Chronometer works Hamburg Chronometer Age determination Wempe Lange & Söhne
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Historical overview
Chronometerwerke Hamburg was founded in 1905 to manufacture precision marine chronometers and fine watches in Germany.
Important dates:
1905–1915: Production mainly of marine chronometers .
From 1916 onwards: Production of wristwatches began in small series.
1938: Takeover by Wempe – thereafter “Chronometerwerke Hamburg/Wempe”.
After 1945: Reconstruction; the Wempe Chronometerwerke branding was partially retained.
| Serial number | Period | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 – 500 | ca. 1905–1908 | early marine chronometers |
| 500 – 1500 | ca. 1909–1914 | with "Chronometerwerke Hamburg" engraving |
| 1500 – 3000 | 1915–1930 | Transition period, partly still without Wempe |
| from 3000 | after 1938 | mostly with Wempe or Glashütte components |
(These values are guidelines, not an official register.)
3 Movement and Case Features
Early clocks (1905–1915): High-precision ship's clocks, heavy brass cases, nickel-plated or chrome-plated.
Interwar period: Small, high quality, often silver cases, hand-engraved.
After 1938 with Wempe reference: More uniform series production, often with the "Wempe Chronometerwerke Hamburg" or "CW" signature. 4. Labeling and logos
| lettering | Period | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| "Chronometer Works Hamburg" | ca. 1905–1938 | Original founding brand |
| “CW” or “C.W. Hamburg” | ca. 1910–1925 | Short form, sometimes inside the work |
| “Wempe Chronometerwerke Hamburg” | from 1938 | After the takeover by Wempe |
| “Wempe Glashütte i. Sa.” | from 2005 | Brand revival |
Early clocks (1905–1915): High-precision ship's clocks, heavy brass cases, nickel-plated or chrome-plated.
Interwar period: Small, high quality, often silver cases, hand-engraved.
After 1938 with Wempe reference: More uniform series production, often with "Wempe Chronometerwerke Hamburg" or "CW" signature.
🧾 4. Labeling and logos
| lettering | Period | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| "Chronometer Works Hamburg" | ca. 1905–1938 | Original founding brand |
| “CW” or “C.W. Hamburg” | ca. 1910–1925 | Short form, sometimes inside the work |
| “Wempe Chronometerwerke Hamburg” | from 1938 | After the takeover by Wempe |
| “Wempe Glashütte i. Sa.” | from 2005 | Brand revival |
In 1905, Ferdinand Dencker and several Hamburg shipowners founded Chronometerwerke GmbH, located at Neue Gröninger Straße 22-24 in Hamburg. Dencker was initially the managing director, followed by the regulator Ernst William Meier until 1929 , Charles Heinrich Möller from 1929 to 1937 , and Friedrich Leutert from 1937 to 1942. From 1908 to 1938, approximately 1,000 marine chronometers and ship's clocks were manufactured at the Hamburg Chronometerwerke. 402 of these high-quality instruments were submitted to the German Naval Observatory for official accuracy testing, and 32 received awards at chronometer competitions. On January 1, 1938, Herbert Wempe took over Chronometerwerke GmbH, which was then renamed Chronometerwerke after his father, Gerhard D. Wempe.
For the observation and pilot's watches required by the German Wehrmacht from 1940 onwards, Wempe used the rose gold-plated bridge caliber Revue Thommen 31. In 1942, the Gerhard D. Wempe Chronometerwerke began manufacturing the patented standard chronometers . After the end of the Second World War, production continued under trusteeship until 1949 .
Source: Watchwiki, AI
