Hans Koch became a Master Clockmaker in 1554 and was employed at the Bavarian Court in Munich from 1557 to 1599. He is also known as a sundial maker; two surviving examples of his work, which he signed with his initials HK, are dated 1567 and 1578. Between 1592 and 1596 he collaborated with Markus Purmann in making a series of mechanical clocks equipped with sundials. A number of watches also survive which have his mark HK within a shield, sometimes with a monk's head.