INVENTOR
Peter Henlein
1479 - 1542

Peter Henlein
Peter Henlein (also spelled Henle or Hele) (1485 - August 1542), a locksmith, clockmaker, and watchmaker of Nuremberg, Germany. Due to the Fire-gilded pomander-shaped watch from 1505, he is often considered the inventor of the pocket watch. He was one of the first craftsmen to make small ornamental portable clocks which were often worn as pendants or attached to clothing, and which are regarded as the first watches. Many sources also erroneously credit him as the inventor of the mainspring. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Peter Henlein is the 153rd most popular inventor (up from 155th in 2019), the 1,822nd most popular biography from Germany (up from 1,880th in 2019) and the 20th most popular German Inventor.
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Among INVENTORS
Among inventors, Peter Henlein ranks 153 out of 426. Before him are Siegfried Marcus, Richard Jordan Gatling, Robert Cailliau, Johann Nepomuk Maelzel, Henri Giffard, and Mary Anderson. After him are Robert Moog, Friedrich Zander, Mikhail Dolivo-Dobrovolsky, Joseph Monier, Paul Baran, and Christopher Latham Sholes.
Most Popular Inventors in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsSiegfried Marcus
1831 - 1898
HPI: 64.83
Rank: 147
Richard Jordan Gatling
1818 - 1903
HPI: 64.82
Rank: 148
Robert Cailliau
1947 - Present
HPI: 64.78
Rank: 149
Johann Nepomuk Maelzel
1772 - 1838
HPI: 64.73
Rank: 150
Henri Giffard
1825 - 1882
HPI: 64.56
Rank: 151
Mary Anderson
1862 - 1953
HPI: 64.54
Rank: 152
Peter Henlein
1479 - 1542
HPI: 64.48
Rank: 153
Robert Moog
1934 - 2005
HPI: 64.40
Rank: 154
Friedrich Zander
1887 - 1933
HPI: 64.22
Rank: 155
Mikhail Dolivo-Dobrovolsky
1862 - 1919
HPI: 64.19
Rank: 156
Joseph Monier
1823 - 1906
HPI: 64.05
Rank: 157
Paul Baran
1926 - 2011
HPI: 64.01
Rank: 158
Christopher Latham Sholes
1819 - 1890
HPI: 63.95
Rank: 159
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1479, Peter Henlein ranks 7. Before him are Joanna of Castile, Hafsa Sultan, Lisa del Giocondo, Vasili III of Russia, Giuliano de' Medici, Duke of Nemours, and Diego Columbus. After him are Ippolito d'Este, Vallabha, Francisco de Montejo, Guru Amar Das, Catherine of York, and Philip I, Margrave of Baden. Among people deceased in 1542, Peter Henlein ranks 9. Before him are Catherine Howard, Lisa del Giocondo, 2nd Dalai Lama, Hernando de Soto, Dosso Dossi, and Sayyida al Hurra. After him are Jane Boleyn, Viscountess Rochford, Thomas Wyatt, Girolamo Aleandro, Ludwig Senfl, Nikolaus Federmann, and Malik Muhammad Jayasi.
Others Born in 1479
Go to all RankingsJoanna of Castile
POLITICIAN
1479 - 1555
HPI: 82.66
Rank: 1
Hafsa Sultan
POLITICIAN
1479 - 1534
HPI: 78.58
Rank: 2
Lisa del Giocondo
PAINTER
1479 - 1542
HPI: 76.02
Rank: 3
Vasili III of Russia
POLITICIAN
1479 - 1533
HPI: 73.15
Rank: 4
Giuliano de' Medici, Duke of Nemours
POLITICIAN
1479 - 1516
HPI: 73.12
Rank: 5
Diego Columbus
EXPLORER
1479 - 1527
HPI: 68.73
Rank: 6
Peter Henlein
INVENTOR
1479 - 1542
HPI: 64.48
Rank: 7
Ippolito d'Este
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1479 - 1520
HPI: 63.80
Rank: 8
Vallabha
PHILOSOPHER
1479 - 1531
HPI: 63.23
Rank: 9
Francisco de Montejo
EXPLORER
1479 - 1553
HPI: 63.07
Rank: 10
Guru Amar Das
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1479 - 1574
HPI: 62.70
Rank: 11
Catherine of York
POLITICIAN
1479 - 1527
HPI: 60.56
Rank: 12
Philip I, Margrave of Baden
POLITICIAN
1479 - 1533
