List of watchmakers

This chronological list of famous watchmakers is a list of those who influenced the development of horology or gained iconic status by their creations. The list is sorted by the lifetimes of the watchmakers.

You can find following information:

  1. Full name
  2. Dates of birth and death, if known
  3. Country of origin and profession
  4. Field of activity (italics)

Until 1400

1400–1500

1500–1600

Elias Allen (1588–1653)

1600–1700

Christopher Pinchbeck (1670–1732)

1700–1800

1700–1750

1750–1800

Frédéric-Louis Favre-Bulle (1770–1849)
David Henri Grandjean (1774–1845)
Louis Benjamin Audemars (1782–1833)
James Ferguson Cole (1798–1880)

1800–1900

1800–1850

Louis-Victor Baume (1817–1887)
Pierre-Joseph Celestin Baume
Onésime Dumas (1824–1889)
  • William Frederick Rippon (?–1827), (C. C.), English clockmaker, London, the Great Clock of Westminster.
  • Louis-Gabriel Brocot (1800–1860), French big clock maker, Paris, Brocot-Hemmung.
  • James Eiffe (1800–1880), English chronometer maker, compensation for secondary temperature error.
  • Georges Auguste Leschot (1800–1884), Swiss watchmaker and inventor, Geneva, Vacheron Constantin.
  • Jean-Célanis Lutz (1800–1863), Swiss watchmaker, hardening of steel spirals.
  • Edward Prior (1800–1868), English watchmaker, London, pocket watch for the Turkish market.
  • Jean Paul Garnier (1801–1869), French clockmaker, Paris, electric clocks.
  • Carl August von Steinheil (1801–1870), German physician and astronomer, Munich, first electric clock.
  • Jules Sueur (1801–1867), Swiss watchmaker, astronomer and inventor, Geneva, astronimichal time theory implementation.
  • Charles Klaftenberger (1802–1874), English chronometer maker, London.
  • George Airy (1802–1892), English astronomer and director of the Royal Greenwich Observatory.
  • Andreas Hohwü (1803–1885), Dutch chronometer maker, Amsterdam, astronomical clock.
  • Charles Antoine LeCoultre (1803–1881), Swiss watchmaker, Le Sentier, Jaeger-LeCoultre.
  • Louis Clément François Breguet (1804–1883), French watchmaker, Paris, central clock of Lyon, tuning fork clock.
  • Achille Hubert Benoit (1804–1895), French watchmaker, Versailles, director of the royal factory, director of the watchmaking school of Cluses.
  • Lorenz Bob (1805–1878), German clockmaker, Furtwangen, Schwarzwald.
  • Carl Theodor Wagner (1805–1885), German master watchmaker and entrepreneur, Wiesbaden.
  • Auguste-Lucien Vérité (1806–1887), French clockmaker, Beauvais, astronomical clock .
  • Friedrich Adolph Nobert (1806–1881), German mechanic and optician, Barth.
  • Johann Carl Rahsskopff (1806–1886), German clockmaker and mechanic, Koblenz, clocks with worm gears.
  • Lorenz Furtwängler (1807–?), German clockmaker and manufacturer, Furtwangen, wall clocks.
  • Michael Welte (1807–1880), German musical clock maker, Freiburg im Breisgau, M. Welte & Sons Co., Schwarzwald.
  • Jules Frederik Jürgensen (1808–1877), Danish watch- and chronometer maker, Le Locle, deck watch.
  • Charles Frodsham (1810–1871), English watch and chronometer maker, London, chronometer, tourbillon.
  • Frédéric-William Dubois (1811–1869), Swiss chronometer maker, Le Locle, astronomical pendulum clock.
  • Alexander Bain (1811–1877), Scottish watchmaker and inventor. Glasgow.
  • Johann Harder (1811–1888), German farmer and tinker, inventor of the annual clock about 1875.
  • Johann Weule (1811–1897), German clockmaker, Harz, Turmuhren.
  • Eduard Eppner (1812–1887), German clockmaker, Halle/Lähn, pocket watch, Turmuhren.
  • Aaron Lufkin Dennison (1812–1895), American watchmaker, Maine, USA. Waltham Watch Company. pocket watch.
  • Georg Friedrich Roskopf (1813–1889), German watchmaker, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Roskopf escapement.
  • Matthäus Hipp (1813–1893), German clockmaker, Bern, electric precision pendulum clock.
  • Edward Howard (1813–1904), American watchmaker and manufacturer, Waltham Watch Company, pocket watch.
  • Friedrich Emil Roetig (1814–1863), German watchmaker, Hachenburg, Taleruhr.
  • Romuald Božek (1814–1899), Czech inventor and watchmaker, Prague.
  • Ferdinand Adolph Lange (1815–1875), German watchmaker and entrepreneur, Glashütte.
  • Adrien Philippe (1815–1894), French watchmaker, Paris, Patek Philippe.
  • Johann Baptist Beha (1815–1898), German clockmaker, Eisenbach, Black Forest cuckoo clock.
  • Edward Daniel Johnson (1816–1889), (C. C.), English watchmaker, London, chronometer, fellow of the Royal Society.
  • Claudius Saunier (1816–1896), French watchmaker and teacher, Paris.
