Kienzle Clocks

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Kienzle Clocks

Founding and Early Years (1822-1883)

Kienzle Uhren GmbH is Germany's oldest watchmaker. The company was founded by Johannes Schlenker in 1822 in Schwenningen, Germany, in the Black Forest region.

In 1822, Johannes Schlenker founded the company in Schwenningen, and it soon fabricated 20,000 wall clocks and pendulum clocks per year.

The company's history dates back to the first beginnings of the Black Forest clock industry. In 1822, master watchmaker Johannes Schlenker began crafting wooden clocks. In 1855, "night watchman control watches" were delivered all over the world.

Jakob Kienzle Takes Control (1883-1897)

In 1883, Jakob Kienzle married into the Schlenker family and became a partner in the company.

Jakob Kienzle (1859-1935) was the founder of a major German clock producing factory in the town of Schwenningen, Württemberg. Kienzle became a foster-son of Friedrich Mauthe after his father's early death and started to work in the Mauthe clock factory at the age of fourteen.

In 1893, 162,000 watches and alarm clocks were made per year. The company name was changed to Schlenker & Kienzle.

In 1897, Jakob Kienzle assumed full control of the company, renaming it Kienzle Uhrenfabrik.

Revolutionary Manufacturing Methods (1894-1900s)

From 1894 on, the weight and costs of alarm clocks and wall clocks could be significantly reduced by incorporating the "American System" with standardized individual components and perforated plates. This process was highly innovative at that time.

Under his leadership, Kienzle became one of the first clockmakers in Germany to adopt mass production techniques, revolutionizing the way clocks were manufactured. This allowed the company to produce high-quality timepieces at affordable prices, opening up a wider market both domestically and internationally.

Early Success

One of its earliest achievements came in 1902 with the development of a simplified, cost-effective alarm clock mechanism that proved extremely successful.

Already in 1903, production surpassed 1 million watches. Subsidiaries in London, Paris and Milan were established.

Global Expansion (1920s-1930s)

Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, Kienzle expanded internationally, establishing subsidiaries and export partnerships in Europe, South America, Africa, and Asia. The brand became synonymous with precision and modernity.

By the 1930s, it was the largest clock and watch manufacturer in Germany.

By 1939, Kienzle had over 3,500 employees and was making about 5 million wall-clocks and table clocks per year. It also had a virtual monopoly on the timepieces used on the dashboards of luxury cars, particularly for brands such as Rolls Royce and Bentley.

Premium Products

At the end of the 1930s, Kienzle started the manufacture of two table clocks in the upper price segment: the Zodiac Clock and the World Time Clock.

Corporate Consolidation (1920s-1930s)

In 1922, the conversion into a stock company happened, which in 1964 was converted into a GmbH (limited company).

In 1929, the Thomas Ernst Haller clock factory was merged into the Kienzle company, followed by DUFA (Deutsche Uhrenfabrik Leipzig and Schwenningen) in 1931. By 1939, shortly before the beginning of WW2, Kienzle had more than 6500 employees.

World War II Era (1939-1945)

During World War II, the company augmented the employed workforce with slave labor from Poland and other conquered areas. The factory produced and supplied a range of timing instruments and watches for the German and Axis armed forces. These included chronograph 8-day cockpit clocks for Messerschmitt and Heinkel aircraft as well as wrist and pocket watches for general purchase, and for the Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe.

Post-War Recovery and Innovation (1945-1970s)

After the Second World War, Kienzle continued production with established articles and new products like a parking meter equipped with the latest technology.

The "Volksautomatik" (1956)

In 1956, the "Volksautomatik" was introduced to the market. Energy is provided by a rotor that winds in both directions, and instead of steel pins, the lever is fitted with ruby pins.

Market Leadership

In the 1960s and 1970s, Kienzle became market leader in Germany.

In the 1960s, Kienzle produced dashboard clocks for Mercedes-Benz, Rolls-Royce and Bentley: both Series 1 Silver Shadow and Bentley T models were fitted with Kienzle clocks.

Kienzle timepieces from the 1950s-1970s often featured sleek lines, chrome or brass finishes, and modular designs that appealed to the aesthetics of the time. These pieces are now considered highly collectible among vintage design enthusiasts.

