Erwin Sattler GmbH & Co. KG
The Manufactory
The small family-owned company Erwin Sattler Stiluhren, founded in 1958, has become a globally operating enterprise over the last 52 years. Thanks to permanent general improvements in quality – chiefly within the last decade – and the meticulously cultivated precision pendulum clock product lines, Sattler is practically without competition today. At Sattler it is not only clocks that are created. We manufacture fixtures that may become the visual focus of an office or living space. For this reason, we not only place value on the finest workmanship and highest precision in our workshop in Gräfelfing (near Munich); aesthetics play just as important a role for these precious timekeepers. A Sattler clock should not only display the precise time, but also be a joy to the eye. For this reason, the long chain of development from the first sketch of the movement to its completion in our workshops takes place under the aegis of a balanced synthesis of the most modern manufacturing technologies and a century-old craft. Only this guarantees that a Sattler clock will live up to our high expectations – and yours. We begin by manufacturing the so-called ébauche using the most modern computer-controlled production centers. These precision tools complete their tasks precisely to the hundredth of a millimeter. Tolerances above and beyond that are not accepted. Ensuing finishing touches are characterized by the extensive talents and skills of our experienced watchmakers.
Precision and Perfection
Precision and Perfection
AN IMPOSING CLOCK
These days, Sattler produces timekeepers of almost every size and shape. The façade of the company’s factory itself is dominated by a twelve-meter-high glass tower housing the largest precision pendulum clock in the world, boasting a pendulum length of almost eight meters. Stephanie Sattler-Rick and Richard Müller, owners of the Sattler manufacture, were convinced that manufacturing such a giant precision clock would offer an exciting challenge. More precisely expressed, Monumentum Temporis is the 6.25-time enlargement of a Sattler precision pendulum clock that has already been manufactured more than 1,000 times. The tower is fully illuminated at night, and thirteen giant glass panels allow a fascinating view of the regulator dial, 160 cm in diameter, while three blued hands – true to the style of oldfashioned observatory clocks – display the seconds, minutes, and hours on separate dials. The painstakingly milled, goldplated brass gears and delicate Graham escapement can be viewed not only through a cutaway in the dial, but also through the side panels of the tower. In keeping with the motto that a pendulum clock is only as precise as its pendulum, the temperature and air pressure compensation pendulum is made of several different materials. The exactly coordinated dimensions of the carbon, brass, stainless steel, and aluminum ensure that the 7.8-meter pendulum maintains a precise frequency of 0.2 Hz (5 seconds per swing) even at varying temperatures. The precision clock is wound mechanically once a week from inside the building using a winding crank. The movement is powered during winding via a Huygens endless-chain winding mechanism, typical in its dual weights of different sizes. By building this unique precision clock, Erwin Sattler wanted to »mark« time – both for Germany as a production location, and far beyond its borders.
A VERY SMALL CLOCK
The smallest product of this clock manufactory is an automatic wristwatch featuring an engraved gold rotor, a regulator display, and a jumping second hand that springs forward with the tact of the second itself. This Sattler wristwatch was created on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the company’s founding and has since become a popular and successful model. The Regulateur Classica Secunda features an exact miniature version of the very successful wall clock Classica Secunda 1985’s regulator dial, but with all the characteristics of a fine mechanical wristwatch: As on the original, this wristwatch’s dial is made of solid sterling silver (925/000) and sports four screws. With regard to our customers, we at Sattler have only one goal: satisfaction in every way. This is equally true for the design, quality, and longevity of our products. For this – reason, the long development chain from the first sketch of the movement all the way to the final assembly takes place in our workshops under consideration of a balanced synthesis comprising the most modern production methods and a century-old craft. Only this guarantees that a Sattler clock, down to the last detail, corresponds to our high demands – and especially yours. The twenty-five employees of the Erwin Sattler manufactory therefore live the dream every day: they have the pleasure of making clocks that last for generations.