  • Edmand Denison (1816–1905), English lawyer and architect, Nottinghamshire, engineer of the turret clock of Big Ben.
  • Auguste Grether (1817–1897), Swiss watchmaker, Le Locle, tourbillon.
  • Friedrich Krille (1817–1863), German chronometer maker, Altona, marine chronometer, precision pendulum clock.
  • Achille Brocot (1817–1878), French clockmaker, Paris, improvement of the Brocot escapement.
  • Auguste Grether (1817–1879), Swiss watchmaker, Ponts-de-Martel, chronometer ebauches, tourbillon.
  • Louis-Victor Baume (1817–1887), Swiss watch producer, Bern, Baume & Mercier.
  • Edward Thomas Loseby (1817–1890), English watchmaker, London, marine chronometer
  • Antoine Redier (1817–1892), French clockmaker, Paris, Wecker, clocks, scientific instruments.
  • Charles Edouard Jacot (1817–1897), Swiss watchmaker, Le Locle, c. 1830 New York, Chinese Duplexhemmung.
  • John Poole (1818–1867), English watchmaker, London, chronometer.
  • Charles Fasoldt (1818–1898), American watchmaker, Albany, chronometer, Fasoldt-Hemmung, fine adjustment
  • Christian Reithmann (1818–1909), German watchmaker and inventor. machines, free escapement, four stroke motor.
  • Johannes Bürk (1819–1872), German clockmaker and entrepreneur, Villingen-Schwenningen. founder of the clock company Bürk.
  • Gustav Eduard Becker (1819–1885), German clockmaker from Schlesien, founder of the Gustav Becker clock company.
  • Eduard Phillips (1821–1889), French mathematician, Paris, precision adjustment, compensating balance wheels.
  • Johann Ignaz Fuchs (1821–1893), German mechanic and clockmaker, Bernburg, Turmuhren.
  • Betty Linderoth (1822–1900), Swedish mechanic and clockmaker
  • Thomas Mercer (1822–1900), English watchmaker, London, chronometer.
  • Erhard Junghans (1823–1870), German clockmaker, Schramberg, founder of the Junghans brand.
  • Ulysse Nardin (1823–1876), Swiss watchmaker, Le Locle, chronometer.
  • Henri Robert Ekegrèn (1823–1896), Danish watchmaker, Geneva, Urban Jürgensen, chronometer
  • Onésime Dumas (1824–1889), French chronometer maker, Saint-Nicolas-d'Aliermont, chronometer.
  • Victor Kullberg (1824–1890), Swedish chronometer maker, London, chronometer blanks.
  • Johann Andreas Ludwig Teubner (1825–1907), clockmaker of the court, Dresden, creator of the second Five-Minutes-Clock of the Semperoper.
  • Karl Moritz Großmann (1826–1885), German clockmaker, Glashütte, marine chronometer, precision clock.
  • Hans Jess Martens (1826–1892), German watchmaker and author, head of the Badischen watchmaking school Furtwangen.
  • Julius Assmann (1827–1886) watchmaker and watch producer, Glashütte, chronometer and deck watch.
  • Bonaventura Eijsbouts (1827–1920), Dutch clockmaker, Asten, clock tower maker Royal Eijsbouts.
  • Julius Grossmann (1829–1907), German watchmaker, director of the watchmaking school in Le Locle.
  • Charles Shepherd jun. (1830–1905), English clockmaker, engineer, made the gate clock of the Greenwich Observatory.
  • Maurice Ditisheim (1831–1899), Swiss watchmaker and entrepreneur, in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Vulcain.
  • Alexis Favre (1832–1908), Swiss watchmaker, Geneva. famous Regleur.
  • Albert Pellaton-Favre (1832–1914), Swiss watchmaker, tourbillon-chronometer.
  • Hilda Petrini (1838–1895), first female Swedish watchmaker, Stockholm, chronometer.
  • Karl Julius Späth (1838–1919), German tinker, Steinmauern, astronomical clock .
  • Wilhelm Ehrlich (1839–1894), German watchmaker, Bremerhaven, marine chronometer.
  • Edouard Heuer (1840–1892), Swiss watchmaker, Biel. Heuer.
  • Charles-Auguste Paillard (1840–1895), Swiss watchmaker, palladium alloy for hairsprings.
  • Heinrich Zilliken (1841–1900), German clockmaker, Münstermaifelder Turmuhrenfabrik Turmuhrbau.
  • Florentine Ariosto Jones (1841–1916), American watchmaker and entrepreneur, Schaffhausen, founder of International Watch Company.
  • Eduard Kummer (1845–?), Swiss watchmaker and founder of Ed. Kummer AG.
  • Johannes Dürrstein (1845–1901), German watchmaker, Glashütte, founder of Glashütter Uhrenfabrik "Union" (1893–1926).
  • Richard Lange (1845–1932), German watchmaker and entrepreneur, Glashütte, A. Lange & Söhne.
  • Sigmand Riefler (1847–1912), German clockmaker, Munich, Riefler precision pendulum clocks.
  • Webster Clay Ball (1847–1922), American jeweller and watchmaker, Cleveland, railroad chronometer, Hamilton Watch Company.
  • Henri Lioret (1848–1938), French watchmaker and inventor, Paris, automatons, first useful audio recordings.

