Peter Henlein
Encyclopedia
Watchmaker
A watchmaker is an artisan who makes and repairs watches. Since virtually all watches are now factory made, most modern watchmakers solely repair watches. However, originally they were master craftsmen who built watches, including all their parts, by hand...
from Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
, is often considered the inventor of the portable timekeeper, making him the inventor of the watch
Watch
A watch is a small timepiece, typically worn either on the wrist or attached on a chain and carried in a pocket, with wristwatches being the most common type of watch used today. They evolved in the 17th century from spring powered clocks, which appeared in the 15th century. The first watches were...
, but this claim is disputed. His small, drum-shaped Taschenuhr, a portable watch which he built during his asylum from 1504 to 1508, could run for forty hours before it needed rewinding.
Although many sources erroneously credit Henlein with the invention of the mainspring
Mainspring
A mainspring is a spiral torsion spring of metal ribbon that is the power source in mechanical watches and some clocks. Winding the timepiece, by turning a knob or key, stores energy in the mainspring by twisting the spiral tighter. The force of the mainspring then turns the clock's wheels as it...
, descriptions and two surviving examples show that spring-driven clocks existed by the early 15th century.
Literature
- Jürgen Abeler: In Sachen Peter Henlein. Wuppertaler Uhrenmuseum, Wuppertal 1980
- Maren Winter: Der Stundensammler. Wilhelm Heyne Verlag, München 2004 (Roman), ISBN 3-453-40146-8,1510: Peter Henlein invents the pocket watch