Share your opinion on german watch brands!

I have a Damasko DS30, and I definitely recommend checking Damasko out if you like their minimalist tool watch styling.

The watch is just under 10mm thick, but has a 200m WR. They make a few interesting chronographs if you're looking for a modern tool chronograph. The DC82 is the one I'd be going for if I buy another Damasko.

Here are a few examples of what caught my eye:

Interesting brand, as I haven’t heard about it before. Will have a look at what they’ve got.

Thanks, appreciate the recommendation!

I love the Junghans Max Bills. Especially the way the numeral 4 looks on their dials. Eventually i will get one of them.

Love the Bauhaus look of Junghans' Max Bill. Love Lange the best, but I'm not Scrooge McDuck.

What has not being Scottish got to do with it?

I love my Nomos Tangente (my only German watch) and the Bauhaus inspired watches in general. From the German brands (excluding high-end brands like GO and ALS) I'm quite fond of Sinn and Stowa and would love to own some Sinn U50 (and maybe 104 and 556) and a Stowa Flieger down the road. Overall I think German brands strike a good balance between unique design, price, quality and heritage. I don't mind that most of them use stock ETA and Sellita calibers, as this makes the maintenance easier and cheaper. Nomos's in-house calibers are great, but given that many automatic models have prices in the 3-4k EUR range I'd probably go with something else at such price points.

My main issue with German brands is that it's very hard to try them in person, as they don't have strong distribution channels outside Germany.

I have a SInn 104 and really like it. It's well put together and wears very well. The Bauhaus style (Junghans / Nomos) doesn't really appeal to me, but I wouldn't buy an Orient Bambino for the ame reason. But there are many other non-Bauhaus German watches that I like. The Glashutte SeaQ is amazing, as is the Oris 65 and Big Crown. Most A Lange watches are outrageously great.

My German Trio. Love them all!

Sinn. Great German brand more Tool watch than your op choices but great non the less.

Here's my 556 A RS

Sinn 😍

Just recently got my first german watch and the quality is great. Sinn is really worth the money.

Love German watches...many great brands.

I'll start with the modern references in the collection...

WOW! Now that’s a collection!!! Love the Junghans.

Here are some vintage Germans...

Very close. I'm a fan of Dekla. Very similar but no date. Your Sinn is much nicer.

What makes the german watches good are the Swiss movements powering them. The Japanese make nicer dials with more interesting hands. Still very good quality watches.

What was east Germany has a long history of watch making, wo I'm glad they're getting the attention they deserve. I have a nomos tangente GMT and a couple of Lange's which I love.

Two brands not mentioned here are D. Dornbluth & Sons. Can customize everything. Also, Moritz Grossman, which has some beautiful textured dials.

This is turning out to be a very insightful thread! Thanks to everyone who commented with their german timepieces' experience!

I'm learning a lot!

I had a Junghans Max Bill Quartz 38 but it always had a problem with the plexiglass always shattering from the inside, even when kept in a case. Had it changed about 5 times until I finally gave up on it and sold it.

A luthier friend of mine hypothesised something about the inside forces or bad angles that would always break the plexiglass.

Such a shame because I really loved the design and the thinness.

I guess GO and ALS will have to start making their own in house movements in Germany now. LOL

Sorry Germany is not noted as having a lot of serious brands and there will always be small brands doing movements in no great quantity. There are always whataboutisms because someone's experience differs from an opinion. In general terms Germany is a small player in the world watch market.

I have long been having a crush on a blue Junghan's miester with the small second's dial I just don't think I'd ever actually wear it out. They are beautiful with a great looking bubble crystal on them. Sinn look great too but I can't say I've ever seen one up close.

The first time I encountered this Junghans Meister Driver Handaufzig (Handwind) it was love at first sight. It wears exceptionally well and the restrained yet sumptuous dial harks back to when Junghans produced guages for luxury automobiles. It immediately made the small keeper list in an otherwise large collection and can be seen motoring about SoCal with the top down and wrist up.

Germany has a long history of being excellent watch makers, that being said I do not currently own a german made watch but I do have one of my wish list, and like several more. If I wasn't so practical I would have several on my wishlist lol. Based upon my own research these are my German watch picks...

This beautiful watch is on my wish list because of its size and styling (and I like chronographs). This will be the german watch of my collection one day when I can finally afford it. Hanhart has a long history of watchmaking and is an excellent german brand. The Hanhart Pioneer 417ES 1954 (link below).

https://www.watchbuys.com/store/pc/Hanhart-Pioneer-417-ES-1954-Chronograph-4p7002.htm

If you do NOT want a chronograph and a larger size works for you then I would also recommend this Hanhart Pioneer Preventer 9 for its vintage styling and clean lines. (link below)

https://www.watchbuys.com/store/pc/Hanhart-Pioneer-Preventor-9-Black-Dial-19p2142.htm

This Sinn Flieger Chronograph is a gorgeous size that makes it very wearable for those of us with smaller wrist and compared to some of their offerings doesn't bankrupt you to own though if your like me I would have to save up for this one. (link below)

https://www.watchshopping.com/sinn-instrument-chronographs-356-022-silicone-lfc-blk.html

Now for something on the more affordable end of things this Sternglas Naos automatic I think is an excellent bang for the buck watch but while the brand is german the movement is japanese. I do not have anything against miyota or seiko movements and watches with these movements tend to be more in my personal price range but it is just something to keep in mind.

https://www.sternglas.com/collections/all-watches/products/naos-automatik-black

Now last but definitely not least the SAR Rescue Timer by Muhle Glashutte. I think this is the ultimate tool watch that can handle most anything a normal person would throw at it. A watch meant to take a knocking and keep on working. This is probably my favorite all time tool watch.

https://www.muehle-glashuette.de/en/watch/s-a-r-rescue-timer-lumen-metal/

Well that is my .02 on German watches, let me know what you think 😉 @bulgarian

Love that triple threat!!

These pictures are of my first German watch and I decided to go for a Glashutte Original because I love “haute horology” and ALS is basically my grail Maison. And GO provides you with the best of Glashutte for a very reasonable price considering the amount of finishing involved. The brand is known for its exclusivity as only a few hundred pieces of any given model are produced annually. And you can still get a great discount on them from your AD. It’s kinda like owning a more affordable Brequet as the serial number is just 4 numerals- example: 24xx

I LOVE THAT.

Thank you kind sir! 😊

I don’t currently own any German watches, but GO and ALS make watches which are second to none.

I only have this one German watch and it was a gift from the girlfriend. I would love to own more but I don't fly around in that economic stratosphere.