1850–1900

Harlow E. Bundy (1856–?)
  • Joseph "Joe" Koen (1859-1944), Russian watchmaker & jeweler, Born in Vilnius, immigrated to Austin, Texas. Koen founded Joe Koen & Son Jewelers in 1883 - Texas' oldest independently owned jewelry store.
  • Carl Ranch (c. 1900), Danish chronometer maker
  • Albert Favarger (1851–1931), American clockmaker, Neuchâtel, electric slave clock
  • Richard Bürk (1851–1934), German entrepreneur, Villingen-Schwenningen. Württembergische Uhrenfabrik Bürk.
  • Arthur Junghans (1852–1920), German clockmaker, Schramberg, founder of Junghans.
  • Curt Dietzschold (1852–1922), German engineer, watchmaker and teacher, director of the watchmaking school Karlstein a. d. Th. (Austria).
  • Gustav Speckhart (1852–1919), German clockmaker of the court, inventor and clock collector, Nürnberg.
  • Ludwig Strasser (1853–1917), German clockmaker, Glashütte, precision pendulum clocks, German watchmaking school Strasser & Rohde.
  • Wilhelm Schultz (1854–1921), German watchmaker and editor, Stuttgart/Berlin, German calendar watchmaker.
  • Paul David Nardin (1855–1920), Swiss watchmaker and Regleur, Le Locle.
  • Josef Nicolaus (1855–1923), Austrian chronometer maker, Vienna, deck watch.
  • Harlow E. Bundy (1856–1916), American clockmaker, Auburn, New York, mass production, Bundy Manufacturing Company.
  • Richard Gläser (1856–1928), German watchmaker, Glashütte, pocket watch.
  • Henning Hammarlund (1857–1922), Swedish watch producer, Svängsta, Halda.
  • Paul Berner (1858–1942), Swiss watchmaker and teacher, longtime director of the watchmaking school in La Chaux-de-Fonds.
  • Bahne Bonniksen (1859–1935), Danish watchmaker, London, Carousell.
  • Hermann Goertz (1862–1944), German clockmaker, Glashütte, precision pendulum clock.
  • Hugo Müller (1863–1943), German watchmaker, Glashütte.
  • Carl Friedrich Bucherer (?–1933), Swiss watchmaker, Lucerne, founder of Carl F. Bucherer.
  • Jens Jensen (1865–1933), German watchmaker, Glashütte, deck watch.
  • Ludwig Trapp (1865–1949), German clockmaker, Glashütte, precision pendulum clocks.
  • Max Richter (1866–1922), German clockmaker, Glashütte, precision pendulum clocks.
  • Paul Ditisheim (1868–1945), Swiss watchmaker, La Chaux-de-Fonds, pocket watch and marine chronometer.
  • Richard Griesbach (1868–1948) German watchmaker, Glashütte, compensating balance wheels for marine chronometer.
  • Alfred Jaccard (?–1953), Swiss Regleur and chronometer maker, Besançon.
  • Bruno Hillmann (1869–1928), German watchmaker, Zürich. first wrist watch.
  • Georges Louis Ruedin (1870–1935), Swiss watch producer, Berner Jura, director of the Société Horlogère Reconvilier.
  • Jens Olsen (1872–1945), Danish clockmaker, Ribe, astronomical world clock in Copenhagen.
  • Jämes Pellaton (1873–1954), Swiss watchmaker, Le Locle, tourbillon.
  • Louis Cartier (1875–1942), French watchmaker, Paris, Cartier watch brand.
  • Rudolf Flume (um 1880), German watchmaker, Berlin, Flume-Werksucher.
  • Jules Haag (1882–1953), mathematician, Besançon, Isochronism.
  • Georges Schaeren (1882–1958), Swiss watchmaker, Biel, Mido SA.
  • William Hamilton Shortt (1882–1971), English clockmaker, London, Shortt clock.
  • Léon Hatot (1883–1953), French watchmaker and jeweller, Besançon, cofounder of the Chronometrical Society of France, Léon Hatot.
  • Karl W. Höhnel (1885–1936), German clockmaker, Glashütte, precision pendulum clocks.
  • Gustav Gerstenberger (1886–1983), German Regleur and chronometer maker, Glashütte, marine chronometer, deck watch.
  • Alfred Helwig (1886–1974), German watchmaker, Glashütte, tourbillon.
  • Louis Zimmer (1888–1970), Belgian clockmaker, Lier, astronomical clock in Lier, Zimmer tower.
  • André Bornand (1892–1967), Swiss watchmaker, Geneva. teacher of the watchmaking school Geneva.
  • Reinhard Straumann (1892–1967), Swiss engineer, watch timing machine, Nivarox.
  • John Harwood (1893–1965), English inventor and clockmaker, automatic wrist watch, Fortis watch brand.
  • Rasmus Sørnes (1893–1967), Norwegian radio technician and clockmaker, Sola, astronomical clock.
  • Paul Behrens (1893–1984), German clockmaker, Lübeck, astronomical clock.
  • Marius Lavet (1894–1980), French clockmaker, Paris, ATO-Uhren, Lavet stepper motor.
  • Georges Henri Ruedin (1895–1953), Swiss watchmaker, Bassecourt, Georges Ruedin SA.
  • Adolf Scheibe (1895–1958), German physician, Berlin, engineer of the quartz clock.
  • Albert Pellaton (1898–1966), Swiss watchmaker, Schaffhausen, Pellaton winding system for automatic watches.

