German 800 silver watch with portrait of Kaiser Wilhelm Circa 1900

Kaiser Wilhelm presentation watch
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An imperial presentation watch with the portrait of Kaiser Wilhelm, made by the F.L. Lübner watch factory in Berlin, Germany, circa 1900. The open faced numbered case was crafted from 800 silver, is engine turned and engraved on the back and the cuvette has an engraved portrait of Kaiser Wilhelm with a wreath. The white enamel dial has an outer ring for the minutes and hours with black Roman numerals, a subsidiary seconds dial at six o’clock and blued steel hands.
The movement is signed.
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Diameter:  50 mm
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Weight:  90 g
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Signed:  F.L. Löbner Berlin    
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F. L. Löbner, Uhrenfabrik Berlin
The F.L. Lübner watch factory was opened on October 1, 1862 in Berlin at Potsdamer Strasse 11. The founder of the factory was, as the name suggests, Franz Ludwig Lübner. Franz Ludwig Lübner was born on September 26, 1836, as the son of the master wood turner Lübner in Torgau. He attended school in Torgau and was apprenticed to the local watchmaker Otto. Years of travel followed, which took him to Leipzig and later (1857) to Berlin. There he passed the master’s examination in front of the watchmakers’ guild commission in 1862. In the same year, he also opened his business as mentioned above. This found its final place at Potsdamer Straße 23. At the time, Lübner sold the entire range of watches. He mainly used third party works under his name. Nevertheless, he saw his business as a watch factory and described it as such.
Otto Fritz
In 1897 Lübner handed the company over to his successor Otto Fritz (1858-1925). Lübner died on June 16, 1921 in Berlin. Fritz was born on November 20, 1858, in Penkun (Pomerania). He received his watchmaking training at the first domestic and foreign watch shops and factories. What is exciting, however, is the fact that before taking over the business he was head of the well-known watchmaking school J.H. Martens, Freiburg im Breisgau. Fritz continued to run the company successfully until his death on March 4, 1925. Fritz had three children. His older son Johannes Fritz took over the business and ran it until the 1940’s.