Peter Henlein (also spelled Henle or Hele) (1485 - August 1542), a locksmith and clockmaker of Nuremberg, Germany, is often consideredm probably incorrectly, the inventor of the watch.

He is one of the first craftsmen to make small ornamental taschenuhr, portable clocks which are often worn as pendants or attached to clothing, regarded as the first watches.

Many sources also erroneously credit him as the inventor of the mainspring