Glashtte Original Opens New Dial Manufacture In Pforzheim Germany

April 15, 2013

Inspecting Various Dial Components Last month, Glashtte Original opened their new dial factory in Pforzheim, Germany, further integrating their production process. While many high-end manufactures can boast true in-house movements, dial creation is an entirely different art from watchmaking and there are a handful of producers supplying dials to many of the top marques. Let's take a closer look at this new facility and what it means for the future of Glashtte Original. Applying Finishing Touches When we took you inside Glashtte Original's manufacture back in February, we emphasized how seriously the brand takes integration. They train tooling experts alongside their watchmakers, ensuring they can produce as many components in-house and on site as possible. When you're in a small village in the middle of Saxony, instead of in the bustling watchmaking hubs of Switzerland, this is a real necessity. Taking A Closer Look Just a few hours down the road from Glashtte is Pforzheim, where the new dial manufacture is housed. Swatch Group bought the dial manufacture in 2006 and it has been making dials exclusively for Glashtte Original since early 2012, but renovations and improvements were needed to fulfill the manufacture's requirements. The Early Stages Of Dial Making There are 48 employees in the 1,300 square meter facility, though Glashtte Original plans to double the number in the coming years. This factory is also taking a cue from the Glashtte headquarters, inaugurating five dial maker trainee positions as well. These dial makers do everything from producing the .8mm-thick dial blanks to applying finishes and markers. Some processes like sunburst finishing are also carried out on movement components back in Glashtte, while dial printing is its own art entirely. It's great to see high-end manufactures working to constantly improve and streamline their processes, and we encourage you to check out the results on Glashtte Original's website as well.