HPI: 60.37
Rank: 13
Others Deceased in 1542
Go to all RankingsCatherine Howard
COMPANION
1523 - 1542
HPI: 77.14
Rank: 3
Lisa del Giocondo
PAINTER
1479 - 1542
HPI: 76.02
Rank: 4
2nd Dalai Lama
POLITICIAN
1476 - 1542
HPI: 74.19
Rank: 5
Hernando de Soto
EXPLORER
1500 - 1542
HPI: 71.13
Rank: 6
Dosso Dossi
PAINTER
1480 - 1542
HPI: 67.93
Rank: 7
Sayyida al Hurra
POLITICIAN
1485 - 1542
HPI: 64.88
Rank: 8
Peter Henlein
INVENTOR
1479 - 1542
HPI: 64.48
Rank: 9
Jane Boleyn, Viscountess Rochford
COMPANION
1505 - 1542
HPI: 63.97
Rank: 10
Thomas Wyatt
WRITER
1503 - 1542
HPI: 62.43
Rank: 11
Girolamo Aleandro
POLITICIAN
1480 - 1542
HPI: 62.27
Rank: 12
Ludwig Senfl
COMPOSER
1486 - 1542
HPI: 62.16
Rank: 13
Nikolaus Federmann
EXPLORER
1505 - 1542
HPI: 61.52
Rank: 14
Malik Muhammad Jayasi
WRITER
1477 - 1542
HPI: 61.52
Rank: 15
In Germany
Among people born in Germany, Peter Henlein ranks 1,822 out of 7,253. Before him are Balthasar Hubmaier (1485), Conrad, Margrave of Meissen (1097), Carl Gustav Rehnskiöld (1651), Carl Loewe (1796), Hans-Hermann Hoppe (1949), and Wilhelm Schepmann (1894). After him are Leo Geyr von Schweppenburg (1886), Lothar von Trotha (1848), Armin Meiwes (1961), Princess Louise Caroline of Hesse-Kassel (1789), Carl Ludwig Blume (1796), and Louis VI, Elector Palatine (1539).
Others born in Germany
Go to all RankingsBalthasar Hubmaier
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1485 - 1528
HPI: 64.51
Rank: 1,816
Conrad, Margrave of Meissen
POLITICIAN
1097 - 1157
HPI: 64.50
Rank: 1,817
Carl Gustav Rehnskiöld
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1651 - 1722
HPI: 64.49
Rank: 1,818
Carl Loewe
COMPOSER
1796 - 1869
HPI: 64.49
Rank: 1,819
Hans-Hermann Hoppe
ECONOMIST
1949 - Present
HPI: 64.49
Rank: 1,820
Wilhelm Schepmann
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1894 - 1970
HPI: 64.49
Rank: 1,821
Peter Henlein
INVENTOR
1479 - 1542
HPI: 64.48
Rank: 1,822
Leo Geyr von Schweppenburg
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1886 - 1974
HPI: 64.47
Rank: 1,823
Lothar von Trotha
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1848 - 1920
HPI: 64.47
Rank: 1,824
Armin Meiwes
EXTREMIST
1961 - Present
HPI: 64.47
Rank: 1,825
Princess Louise Caroline of Hesse-Kassel
POLITICIAN
1789 - 1867
HPI: 64.46
Rank: 1,826
Carl Ludwig Blume
BIOLOGIST
1796 - 1862
HPI: 64.46
Rank: 1,827
Louis VI, Elector Palatine
POLITICIAN
1539 - 1583
HPI: 64.46
Rank: 1,828
Among INVENTORS In Germany
Among inventors born in Germany, Peter Henlein ranks 20. Before him are Theobald Boehm (1794), Hans von Ohain (1911), Alfred Krupp (1812), Hugo Schmeisser (1884), Siegfried Marcus (1831), and Johann Nepomuk Maelzel (1772). After him are Heinrich Göbel (1818), Uziel Gal (1923), Henrich Focke (1890), Artur Fischer (1919), Johann Nicolaus von Dreyse (1787), and Heinrich Daniel Ruhmkorff (1803).
Theobald Boehm
1794 - 1881
HPI: 66.47
Rank: 14
Hans von Ohain
1911 - 1998
HPI: 66.32
Rank: 15
Alfred Krupp
1812 - 1887
HPI: 66.09
Rank: 16
Hugo Schmeisser
1884 - 1953
HPI: 65.59
Rank: 17
Siegfried Marcus
1831 - 1898
HPI: 64.83
Rank: 18
Johann Nepomuk Maelzel
1772 - 1838
HPI: 64.73
Rank: 19
Peter Henlein
1479 - 1542
HPI: 64.48
Rank: 20
Heinrich Göbel
1818 - 1893
HPI: 63.30
Rank: 21
Uziel Gal
1923 - 2002
HPI: 63.24
Rank: 22
Henrich Focke
1890 - 1979
HPI: 63.20
Rank: 23
Artur Fischer
1919 - 2016
HPI: 63.16
Rank: 24
Johann Nicolaus von Dreyse
1787 - 1867
HPI: 62.79
Rank: 25
Heinrich Daniel Ruhmkorff
1803 - 1877
HPI: 62.73
Rank: 26