The magic ingredient was division of labor. It would be an entire century later before German clockmakers would start to seriously rethink their production so much so that their products gained a global edge. In the second half of the 17th century production started with wood as a base material but progress was anything but fast as a war ridden continent hindered progress since both resources and labour were relocated to more pressing issues. Wrist watches as a concept were still centuries away and even pocket watches were still a novelty but clocks were already a developed market. This meant that what was predominantly a religious mindset was to be swapped out for a stoic rational one and provide a fertile breeding ground for a new industry to blossom.ĭeep in the south of Germany, in the Black Forest, the first archetypes of what would become watchmakers slowly started honing their trade.
History was at a turning point as the transition towards the Prussian empire was imminent. The nation was still part of the Holy Roman Empire and had just fought a gruesome religiously motivated war that was creatively titled the 30 year war. Our story begins in a time long before Germany even was the country we know it as today. Finally we will look at the magical comeback that has occurred since the 1990s. And how the fate of the Glashütte was sealed by its geographic location. How a little town in the east of Germany became a watchmaking metropolis. We will explore how wooden clocks made in the Bavarian forests started things off. Today, as a German national, let me be your guide through the history of German watchmaking. Why is that the case though? As a nation with a rich horological history and known for their incredible engineering and economic strength Germany should give Switzerland a run for its money. The autobahn, beer, and cars most notably.
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