1948
- The watch manufacturer A. Lange & Söhne is nationalized and renamed to Lange VEB.
- Heinrich Stamm, a development engineer of the watch manufacturer Eterna, succeeds in developing a miniature ball bearing, which is a largely wear-free bearing of the weight segment of a self-winding drive. This is used in the Eterna-Matic ladies automatic watch.
- IWC brings out the legendary pilot's watch Mark XI, which is in use as official watch at the British Air Force for 25 years.
- Omega presents the dive watch series Seamaster, which also has become a classic.
- Hanhart developes a chronograph, designed especially for medicians and officers and whose name is "Admiral".
- The Jaeger-LeCoultre Powerwind Cal. 481 is the first production watch with a power reserve indicator.