Perfect handiwork, grand science and stylish representation – these are the values to which we at the CHRONOS-Manufaktur feel bound.

The CHRONOS-Manufaktur® is one of the few instrument-makers anywhere in the world creating special sundials, astrolabes und armillary spheres based on historical originals and at the same time tailored to customers' wishes. As astronomers, engineers, and creators of precision machines that are works of art, our interdisciplinary team builds unique astronomical instruments. They reproduce the classical elegance of the original instruments and their timeless design is sure to delight the eye of the beholder.

The picture shows Prof. Walther Bauersfeld (1879 - 1959) with the planetarium projector which he developed. The patent application filed by the firm Carl Zeiss Jena dated 17 October 1922 was "for a device for projecting heavenly bodies on a spherical projection screen". Since that time, about 500 planetariums of this type have been sold around the world. But the Zeiss planetarium in Jena is something special: it is the oldest projection planetarium in the world but it is also equipped with the most modern technology. The desire of the Deutsches Museum in Munich to explain the movements in the heavens to visitors was the trigger for this astounding feat of engineering. In the year 1913 the company Carl Zeiss Jena was commissioned with realising this project. The crucial impulse came from Prof. Walther Bauersfeld. At the time he was employed by Carl Zeiss and it was he who had the idea of "projecting images of the sun, moon and planets onto the interior surface of a sheet-metal sphere". A brilliant idea was born. Prof. Walther Bauersfeld worked on putting it into practice. He combined a large number of projectors to cast images of the celestial bodies onto the firm, white hemispherical dome of a darkened auditorium. The projectors were controlled by a series of electric motors and gearing systems, so that the courses of the sun, moon and stars were reproduced in a realistic manner. This was a world premiere. At the time people spoke justifiably of the "Wonder of Jena."

Source: Zeiss Planetarium in Jena

All our creations combine aesthetic handicrafts, precious metals and functional precision. Both in public exhibitions and in private use, our instruments are unforgettable works of art that preserve the history of science

Each of our instruments is unique and is therefore numbered individually. We build each piece to the greatest precision and in loving detail. Our astrolabes are produced in co-operation with the renowned Swiss maker of astrolabes Martin Brunold. He is regarded as an authority on the subject of historical astrolabes. Our armillary spheres are oriented on historical originals from the time of Kepler, Brahe and Copernicus. We see our sundials as astronomical sculptures expressing today's zeitgeist. This is not the only reason that they regularly appear as popular exhibits in specialist shows. We continue to develop their mechanical functionality and shape their designs to customers' wishes. They too have the special elegance that characterises all astronomical measuring instruments from the CHRONOS-Manufaktur®.

When it comes to an individual design for one of our instruments, we ensure that all the customer's wishes are satisfied. We will be happy to advise you, deliver the instrument, and help you to set it up and adjust it. All of our pieces come with a lifetime guarantee. Stylish mechanisms and the highest quality 'Made in Germany'.

Torsten Hiller
CHRONOS Manufactory ®