In Schwenningen, Johannes Schlenker invented Kienzle in 1822. The company makes 20,000 wall clocks and pendulum clocks each year. After joining the Schlenker family in 1883, Jakob Kienzle continues to contribute to the expansion of the business. In 1893, 162,000 watches and alarm clocks are made annually. The new name of the business is Schlenker & KIENZLE.
From 1894 on, the “American System,” which uses standardized individual components and perforated plates, may drastically lower the weight and price of alarm clocks and wall clocks. At the time, this procedure is quite revolutionary. Jakob Kienzle assumed ownership of the business as of 1897, and through time, the name of the business changed to its current spelling, Kienzle. But the watch manufacture is also being expanded and upgraded constantly. Additionally, the worldwide operations are growing quickly. The Milan, Paris, and London branches open in the years that follow.
Kienzle introduces the time stamp clock to the market in 1900, followed by low-cost pocket watches, travel clocks, and women’s wristwatches. At that time, the first clocks for autos are also produced. In 1931, the so-called “Strapazier-Armbanduhr” is introduced. Due to its unique design, this watch is incredibly durable. With 25 million units sold, the watch model becomes a well-known item.
The World Time Clock and the Zodiac Clock, two table clocks in the higher price range, are first produced by Kienzle around the end of the ’30s. Following the Second World War, Kienzle’s reputation has continued with both new and established items, such as a parking meter outfitted with cutting-edge technology. In 1956, the so-called “Volksautomatik” makes its market debut and serves as yet another illustration of the company’s inventive goods. A rotor that spins in both directions provides power, and the lever is outfitted with ruby pins rather than steel ones.
The German market is dominated by Kienzle in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1972, the “Heliomat,” the first solar watch, and the first quartz movements were both created. In the next years, Kienzle is the first company to release a quartz travel alarm clock.
A novelty is the solar watch created in 1986 with light conditions and a polycrystalline solar generator. With a water resistance level of up to 12,000 meters, Kienzle creates the most water-resistant watch in the world at the start of the 1990s and introduces the first radio-controlled “satellite” alarm clock with an analog waking time option.
1996 saw the development of a brand-new radio-controlled movement: the smallest dual-motor radio-controlled movement with the quickest setup method. This movement, which is a global invention, shows the correct time in just five minutes.
Present
Kienzle is acquired by the Highway Holdings Group in 1997. But in 2002, just five years after leaving Germany, Kienzle established Kienzle AG. Since then, Kienzle has returned to his previous levels of success, and the company’s headquarters are in Hamburg. The business buys the global brand and distribution rights and launches the creation of three new watch lines in various price ranges.
In 2008, Kienzle relocates to its current headquarters in Hamburg-Harvestehude, a historic merchant’s home that perfectly embodies the company’s core principles of quality, history, and innovation. Future plans for Kienzle include a medium-sized lifestyle brand. The first expansion section to enter the market is Kienzle Optik. However, the brand’s primary product line will continue to be watches and clocks.
Corporate Philosophy
With approximately 200 years of corporate history, the firm is among the oldest watch brands in Germany. Kienzle is more than just a watch company; Kienzle represents German modern history, and the brand’s cutting-edge new collections are inspired by the country’s glorious past.
With unconventional design features and cutting-edge technology, quality and traditional elegance are united. All collections exhibit the company’s core characteristics, including tradition, innovation, precision, and a remarkable price-performance ratio.