you have already read about A. Lange & söhne and Glashütte original many times in these pages, across Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Dubai. In many cases, the editors of the different editions have all travelled there, making it the only watchmaking centre outside Switzerland that we have all visited.

In my most recent trip – a day-trip that capped my BaselWorld experience this year – it dawned on me that it is quite odd that we’ve only ever talked about A. Lange & söhne and Glashütte original in any detail. To be sure, this watchmaking region is far more than just those two names, famous though they are. Just a short stroll around the offices of those two brands will reveal quite a number of names, many of which have their own tales and their own takes on what fine watchmaking in Glashütte means. These are, in no particular order, Nomos Glashütte, Mühle-Glashütte, Tutima, and Moritz Grossmann, with retailer Wempe making its presence felt here too.