VEB Glashütter Uhrenbetriebe (GUB)/en

VEB Glashütter Uhrenbetriebe (GUB)

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The Glashütter Uhrenbetriebe (GUB) was formed in 1951 as a fusion of a number of nationalised watch, clock and instrument companies from in and around Glashütte, near the Czech border south of Dresden. As with other state-owned conglomerates in East Germany, the Glashütter Uhrenbetrieb was a "Volkseigene Betrieb" (VEB) which translates more or less a "People's Company".

The companies combined into GUB included VEB Mechanik Lange & Söhne (which was the nationalised A. Lange & Söhne) and VEB Messtechnik (which was the nationalised Mühle & Sohn).

Following the reunification of Germany, VEB Glashütter Uhrenbetriebe was re-privatised by the Treuhandanstalt, an organisation set up to take control of the many thousand VEBs and either privatise or close them. After privatisation, the company became Glasshütter Uhrenbetrieb GmbH (GmbH is the equivalent of a Private Limited Company).

The new company used the Kaliber GUB 10-30 movement family, which had been developed during the GDR period, as well as other movements inherited from VEB Glasütter Uhrenbetriebe. Swiss ETA movements were also used. Watches were produced under the brand names 'GUB' and 'Glashütte Original'.

Privatisation was completed in November 1994, with the brands 'Glashütte Original' and 'Union' being used. In 1997, a spin-off company Union Uhrenfabrik GmbH Glashütte was created for the 'Union' brand.