Sigmund Riefler
Sigmund Riefler (9 August 1847 – 21 October 1912) was a German physicist, inventor and precision clockmaker.
Sigmund Riefler

Karel K. · Buch: C.Dietzschold · Public domain
- Name
- Sigmund Riefler
- Born
- 9 August 1847
- Birthplace
- Maria Rain
- Died
- 21 October 1912
- Place of death
- Munich
- Education
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
- Known for
- Riefler escapement
- Nationality
- Germany
- Occupation
- physicist · entrepreneur · watchmaker
- Fields
- horology
- Honours
- honorary doctor of the University of Munich · John Scott Award
- Languages
- German
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
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Documentary summary
Sigmund Riefler (9 August 1847 – 21 October 1912) was a German physicist, inventor and precision clockmaker.
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Note VALÉORINE
Sigmund Riefler (1847–1912) was a German entrepreneur, physicist and watchmaker. Born in Maria-Rain, the entrepreneur died in Munich.
Sigmund Riefler studied at Technical University of Munich. The entrepreneur was active in horology.
Languages used include German. Sigmund Riefler received honorary doctor of the University of Munich and John Scott Award.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 26 September 2026
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wikidata · Q99897 · wikipedia · Sigmund Riefler
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Sigmund Riefler • Born — 9 August 1847 • Birthplace — Maria Rain • Died — 21 October 1912 • Place of death — Munich • Fields — Horology • Education — Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München • Known for — Riefler escapement
Life
Life
Sigmund Riefler was born on 9 August 1847 to Magdalena and Clemens Riefler in Maria Rain (Oy-Mittelberg). He studied mathematics, geodesy and mechanical engineering at the Technical University of Munich, and then physics and astronomy at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München. From 1870, he worked as an engineer in the Royal Prussian Land Survey, surveying land in Schleswig. In 1876 after the death of his father, he took over the firm of Clemens Riefler with his two brothers, Adolf and Theodor. Sigmund worked mainly on new developments in the area of drawing instruments and precision clocks, while his brothers handled the technical, sales and management of the company. In 1878, he settled in Munich, to be in contact with the local scientific community. He invented the Riefler escapement which was patented in 1889. He died in Munich on 21 October 1912 at the age of 65. • Illustration — Riefler precision pendulum clocks
In popular culture
In popular culture
Monroe mentions Sigmund Riefler in the "One Night Stand" episode in Season 3 of Grimm.
Patents
Patents
• 1889 DRP Nr. 50739 Doppelradhemmung für Chronometer mit vollkommen freier Unruhe und für Pendeluhren mit freiem Pendel. • 1891 DRP Nr. 60059 Quecksilber-Kompensationspendel. • 1893 US Patent 508530 Mercurial Compensation-Pendulum • 1893 US Patent 508760 Pendulum-Escapement • 1897 DRP Nr. 100870 Pendel mit Nickelstahlstange und mehreren zusammenwirkenden Compensationsröhren. • 1903 DRP Nr. 151710 Elektrische Aufziehvorrichtung für Uhren mit einem treibenden Gewichtshebel und einem Elektromagneten zum Heben desselben. • 1913 DRP Nr. 272119 Schwerkrafthemmung mit zwei Antriebshebeln.

Grab von Sigmund Riefler im Alten Nördlichen Friedhof in München.
Gras-Ober · Gras-Ober, Wikipedia/Wikimedia Commons (cc-by-sa-3.0) · Self-photographed
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Maria-Rain.
Birth place
Munich.
Death place
Awards
• 1894 John Scott Medal of the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, USA • 1897 Honorary Doctorate (Dr. phil. h.c.) of the Faculty of Philosophy, Philosophy of Science and Religious Studies at LMU Munich • 1899 Sigmund and both brothers received the honorary citizenship of the market town Nesselwang (new site since 1879 the company) • 1900 Golden Delbrück-Denkmünze of the Verein zur Förderung des Gewerbefleißes in Prussia • 1905 Kommerzienrat Title
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Riefler, Dieter: Riefler-Präzisionsuhren: 1890-1965; Callwey Verlag; München 1991;
- 2.Dr. Sigmund Riefler; by C. Dietzschold; Der Cornelius Nepos der Uhrmacher; Krems 1910; S.57.
- 3.Precision Pendulum Clocks: France, Germany, America, and Recent Advances; by Derek Roberts; 2004;
- 4.Erbrich, Klaus: Präzisionspendeluhren: von Graham bis Riefler; Callwey Verlag; München 1978;
- 5.Precision Pendulum Clocks: The Quest for Accurate Timekeeping; by Derek Roberts; 2003;
- 6.Day, Lance. Biographical Dictionary of the History of Technology. Routledge. 1996. 9780203028292.
References
Citations
References
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reference work
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
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