Although Switzerland is Europe’s most well-known destination for the manufacture of luxury watches, Germany has made a name for itself, especially in recent years. This is best seen in Wempe watches, which have a unique identity both for design and movement. These German watches emphasize minimalist design, while some display more advanced mechanical movements with base plates that are about three quarters in size.

Origins Of Wempe

Wempe is based in Hamburg and is both a manufacturer and retailer of watches. The company was first established in 1878 and has branches in other parts of Europe and New York. It has become best known for two models that it released after its partnership was formed with Nomos Glashutte in 2006, which are the Wempe Chronometerwerke and Wempe Zeitmeister.

The company also has a workshop for chronometers as well as a testing center, which is located in the Wempe Observatory, a facility that was once used for astronomy with lots of telescopes and star gazing tools. Each watch designed by the company must be in compliance with the DIN German standard (8319). The Annual Calendar edition merges the day of the week, date, moon phase and month in a manner that is the most advanced of the Zeitmeister line.

Wempe Design Characteristics

The dial of Wempe watches tend to convey lots of info on sub dials which are separate. Some, like the Zeitmeister Sport Diver, incorporate a black color which is casual, with additional functionality and numerous safety features. It is contained in a case that is 45 mm and is built for divers and aquanauts who are fashion conscious and who plan to go 300 meters deep and will need to measure their time intervals at such depths.

Wempe watches are also known to be scratch resistant, with ceramic bezel that has unidirectional rotation. The chronographs of their watches may be controlled by multiple push buttons that can be found near the crown side protectors, and some, like the Valjoux 7750 have a power reserve of 48 hours. The decision of Wempe to partner with Nomos has led to a number of additional design changes.

Nomos is best known for its minimalist and sleek style, as well as its mechanical movements. The partnership has allowed Wempe to significantly expand its selection of watches, particularly those that utilize movements which are automatic. The automatic movement of some models can reach a power reserve of one hundred hours with a finish that is striped and well refined. The CW 4 is important among Wempe watches as it is the very first automatic caliber to be manufactured in house. It has an outstanding power reserve that is as long as ninety two hours. Its movement is contained within a watch that uses a date display with a traditional three hand. Wempe watches, like their Swiss counterparts are costly and exceptional in quality.