1900–2000's

  • Udo Adelsberger (1904–1992), German physician, Königsberg. developer of the quartz clock.
  • Kamiel Festraets (1904–1974), Flemish clockmaker, Sint-Truiden, astronomical clock of Sint-Truiden.
  • Horst Landrock (1904–1990) German clockmaker and collector, Zittau, Sammlung Landrock.
  • Hans Apel (1905–1958), German watch and chronometer maker, Glashütte, student of Alfred Helwig.
  • Fred Lip (1905–1996), French producer of watches and machines, Besançon, Lip.
  • Walter Storz (1906–1974), German master watchmaker, Hornberg, founder of the Stowa clock company.
  • Georg Abeler (1906–1981), German watchmaker, Wuppertal, founder of Wuppertaler Uhrenmuseum.
  • Henry Fried (1907–1996), American watchmaker, New York, author.
  • Hans Jendritzki (1907–1996), German watchmaker and author, Hamburg.
  • August Spetzler (1911–2010), German watchmaker, Nürnberg, student of Alfred Helwig, tourbillon.
  • Karl Geitz (1913–2008), German watchmaker, teacher, founder of the Hessian watchmaking school.
  • Max Hetzel (born 1921), Swiss physician, Biel, Bulova Accutron.
  • Hans Lang (1924–2013), German watchmaker, astronomical clocks.
  • George Daniels (1926–2011), (C. C.), English watchmaker, Master of the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers.
  • Richard Mühe (1929–2009), German watchmaker, Furtwangen. president of the German Society for Timekeeping (1981 to 1999).
  • Richard Daners (born 1930), German watchmaker, works for Gübelin.
  • Martin Burgess (born 1931), (FBHI), English watchmaker and author, Sculptural Clock, Gurney Clock.
  • Wolfgang Hilberg (born 1932), German engineer and professor of electronics, inventor of the radio clock.
  • Jürgen Abeler (1933–2010), German art collector, watchmaker, goldsmith and gemologist.
  • Kurt Klaus (born 1934), Swiss watchmaker, engineer at IWC, perpetual calendar with four digit year indication
  • Roger Dubuis (born 1938), Swiss watchmaker, Roger Dubuis SA.
  • Derek Pratt (1938–2009), English watchmaker, collaboration with Urban Jürgensen SA.
  • Anthony G. Randall (born 1938), English watchmaker, engineer of the Double-Axis-Tourbillon.
  • Reinhard Meis (born 1940), German watchmaker and author.
  • Svend Andersen (born 1942), (AHCI), Danish watchmaker, cofounder of the (AHCI).
  • Vincent Calabrese (born 1944), (AHCI), Italian watchmaker, cofounder of the (AHCI), "Golden Bridge" of Corum, Universal Genève.
  • Daniel Roth (born 1945), Swiss watchmaker, Daniel Roth SA (with the Bulgari company since 2000).
  • Edmond Capt (born 1946), Swiss watchmaker, general director of Frédéric Piguet and Nouvelle Lémania, engineer Mouvement Valjoux 7750.
  • Philippe Dufour (born 1948), (AHCI), Swiss watchmaker.
