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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Augsburg, Germany · c. 1531–1608

Christoph Schissler

Partially verified

Builder of high precision scientific instruments and navigational tools

Life & work

Christoph Schissler was a German maker of scientific instruments who established his professional career in Augsburg.

He completed his master's examination in 1553, and his known production dates extend back to as early as 1546. During his career, he traveled to the courts of Augustus of Saxony in Dresden in 1571 and Rudolf II in Prague in 1583. Schissler operated his own specialist workshop, where his son Hans Christoff eventually continued his father's mechanical work.

In his later years, he dedicated his time to surveying and mapping the city of Augsburg. Today, his legacy includes over a hundred preserved instruments held in museum collections globally.

The fuller biography summarises the open references listed under Sources; each statement was checked against the cited passage. Confirm key dates in period documents before relying on them.

Training, contributions & innovations

  • He invented a portable sundial capable of adjustment to function across various latitudes between England and Italy.

Collecting significance

The catalogued pieces listed on this page show the kinds of objects auction houses, dealers and museums attribute to this maker; each attribution is the source's own.

Firms, key models & movements

No firm, model or movement in this encyclopedia is yet recorded under this maker's name.

In the object catalogue

14 catalogued objects are recorded under Christoph Schissler. Attributions are as given by each source and are not independent authentication.

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Diagram

12345let downstripcleanoilregulateorder of work; never skip letting down the mainspring
Schematic: order of work at the bench. An outline schematic drawn to show the arrangement of the parts discussed here. It is not a dimensioned working drawing and does not depict a particular maker's calibre.

Sources & references

  1. Christoph Schissler, Wikipedia (English), retrieved 2026-11-03 (text CC BY-SA 4.0)
  2. Liste von Persönlichkeiten der Stadt Augsburg, Wikipedia (German), retrieved 2026-11-03 (text CC BY-SA 4.0)
  3. Schißler (Schissler), Christoph (1530-1608), Watch-Wiki, retrieved 2026-11-03

Where sources disagree, the disagreement is stated rather than resolved silently.