Gerhard D. WEMPE KG Division Chronometerwerke

Timepieces for seafaring

Wempe Chronometerwerke Maritim

Historic chronometers and ultramodern main and secondary clock systems.

The Wempe Chronometerwerke Maritim company, which was founded in 1905 under the name Chronometerwerke Hamburg, is the world’s only manufacturer of marine chronometers that has been operating continuously for over a century. Here, highly precise historic marine chronometers are still produced painstakingly by hand today. At the same time, the company has established itself as the global market leader for ultramodern main and secondary clock systems. All German research ships, as well as many international luxury cruise liners, are equipped with clock systems from Wempe Chronometerwerke Maritim.

Founded by Hanseatic ship owners

For centuries, the precise measurement of time was indispensable for navigation on the high seas. A ship’s precise position at sea could be calculated solely through the use of a sextant and a chronometer — an extremely precise clock that is impervious to changes in temperature and the movements of a ship. For centuries, England was the unquestioned leader in the field of chronometer manufacture. But in 1905, ship owners in Hamburg and Bremen joined forces to establish the Chronometerwerke Hamburg company so that they would no longer be dependent on lengthy repair and maintenance procedures for their chronometers abroad.

Marine chronometers for watch connoisseurs and skippers

In the age of GPS, marine chronometers are no longer essential for navigation on the high seas. However, they are still highly coveted items for collectors, traditional sailors and fans of historic ship fittings. Wempe marine chronometers are still made by hand today, in small series or to fill individual orders. In addition, the Chronometerwerke Maritim company produces traditional measuring instruments for marine navigation, such as barometers, comfortmeters and thermohygrometers, as well as traditional striking clocks.

The global market leader for ultramodern timekeeping systems on the high seas

Wempe has been the global market leader for ultramodern main and secondary clock systems since the 1970s. All German research ships and many international luxury cruise liners are equipped with clock systems from Wempe Chronometerwerke Maritim. These complex clock systems ensure that all of the clocks on board show the same time. In this system, a main clock, also known as a master clock, emits the control pulses for all of the secondary clocks that are connected with it. A luxury cruise liner such as the MS Europa 2 may have several hundred synchronized clocks on board. They show the local time (LT) and the coordinated universal time (UTC) on every deck and in every cabin.