The History

On March 4th, 1903 Heinrich Sattler received the Kaiserliche Patenturkunde Nr.163850 for his design of a perpetual calendar. Heinrich Sattler designed exactly the clock that he would like to buy, but never found. His grandson, Erwin Sattler, inherited his love for complicated and extraordinarily elegant clocks. The dream of this enthusiastic clockmaker was to build clocks of the highest quality by himself. Respect for the traditions of classical clock making, perfect craftsmanship and innovation were his aim. So in 1958 he founded his own company: Erwin Sattler München. In the middle of the 80`s his daughter Stephanie Sattler-Rick took over financial control and the clockmaker Richard Müller joined the management as technical leader. Together, they progressively transformed the company into a manufacturer. In 2002 Erwin Sattler retired and handed over his life's work to the next generation. Together Stephanie Sattler-Rick and Richard Müller lead the company in the ideals of its founder: clocks for generations to come. Erwin Sattler's dream came true. Today, the precision clocks of the Erwin Sattler factory, produced in small batches, are reckoned as the best in the world. Professionals as well as collectors regard them as the standard for technical innovation, elegance and highest quality. For almost 50 years we have only made clocks, that we would buy for ourselves, clocks, so high class they can be passed from generation to generation.

The Development
What Erwin Sattler and clock enthusiasts regard as precision depends on many factors. The more precise a mechanical clock has to be, the more important the details. Precisely cut teeth, the choice of the right material and reliable compensation for atmospheric influences increase the accuracy by only fractions of a second, but this is exactly what makes the difference between a clock and a precision pendulum clock. This is why the Erwin Sattler factory has its own research and development department. The only goal is to develop and optimize mechanical precision timekeepers. Here we use high-tech instruments to check historic theories and developments for their day to day practicality. The theoretical knowledge gained is put into prototypes. With computer aided calculation of gears, the use of gears with a high number of teeth and fitting the movements with jewels and ball-bearings we optimized the transmission of power. In this way we save up to 50 % of the normal driving weight, at the same time the longevity of the movement is extended significantly. To ensure quality we operate a unique laboratory that enables our designers to simulate environmental influences on a pendulum. In our pressure chamber, we check the effect of pendulums of different weights when air pressure changes, to determine the exact degree of compensation, which has previously been calculated mathematically. Therefore our clocks keep accurate time up to 1 sec/month. Using unusual materials we find new answers on old questions. Driving weights made of tungsten, invar pendulum rods, extremely low friction ball bearings and air pressure compensation aneroid are only some examples. Richard Müller, co-owner and technical leader of the Manufacture Erwin Sattler invests continuously in the research and development department to increase the technical progress. This gives our creative designers the opportunities they need for their ideas and visions.

The Manufacturing
With regard to our customers, we have only one goal: total satisfaction. This includes the design, quality and durability of our products. The long development process from the first sketch to the finished product is a well-balanced relationship between modern technology and traditional craftsmanship. Only this guarantees that every detail of a Sattler clock fully achieves our high expectations. The 25 employees at the Erwin Sattler factory daily live the dream: clocks for generations. For the production of our movement parts we use high-tech CNC machines, without them tolerances up to max. 1/100 mm would not be possible. But the most important factor when making high-quality precision pendulum clocks remains the human factor in finishing and assembling these examples of mechanical art. Guided by Richard Müller, the master clockmakers and clockmakers working in production, development and assembly, build the most accurate precision pendulum clocks in the world. All our movement parts are turned or milled from the solid metal. Following to the plans of the development department, highly precise parts are produced from hardened brass and steel are produced. Each of our 13 movements, produced in small batches, originates in our own development department. Our high quality cases are manufactured in Germany to our demanding specifications, by a company specializing in wood technology. We make manufacture about 90 % of each clock and can therefore be called a manufacturer. Men and clocks have one thing in common. They need a future. This is why we train young people to become clockmakers. Currently we have 4 clockmaker apprentices. Jan Münch, a Sattler apprentice, won the German watch and clock making competition in 2004, showing that this effort has positive results.

The Movement Quality
The Production of the up to 420 parts of our complex movements takes time. Engraving the scales for a silvered dial alone takes 50 minutes. A clockmaker needs a full working day to make a matching set of hands: the hour, minute and second hands. Each hand is filed in the traditional way to produce a half round shape, the clockmaker calls it "profiling". Afterwards the hands are sanded, polished, and heated with a gas flame until they have an even shiny blue color. Our plates, between which all moving parts are mounted, are made from hardened brass. They are up to 5 mm thick and extremely solid. Each bearing hole is individually positioned and drilled in our CNC controlled machine. This takes longer than simultaneous drilling in multi-spindle machines, but it is much more precise. The elegantly shaped wheels canters are not punched out, but are milled. They are mounted on solid, hardened, arbors with precisely milled teeth. For lasting protection against oxidation all brass parts are gold-plated. The use of agate pallets, jeweled bearings and modern ball bearings optimizes performance and avoids material wear. The clocks require relatively small driving weights and run a long time without servicing. The use of high-grade materials and our computerized machines, but most importantly the high standard that each employee expresses in his work, result in the unique Sattler quality. Completion of a new Sattler movement, before it can be fitted in its case, can take up to 2 years. A long time, but actually nothing, compared with the centuries a Sattler clock will last: clocks for generations.

The Case Quality
If you purchase a Sattler clock you should have one thing in mind. This timepiece will have other owners, because it will survive for generations. All the parts, the hidden and visible get the same care. For the production of our unique, elegant cases, the same guidelines apply as for our movements. We use only the best materials, combined with modern production methods and the traditional skills of the carpenter. Appearance, legibility, protection of the movement, stability and longevity, are musts for a Sattler case. The natural wood used for our cases must be dried for many years so that it does not warp. The slender fillets of the front doors in particular must be made thinner and thinner in several steps. Between each step, they must be stored for months. When all the parts have the correct dimensions, they are varnished. Between applying each of the 13 layers of varnish, the surface must be sanded by hand every time. This is why the varnishing of a Sattler case takes 14 days. As a result the surface is very smooth with a silky shine which, like everything on our clocks is extremely durable. Large, beveled and polished glazing guarantees the desired visibility. The dimensions of the facets and all proportions of a case are perfectly composed and are often inspired by antique clocks. This is the most important function of a Sattler case: timeless beauty. Precious long stored wood, beveled glass, high quality multi layered varnish and, most important, attention to detail, achieve the quality that you can expect from precision clocks from Erwin Sattler. Clocks for generations.