Namesakes
Historic personalities as namesakes for our watches
Our watches are dedicated to selected rulers of the large mural of the House of Wettin, one of the oldest families of the German nobility. This mural is in the historic center of the Saxon state capital – our hometown – Dresden and is called the “Procession of Princes” (Fürstenzug). It impressively shows the ancestral portraits on tile mosaics made of Meissen porcelain. On this immortalized are the ancestral portraits of the 35 margraves, electors, dukes and kings between 1123 and 1904.
Anthony the Kind
King of Saxony
+ 6.6.1836 in Pillnitz
Anton, a fifthborn and passionate about music and genealogy, was not destined to govern. He wanted to become a clergyman, but eventually took over the throne of his deceased brother as a middle-aged man. During revolutionary times he acted with cautiousness, tolerance and understanding, thus the people called him „the Kind“.
FRIEDRICH AUGUST I, THE STRONG
AUGUST II, KING OF POLAND
+ 1.2.1733 in Warschau
The reign of Friedrich August I was a unique and glamourous period of Saxony’s politics and culture. The FRIEDRICH AUGUST I. model pays homage to the love for art and taste for beauty of Friedrich August.
JOHANN,
KING OF SAXONY
+ 29.10.1873 in Pillnitz
The highly educated and artistically gifted monarch, King Johann, not only translated Dante’s “Divine Comedy” into German, but also created several own works. He examined and renewed numerous aristocratic rules and led Saxony’s economy into a blooming period of economic development.
ELECTOR MORITZ
OF SAXONY
+ 11.7.1553 in Sievershausen
As one of the most important rulers of Saxony, the elector Moritz combined political and military talent with an interest for culture. He ruled Saxony from Dresden with political delicacy and laid the foundation for a cultural as well as a political revival of that town.
KING ALBERT
OF SAXONY
+ 19.6.1902 in Sibyllenort
As a general in the army, the son of King Johann proved his great military skills and played a big role in encouraging the social development of Saxony. His 30-year reign took place in the age of industrialization of Germany, in which Saxony became an economic heavyweight.
KONRAD I THE GREAT
COUNT OF WETTIN
+ 5.2.1157
With self-assurance and the right touch of politics, the name Wettin was brought to the Saxony of today. So, he’s the progenitor and laid the foundation for future sovereigns. This is why he heads the Procession of the Princes of Saxony at Dresden castle.
AUGUSTUS I. ELECTOR OF SAXONY
+ 11.2.1586 in Dresden
Augustus I. who called himself Augustus became elector of Saxony after the death of his brother Moritz. He laid the foundation for the famous art and science collections of the Dresden Court. Mechanical timepieces being one of his greatest passions.
HEINRICH
MARGRAVE OF MEISSEN
LANDGRAVE OF THURINGIA
+ 1288 in Dresden
Justice and dignity marked Heinrich’s III reign during the age of the knighthood, which earned him the nickname “illustre”. He hosted large celebrations and tournaments to symbolize his power and showed sensitivity for culture and beauty.
FRIEDRICH II
MARGRAVE OF MEISSEN
LANDGRAVE OF THURINGIA
+ 18.11.1349 auf der Wartburg
Margrave Friedrich II accepted his inheritance as a child at the age of 13. Despite years of war and adversity, he consolidated the economic and political power of Saxony. Friedrich was knighted at the age of 29. With his upright and disciplined lifestyle, he withstood the proliferations of chivalry during his time.
FRIEDRICH III
MARGRAVE OF MEISSEN
LANDGRAVE OF THURINGIA
+ 21.5.1381 in Altenburg
In 1349, Friedrich III took over the lands of Thuringia and Meissen from his father, governing them together with his brothers. During his regency, Friedrich III consolidated the inner structure of the country. He pursued the increase of Wettin’s properties and internally expedited the development of public administration with determination.
GEORG THE BEARDED
DUKE OF SAXONY
+ 17.04.1539 in Dresden
A romantic story! As sign of his love and deep grief, Georg grew a beard after the death of his beloved wife Barbara. Henceforth he was called “The Bearded”.
During his lifetime, Georg was a highly religious ruler with a strict attitude to morality. He took care of an economically and financially consolidated Saxony up until old age.
