janz

🧭 🇵🇹 Janz — PortugalFábrica de Contadores de Água • Lisboa • Founded 1915


⭐ 1. Identity & RoleJanz (often branded as JANZ or JANZ – Contadores de Água) is a Portuguese water‑meter manufacturer founded in 1915 in Lisbon.It is one of the oldest continuously operating water‑meter factories in Europe, and the most important in Portugal.
They produced:
domestic single‑jet meters
multi‑jet meters
volumetric piston meters
Woltmann industrial meters
smart meters (modern era)
Their meters were widely exported to:
Spain
Brazil
Angola
Mozambique
Cape Verde
Latin America
This is why many meters in Spanish‑speaking countries are marked “Contadores de Água – Janz”.
⭐ 2. Historical DevelopmentPeriod	Development1915–1930	Founded in Lisbon; early brass single‑jet meters.1930–1960	Expansion into multi‑jet and volumetric meters; colonial exports.1960–1990	Industrial Woltmann meters; municipal supply contracts across Portugal.1990–2010	Modernization; CNC machining; polymer bodies; pulse outputs.2020	Acquired by SIT Group (Italy) to expand smart‑metering capabilities.

The SIT acquisition is important: it shows how Janz transitioned from classic mechanical metering to smart metering.
⭐ 3. Product CatalogueDomestic MetersSingle‑jet
Multi‑jet
Volumetric piston
Brass or polymer body
Markings: JANZ, Contadores de Água, Lisboa
Industrial MetersWoltmann turbine meters
DN40–DN300
Cast‑iron body
Used in municipal networks
Smart MetersElectronic pulse output
Remote reading
Integrated into SIT Group’s smart‑metering ecosystem
⭐ 4. Technical CharacteristicsMechanisms: single‑jet, multi‑jet, volumetric, turbine
Materials: brass, bronze, polymer, cast iron
Accuracy: ±2% domestic, ±1% industrial
Markings:
“JANZ”
“Contadores de Água”
“Lisboa”
“Portugal”
Janz meters are known for excellent machining and very durable registers, especially the 1950s–1980s models.
⭐ 5. Museum‑Grade Catalogue EntryJanz Domestic Water Meter (DN15)Manufacturer: Janz – Fábrica de Contadores de Água, LisboaPeriod: 1930–PresentType: Single‑jet domestic meterBody: BrassRegister: Multi‑dial mechanical counterMarkings: “JANZ – Contadores de Água – Lisboa”Significance: The most iconic Portuguese water meter; widely exported to Iberia and Latin America.
⭐ 6. Why collectors confuse “Contadores de Água” with a companyBecause Janz printed:
“Fábrica de Contadores de Água”
“Contadores de Água – Lisboa”
on the dial and body, many people assume “Contadores de Água” was the brand.But the brand is JANZ — “contadores de água” simply means water meters.⚙️ 1. IdentityOfficial Name: JANZ – Fábrica de Contadores de ÁguaFounded: 1915, Lisbon, PortugalFounder: João Augusto Janz (industrial engineer)Industry: Precision mechanical engineering — water‑meter manufacturingCurrent Ownership: SIT Group (Padova, Italy) since 2020Headquarters: Lisbon (historic), now integrated with SIT’s European metering division
🧭 2. Historical OverviewPeriod	Development1915–1930	Establishment in Lisbon’s Rua de Xabregas industrial district. Early production of brass single‑jet meters for municipal water networks.1930–1960	Expansion into multi‑jet and volumetric piston meters. Export to Portuguese colonies (Angola, Mozambique, Brazil).1960–1990	Industrial modernization; introduction of Woltmann turbine meters for large‑scale waterworks.1990–2010	Transition to polymer bodies and pulse‑output registers. Integration of CNC machining and digital calibration.2020–Present	Acquisition by SIT Group (Italy). Development of smart metering and ultrasonic systems in partnership with GWF (Switzerland).

🧩 3. Product RangeType	Description	Materials	Typical UseSingle‑Jet Meter	Domestic cold‑water meter, horizontal impeller	Brass / polymer	ResidentialMulti‑Jet Meter	Higher accuracy, multi‑stream impeller	Brass / bronze	Apartments, municipalVolumetric Meter	Oscillating piston, low‑flow precision	Brass / polymer	Domestic, irrigationWoltmann Meter	Turbine type, DN40–DN300	Cast iron	Industrial, municipalSmart Meter	Electronic pulse, remote reading	Polymer / electronics	Smart networks

🏭 4. Factory & Industrial ContextThe original JANZ factory stood in Rua de Xabregas, Lisbon — a dense industrial corridor near the Tagus River docks.It featured:
Brass foundry and machining halls
Meter assembly lines
Calibration benches
Export packing bays for colonial shipments
The factory’s architecture reflected early 20th‑century Portuguese industrial design — brick façades, arched windows, and cast‑iron trusses.By the 1950s, JANZ was one of Lisbon’s most recognizable industrial landmarks.
🧪 5. Technical SignificanceJANZ meters are known for:
High machining precision (especially 1950s–1980s models)
Durable registers with multi‑dial mechanical counters
Distinctive markings: “JANZ – Contadores de Água – Lisboa”
Export adaptability: metric calibration for Iberia and Latin America
Their meters often appear in municipal archives and colonial waterworks records, making them essential to Iberian metering history.
🌍 6. Global ReachJANZ supplied meters to:
Portugal
Spain
Brazil
Angola
Mozambique
Cape Verde
Latin America
Their export crates were marked “JANZ LISBOA – FÁBRICA DE CONTADORES DE ÁGUA”, a phrase that became synonymous with Portuguese metering craftsmanship.
🧱 7. Museum ClassificationCategory	DescriptionDiscipline	Water‑meter manufacturingRegion	Lisbon, PortugalPeriod	1915–PresentFunction	Measurement of domestic and industrial water flowMaterials	Brass, bronze, cast iron, polymerMarkings	“JANZ”, “Contadores de Água”, “Lisboa”Museum Value	Iberian industrial heritage; colonial export lineage

🖼️ 8. Suggested DisplayCenterpiece: JANZ DN15 brass single‑jet meter (1950s)
Backdrop: Rua de Xabregas foundry photograph
Lighting: Warm amber glow (to echo the illuminated poster aesthetic)
Label: “JANZ – Fábrica de Contadores de Água, Lisboa (1915–Present)”