Johannes Raabe Glashütte Chronometer Age Determination
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Johannes Raabe, Glashütte (Saxony)
- Johannes Raabe (born 1868 – died around 1930s) was a master watchmaker from Glashütte , Germany.
- Trained watchmaker from the German Watchmaking School Glashütte , active from about 1890 to 1930 .
- He manufactured, repaired and signed precision pendulum clocks, marine chronometers and pocket watches , sometimes under his own name.
- Alongside Ludwig Strasser, Gustav Becker or Strasser & Rohde, Raabe was one of the highly qualified individual watchmakers in Glashütte.
Many of his works were one-off pieces or small series , often for observatories, universities, or naval equipment.
Serial numbers and approximate timelines
Since Raabe was not a large company, there is no official serial number list , but by comparing known watches in museums and auctions, the movement number can be placed in a good chronological order:
| Serial number (approx.) | Production period | Typical characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Nos. 1 – 30 | ca. 1890 – 1900 | Early precision pendulum clocks, engraved plates, simple rate regulations |
| Nos. 30 – 80 | ca. 1900 – 1910 | Improved chronometer escapement, signature “Johannes Raabe / Glashütte Sa.” |
| Nos. 80 – 150 | ca. 1910 – 1920 | Marine and observatory clocks, mostly in brass cases, finely engraved |
| Nos. 150 – 220 | ca. 1920 – 1925 | Precision table clocks, deck clock movements, ½-second strike |
| > 220 | ca. 1925 – 1930 | Late works, some in collaboration with students from the Glashütte school |
Features for dating without a serial number
| feature | Chronological context |
|---|---|
| Hand-engraved cursive lettering “J. Raabe Glashütte” | before 1910 |
| Sans-serif engraving (machine style) | after 1915 |
| Brass or nickel plates, finely brushed | 1900–1920 |
| Adjustment screws for fine-tuning | typical after 1905 |
| Engraved scales for pendulum length | 1910–1925 |
Raabe, Johannes ( 1870 - 1935 )
Glashütte watch and chronometer makers.
Johannes Raabe was born in Dresden on December 13 , 1870. He worked for the Glashütte chronometer maker L. Jensen . He submitted his first chronometer for testing at the German Naval Observatory in Hamburg in 1916/1917 . He obtained the movements from Paul Stübner . After 1931, Raabe manufactured chronometers for A. Lange & Söhne , among others.
Johannes Raabe died on February 3, 1935
Source: Watchwiki, AI