  • Paul Gerber (born 1950), (AHCI), Swiss watchmaker, Zürich.
  • Michel Parmigiani (born 1950), Swiss watchmaker. Parmigiani.
  • Jean-Pierre Musy (born 1951), Swiss watchmaker, responsible for R&D at Patek Philippe.
  • Ludwig Oechslin (born 1952), Italian watch engineer, La Chaux-de-Fonds, former director of the International Museum of Horology.
  • Russell A. Powell (born 1954), American born watchmaker at Patek Philippe.
  • Antoine Preziuso (born 1957), ((AHCI)), Swiss watchmaker, Patek Philippe, Antiquorum, tourbillon.
  • Franck Muller (born 1958), Swiss watchmaker, Genthod, Franck Muller SA.
  • Christophe Claret (born 1962), Swiss watchmaker, Christophe Claret SA.
  • Beat Haldimann (born 1964), (AHCI), Swiss watchmaker, double regulator, tourbillon.
  • Giulio Papi (born 1965), Swiss watchmaker, former Renaud & Papi SA, today Audemars Piguet.
  • Thomas Prescher (born 1966), (AHCI), German watchmaker, Triple-Achs-Tourbillon.
  • Andreas Strehler (born 1971), (AHCI), Swiss watchmaker, Pendule Sympathique, moon phase, complication (horology).
  • Konstantin Jurjewitsch Tschaikin (born 1975), (AHCI), Russian watchmaker, Saint Petersburg, armband- and table clocks with complication.
  • Valerii Danevych (born 1968), (AHCI), Ukrainian watchmaker, created first in the World wooden flying tourbillon .

Roberto Bertotti (born 1967), Italian watchmaker, fixing most of the watches, clocks, chronometers, Pendulum clocks, etc. Workshop in Rovereto, Italy.

Further reading

  • G. H. Baillie, C. Clutton, C. A. Ilbert: Britten's Old Clocks and Watches and their Makers. Bonanza Books, New York (USA) 1956.
  • C. Spierdijk: Klokken en Klokkenmakers. de Bussy, Amsterdam (NL) 1965.
  • Tardy: Dictionnaire des horlogers français. Paris (F) 1972.
  • Stanislav Michal: Vývoj hodinářství v českých zemích. NTM Prague (CS) 1976.
  • F. H. van Weijdom Claterbos: Viennese Clockmakers [...]. Interbook International B.V., Schiedam (NL) 1979.
  • Osvaldo Patrizzi, Fabien X. Sturm: Schmuckuhren 1790-1850 [...]. Callwey Verlag, Munich 1981, ISBN 3-7667-0563-6.
  • Helmut Krieg: Uhrmacher im Bergischen Land. Rheinland Verlag, Cologne 1994, ISBN 3-7927-1478-7.
  • Brian Loomes, G. H. Baillie: watchmakers and Clockmakers of the World: Complete 21st Century Edition. Robert Hale Ltd, 2001, ISBN 978-0-7198-0330-7.
  • Patrick Wesche, "Antique Chronographs" Ritter Verlag. Munich 2009.
  • Jürgen Abeler: Meister der Uhrmacherkunst. 2. Auflage Uhrenmuseum Wuppertal, Wuppertal 2010, ISBN 978-3-00-030830-7.
  • Georg von Holtey; Ursula Bischof Scherer; Albert Kägi: Deutschschweizer Uhrmachermeister und ihre Werke vom 14. bis 19. Jahrhundert. Chronométrophilia, La Chaux-de-Fonds 2006, ISBN 978-2-88380-33-5.
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