Glashütte: Germany’s Watchmaking Capital
Tradition and Entrepreneurial Spirit
Glashütte in Saxony is Germany’s most important watchmaking centre. In a town of just 7,000 inhabitants, 2,000 jobs are “in watches”, as people say here. Germany’s watchmaking capital has a long history shaped by tradition and bold entrepreneurial spirit.
The Transformation
Glashütte originally emerged as a mining settlement in the 15th century. The crossed mining hammers on the town’s coat of arms still bear witness to this today. When mining came to an end, the town had to reinvent itself—today, we would probably call this a “transformation”.
The beginnings around 1845
As in the present day, the aim then was to replace an old industry with high technology. In the mid-19th century, that meant watchmaking. The Saxon government encouraged and supported entrepreneurs to settle in Glashütte and, in modern terms, develop a cluster. The first entrepreneur to settle in Glashütte, in 1845, was Ferdinand Adolph Lange, after whom today’s A. Lange & Söhne manufacture is named. After training under Johann Christian Friedrich Gutkaes and spending several years studying and travelling in France, he brought extensive expertise and valuable contacts to Glashütte.
First Golden Age
Watchmaking in Glashütte soon flourished. In 1878, Moritz Grossmann founded the German Watchmaking School; his name is also carried by a present-day Glashütte manufacture. Glashütte thus became synonymous worldwide with watches of the highest quality. The watch became the second symbol on the town’s coat of arms.
Glashütte Today
After the fall of the Berlin Wall and German reunification, Glashütte was soon able to build on this reputation again. Since 2022, “Glashütte” has been a geographical indication for watches protected by the German government—much like “Champagne” for sparkling wine. A watch bearing the prestigious name “Glashütte” on its dial must meet strict criteria. The geographical indication “Glashütte” is the only significant watchmaking seal of its kind outside Switzerland.
From Glashütte
DIRECTLY TO YOUR HOME
Deutsche Uhrenmanufaktur Glashütte, or DUG for short, is a new company that builds on the unique tradition and quality of local watchmaking. DUG is now the tenth watch manufacturer in Glashütte. A DUG watch is also on display at the local German Watch Museum. At the same time, DUG embraces the entrepreneurial spirit that made Glashütte so strong from 1845 and again in the 1990s. Every era needs a new idea: by working directly with our customers, we can offer genuine Glashütte watches at a particularly affordable price.