Movement Quality, Made in Germany
Exceptionally small driving weights and unusually long maintenance intervals are the positive result. Consistent use of high-grade materials, our own milling and computerized machines, and above all the high standard that each employee demands of him or herself make the unique Sattler quality possible. It can be up to two years before a new Sattler movement is finally encased. This seems like a long time, but it is actually very little compared to the centuries a clock made in the Erwin Sattler manufactory will have to live. We are passionately dedicated to making clocks that will continue to bring joy to future generations – and that justifies just about any amount of effort.Case Quality
Naturally, only the best materials are used in order to permanently guarantee the highest quality thanks to transparency, optimal legibility, reliable protections, and stability. The precious wood used for our cases must be dried for many years so that it does not warp. In particular, the front doors’ especially thin trim must reach its final thickness over the course of several steps. Between each of these steps, the wood is stored for longer amounts of time to acclimate. Only when all the parts have reached their final dimensions, are they assembled in many demanding steps to become a complete case. The surface is sanded by hand before applying each of the thirteen layers of varnish. This is why the varnishing of a Sattler case alone takes fourteen days. As a result, the surface is wonderfully smooth with a silky shine and, like all the details of our clocks, is extremely durable. Large, polished glass, faceted at its edge, additionally underscores a desired transparency on some of our clocks. The width of the facets is perfectly harmonized with all the other proportions when the clock is designed. Our designers usually orient themselves on historical models, with the result being what defines the basic elements of Sattler’s cases: a classic appearance and timeless elegance. This attention to detail coupled with the traditional art of the craft makes a quality possible on all of our cases that makes a precision clock from the Erwin Sattler manufactory a recognized masterpiece and thus a valuable heirloom for generations.Research and Development
What is regarded by both Erwin Sattler and connoisseurs of fine mechanical timekeepers as precision is something that depends on many factors. Often times, less obvious little details make for the famous cherry on top: optimally shaped teeth for a light, friction-free gear train; the right selection of materials, and the most perfect compensation possible for atmospheric influences. Each of these parameters often increases rate precision by only fractions of a second, but the sum of these details is exactly what makes a clock into a precision pendulum clock. A research and development department at the Erwin Sattler factory passionately takes care of these many details – here the task is to continually optimize and develop mechanical precision timekeepers. In this department, modern measuring technology is utilized to examine the day-to-day practicality of historical theories and inventions in the twenty-first century. Before the knowledge gained is allowed to flow into the production process, it is extensively tested on prototypes.
Atmosphere
IN THE MANUFACTORY
Two years go by. On a high-performance computer screen, lines, circles, and curves fit together to form secretive design plans. CNC-controlled machines drill precise holes in the base plates, turn thin arbors, and mill intelligently shaped teeth. Miniscule balls create precision bearings for the arbor’s pivots. Schooled craftsmen give steel poire and Breguet hands their inimitably slim shape, then carefully temper them over a flame to give them their wonderfully deep blue color. Somewhere else in the manufactory, magic hands create two moons and a number of shiny stars on a round metal disk. Or they cut wood intarsia, putting them together to make a wonderful work of art. Glass panes are faceted and polished. All the while, and with great patience and care, experienced clockmakers assemble fascinating microcosms that divide the passing of time into measurable parts. Without rushing, these works of art are adjusted and regulated so that they can fulfill their task with optimal precision. Carefully packaged up for delivery, the end product is finally on the way to a retailer that has been qualified as a suitable partner for the Erwin Sattler manufactory.
SOMEPLACE ELSE
Your house or apartment during this time: you’ve leafed through the catalogue again and again, looking at the pictures and studying the texts. You’ve discussed it all with your Sattler dealer. And then, one day, it happens: your Erwin Sattler precision clock arrives. You notice right away that something has changed for you at home. The timelessly elegant design decorates any room; gentle ticking creates an inimitable atmosphere in the room where it hangs.
You literally feel how the daily grind makes way for peace and quiet. Thoughtfully, you watch the ponderous swings of the pendulum, every move inspiring you. In your mind, you make a journey back to times when electronics did not yet play a role. You feel how the sonorous ticking of your clock touches you, the masterpiece embodying value and tradition. You become conscious of how this seemingly anachronistic object defies these fast-paced times of our era with ease and charm within your four walls.