Technological Innovations (1972-1996)

Quartz and Solar Technology

In 1972, the first solar watch, "Heliomat," was produced as well as the first quartz movements.

In the following years, Kienzle was the first company to present a quartz travel alarm clock.

In 1986, Kienzle developed the first solar watch with light conditions and a polycrystalline solar element.

World Records

In the early 1990s, Kienzle developed the most water-resistant watch in the world which was resistant up to 12,000 meters. They also developed the world's first radio-controlled atomic alarm clock with an analogue alarm setting.

In 1996, a new radio-controlled movement was developed: the smallest dual-motor, radio-controlled movement with the fastest setting system. This movement displays the right time within just five minutes and is a world innovation.

The Quartz Crisis and Decline

Like many traditional clockmakers, Kienzle faced major challenges during the Quartz Crisis of the 1970s and 1980s. The influx of affordable, highly accurate quartz watches from Japan forced many European manufacturers to either adapt or disappear. Kienzle responded by expanding into quartz movements and digital timekeeping, releasing several models that retained the brand's signature styling while incorporating new technology.

Corporate Changes and Bankruptcy

In 1985, Kienzle took over the Württembergische Uhrenfabrik Bürk and continued it until 1996 under the name Bürk Zeitsysteme.

In 1989, the Kienzle watch factory was taken over by DUFA (Deutsche Uhrenfabrik). In 1992, Kienzle was renamed to DUFA. The company went bankrupt in 1996.

Modern Era: Revival and Relocations (1997-Present)

Asian Ownership

In 1997, Kienzle was taken over by the Highway Holdings Group.

In 1997, the company was acquired by the group Highway Holdings, Hong Kong, and the production was moved to China.

Return to Germany

But only five years later in 2002, Kienzle returned to Germany with the establishment of Kienzle AG. Since that time, the headquarters have been in Hamburg, Germany.

The company purchased worldwide brand and distribution rights and began with the development and fabrication of three new watch collections in different price segments.

In 2008, Kienzle moved into the current headquarters, a merchant's house in Hamburg-Harvestehude.

Recent Bankruptcies

Beginning of 2010, Kienzle had to file for bankruptcy again, followed by a restructuring.

The German company had to file for bankruptcy in 2010, and attempts to restart business ended in another bankruptcy in 2014.

The Italian Connection

In the 1920s and '30s, Kienzle, which had begun to add pocket and wristwatches to its product lines, already had a branch in Milan for the production of clock cases and the assembly of movements, and the distribution of products on the Italian market. This was officialized as S.I.O.K. (Società Italiana Orologi Kienzle) in 1933, in a branch led by brothers Massimo and Riccardo Weyler, brothers who had previously worked in Schwenningen, but the war forced the parent company to close the Italian subsidiary.

After the war, the Italian company was rescued by the Weyler brothers, who gradually shifted production towards wristwatches. In 1954, their cousins Gerhard and Gunther Weyler took over the Italian company's leadership. In September 2002, Emanuel Weyler, representing the third generation of the family, stepped into the driving seat. Today, Kienzle watches are distributed almost exclusively in Italy, with a grassroots network of retail points of sale.

Legacy and Collectibility

Today, the Kienzle name is still active—though it exists in a different form. The brand was revived in the early 2000s, focusing on retro-styled wristwatches and fashion-forward timepieces that pay homage to the company's legacy. While manufacturing is no longer based in Schwenningen, the Kienzle label continues to evoke its heritage of German engineering, elegant design, and timekeeping innovation.

Vintage Kienzle clocks and watches—particularly those made from 1900-1970—remain popular among collectors, prized for their build quality and stylish designs.

The traditional Kienzle logo often featured stylized type with the word "KIENZLE", and sometimes incorporated a winged hourglass or clock face emblem. Movement plates were usually marked with "Made in Germany" or "Kienzle" along with movement numbers, aiding in identification and dating.

Important Note on Dating

Kienzle movements cannot, at this time, be dated by serial numbers.

Kienzle's story spans over two centuries from Black Forest craftsmanship to industrial mass production, from dashboard clocks in Rolls-Royces to pioneering solar and radio-controlled technology, making it one of the most significant names in German horological history.