Watchatlas

Wempe

Hamburg, Germany · Est. 1878

Founded by Gerhard-D. Wempe

Wempe is a German luxury jeweller and watchmaker founded in 1878 by Gerhard Friedrich Wempe in Hamburg. Known for their flagship boutiques across Europe and their in-house Glashütte-based movement manufacture, Wempe produces high-end Swiss and German mechanical timepieces.

Founded
1878
Headquarters
Hamburg, Germany
Group
Other
Price Segment
Entry
Status
Active

Key Collections

  • Zeitmeister — Wempe Zeitmeister is an in-house Glashütte watch collection positioned alongside the brand’s other manufacture lines, offering classically styled German watches with chronometer-oriented positioning and traditional finishing details.
  • Chronometerwerke — Wempe Chronometerwerke is the brand’s precision-focused Glashütte line, emphasizing in-house chronometer testing, traditional Saxon watchmaking cues, and the most technically ambitious expression of Wempe’s own watch production.

Timeline

  • 1878 — Gerhard-D. Wempe founds his jewellery and watch retail business in Elmshorn, Germany.
  • 1900 — Wempe opens its Hamburg flagship store, beginning the brand's development into one of Germany's leading luxury watch retailers.
  • 1980 — Wempe establishes its own watch production facility in Glashütte, beginning the transition from pure retailer to watch manufacturer.
  • 1995 — Wempe opens a chronometer-testing observatory in Glashütte, enabling the brand to certify its watches in-house to strict accuracy standards.
  • 2010 — The Zeitmeister collection is expanded, establishing Wempe as a recognised independent manufacturer within the Glashütte watchmaking tradition.

Frequently Asked Questions about Wempe

Is Wempe a watch brand or a watch retailer?
Wempe is both. It is one of Germany's leading luxury watch and jewellery retailers, with boutiques carrying brands such as Rolex, Cartier, A. Lange & Söhne, and Omega. Simultaneously, it produces its own watches under the Wempe Zeitmeister and Chronometerwerke names, assembled in Glashütte and certified at its own observatory.
What is the Wempe Sternwarte in Glashütte?
The Wempe Sternwarte (observatory) is Wempe's own chronometer-testing facility in Glashütte, established to certify its watches in-house using standards similar to official observatory trials. Watches tested there receive a Wempe chronometer certificate, and the facility demonstrates the brand's serious commitment to precision timekeeping beyond its retail operations.

Visit Website ↗Instagram ↗

More Other watch brands

enfrdeiteshizhjaar