Glashütte in the Ore Mountains—center of the German watchmaking craft

A rich history

Glashütte, located in a mountainous area of rural Saxony, is the ticking heart of the German watch industry. For over 175 years, timepieces that combine tradition and innovation have been created here—and are valued worldwide for their elegant craftsmanship. Watches from Glashütte are known for their high-precision calibers, and enjoy a legally protected designation of origin.

The myth of Glashütte

Mining shaped the life of this town for centuries. When the silver and copper ore deposits were exhausted, new prospects had to be found. This came with the master watchmaker from Dresden, Ferdinand Adolph Lange. With the support of an economic grant from the Saxon King Friedrich August II, he brought the art of watchmaking to Glashütte in 1845. He trained young people in the craft and established an industry inspired by the Swiss model: dividing labor into separate trades, such as assembly, regulation, as well as dial, hand, and case production. This created a new kind of infrastructure with enormous potential for innovation, carried by a spirit of optimism that spread far and wide. Soon, other watchmakers settled in the area and a watchmaking school was founded, attracting students from all over the world, including Switzerland. Glashütte became synonymous with craftsmanship, vision, and expertise, supported by a vibrant community. The myth of Glashütte was born.

The foundations of excellence

By the end of the 19th century, Glashütte pocket watches and precision instruments were internationally renowned and exported all over the world. Technical innovations (such as the introduction of a standardized thread for watch parts) repeatedly made Glashütte a leading name in the wider watch industry.

During the first and second world wars, local manufacturers had to contribute to armaments production—and in the GDR, the once diverse watchmaking industry was centralized under the state-owned company Glashütter Uhrenbetriebe (GUB). However, despite all these challenges, watchmaking knowledge was preserved and passed on. It remains the foundation for the excellence of local craftsmanship today.

Protected designation of origin

Due to their unique qualities, watches from Glashütte enjoy a protected designation of origin, which is extremely rare for manufactured products. The name "Glashütte" may only be added to a watch dial if at least 50 percent of the value of its caliber was created in the town. This German regulation from 2022 not only protects the local watchmaking tradition, but is also a seal of outstanding quality. NOMOS calibers are made almost entirely in Glashütte.

Glashütte features

Glashütte movements are renowned for their precision and elegance. Their design aims for exceptional stability, to preserve traditional features, and include innovative mechanics. The movement surfaces are finely finished in a style typical to Glashütte.

The Glashütte three-quarter plate spans across both the mainspring barrel and gear train.

Glashütte sunburst decoration can be found on the ratchet wheel and crown wheel in NOMOS calibers.

The Glashütte stopwork consists of a specially shaped ratchet and an elongated ratchet spring for particularly smooth winding.

In high-end movements from the NOMOS Atelier, the rubies are set in screw-mounted gold chatons.

A hand-engraved message on the balance cock—which translates as "made with love in Glashütte".

Reserved for the Atelier watches Lambda and Lux: Swan-neck fine adjustment.

What does the term 'manufacture' mean?

In a manufacture, or manufactory, things are made overwhelmingly by hand. Watches made this way are one-of-a-kind pieces that are the result of many hours of work, as well as skills and knowledge passed down through the generations. NOMOS Glashütte is an independent watchmaking company, economically and technologically, and stands for innovation as well as craftsmanship at the highest level. Design engineering, product design, and the production departments work together closely to create timepieces that are well-rounded personalities with many individual characteristics. This is also very rare in the world of fine watches.