JD Thies Hamburg Chronometer Age Determination
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Thies, Hamburg
- Master watchmaker / dealer in Hamburg , presumably active around 1900 – 1940/50 .
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The Hamburg address book from around 1910–1928 contains entries for:
“J. Thies – Watchmaker, Hamburg”
and > “Gebr. Thies” , also active in the city. - Thies was not a manufacturer , but managed a watchmaking business – similar to Koopmann (Bremen), Thie (Kiel) or Lidecke (Geestemünde).
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Most watches with the engraving “Thies – Hamburg”
They are of Swiss manufacture (A. Schild, FHF, Unitas, or Aegler) – regulated and sold in Hamburg
Typical watches
| Period | type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1895–1915 | Pocket watches | Silver case (0.800 / 0.900), enamel dial, Roman numerals, 15 rubies |
| 1915–1925 | Precision pocket watches | A. Schild AS 340 / 420, Arabic numerals, small seconds |
| 1925–1935 | Wristwatches | FHF 30 / AS 970, nickel or steel housing |
| 1935–1945 | Hand-wound wristwatches | A. Schild AS 1130 ("Wehrmacht factory"), partly military style |
| After 1950 | isolated post-war models | German or ETA movements, without enamel dials |
Serial numbers and dating
The serial numbers come from the manufacturing plants (Switzerland), not from Thies itself.
Nevertheless, the age can be narrowed down well based on known series genres:
| Serial number (approx.) | Movement manufacturer / Caliber | Time range |
|---|---|---|
| 200,000 – 400,000 | Aegler (vineyard type) | 1900 – 1915 |
| 400,000 – 600,000 | A. Schild AS 340 / 420 | 1915 – 1925 |
| 600,000 – 900,000 | A. Schild AS 970, FHF 29 / 30 | 1925 – 1935 |
| 900,000 – 1,200,000 | A. Schild AS 1130 (“Wehrmacht plant”) | 1935 – 1945 |
| > 1,200,000 | Durowe / ETA (post-war models) | after 1950 |
Stylistic notes
| feature | Probable timeframe |
|---|---|
| Enamel dial, Roman numerals | before 1915 |
| Arabic numerals, enamel or metal | 1910–1925 |
| Luminous numerals (radium) / Luminova | from 1915 |
| Printed metal dial | from 1930 |
| Small seconds at 6 o'clock | classic up to 1940 |
| Central second hand, shock protection (Incabloc) | after 1950 |
| Silver case 0.800 / 0.900 with crescent moon and crown | typical German import period (1910–1930) |
Thies, JD
German watch and chronometer maker [ 1 ] , watch exporter
Around 1877, J.D. Thies operated a wholesale and export business selling pocket watches at Schleußenbrücke No. 10 in Hamburg. In his advertisements, he emphasized his experience as a watchmaker. From 1880 onwards, he participated in chronometer testing at the German Naval Observatory in Hamburg.
Johann Diedrich Thies was a little-known chronometer maker from Hamburg. In the winter of 1880/81, it is recorded that he submitted two marine chronometers to the chronometer tests at the German Naval Observatory. They bore serial numbers 1 and 2 and placed 23rd and 24th out of 35 tested chronometers. His business address was listed as Neierwall 24 and Posterstrasse 1.
F. Dencker (c. 1835–1909) co-founded Chronometer Werke GmbH in Hamburg in 1905 and was its first technical director. For a brief period in the 1870s, he partnered with Theodor Knoblich, whose name is engraved on a very similar wall regulator, sold by Dr. H. Crott Auctions, 47th Auction, November 13, 1993, Lot 120.
It appears that he sold approximately 300 marine chronometers, initially purchased in England and later from Ulysse Nardin. It is also known that Kullberg supplied Knoblich with maritime chronometers.
Dencker's regulators are typical of the Hamburg or Altona style, based on Kessel's design, with a short anchor of only 6 1/2 teeth and the turning holes in a vertical line.
We would like to thank Karl Langer for his help in creating these notes.
Source: WatchWiki, AI, Christie's
