2006 TZ Tour Day 5 - Glashütte Original Page 1

2006 TimeZone Tour

Day 5 - Visit to Glashütte Original

by Michael Sandler

May 2007

After a nice lunch at Lange, it was time to make our way up the street to the manufacture of Glashütte Original, which would be the final visit of the 2006 TZ Watch Tour. For many of us, this visit also became the highlight of the tour.

The Glashütte Original building itself is extremely modern and very impressive. Once inside the front entrance, one is met with a view of a huge skylit atrium, around which the manufacture is built. Around the periphery of the atrium are showcases housing the very impressive collection.

There is also a separate showroom area housing a number of historical pieces in addition to representative pieces from the company's modern lines.

Here we see watches representing the Karree, Senator and Panodate lines.

Here are a number of historical pieces, a good representation of the town of Glashütte's long watchmaking history.

Very shortly after we arrived, we were met and welcomed to the manufacture by Dr.Frank Müller, Chief Executive Officer of Glashütte Original. You can read a TZ interview with Dr. Müller from 2003 by clicking here, and I am pleased to say that Dr. Müller has graciously consented to another interview which will be published soon. Dr. Müller was kind enough to introduce us not only to the company itself, but also spoke about the watchmaking tradition in Glashütte and about the GO building itself. I am still amazed that a town of approximately 2,500 people could house such a long and significant watchmaking history.

The company prides itself on accessibility, and welcomes the public for tours and factory viewings twice a day. Over a one year period, approximately 7,000 people visit the factory here. Generally however, the public tours do not enter the workshops themselves. I am very pleased to say, however, than an exception was made for our group, and you will be able to see photographs of almost everything we saw.

At the time of the tour, Glashütte Original employed 292 people, including 45 apprentices. Though the company does not publish specifics, total watch production is, per Dr. Müller, "substantially less than 10,000 pieces per year".

Members of our group listen to Dr. Müller's introduction.

Click here to continue to Part 2