The Bauhaus-Inspired Stowa Antea Classic KS Rose Gold and Anthracite

Based by Walter Storz in 1927, German watch model Stowa is traditionally related to Flieger (pilot) watches. A lesser-known chapter within the historical past of the model is its sequence of watches that embraced the design tenets put ahead by the state-run Bauhaus college of design. Produced in 1937 and designed by the reputed dial firm Weber & Baral in Pforzheim, Stowa’s spherical and rectangular timepieces embraced the useful minimalism of the Bauhaus. With its authentic design vocabulary rooted within the Bauhaus, Stowa releases two Antea Basic KS (kleiner Sekunde or small seconds) costume watches with golden-salmon and anthracite dials.

The Bauhaus modernist motion (1919-1933) had a pervasive affect on all features of design, and its philosophy of straightforward, unadorned geometry made its approach into structure, artwork, industrial design and, naturally, watches. German manufacturers, together with Lange and Stowa, embraced the “kind follows operate” beliefs of the Bauhaus within the late Nineteen Thirties and turned to Weber & Baral to supply their dials.

A few years after the Fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, Nomos, an impartial German model, appeared on the scene with a group of Bauhaus-inspired watches, together with the emblematic Tangente. Borrowing design cues of the Nineteen Thirties dials made by Weber & Baral for manufacturers like Stowa and Lange, Nomos is considered the modern torch bearer of the Bauhaus type.

With its authentic historical past of Bauhaus-inspired watches, Stowa reissued considered one of its unique 1937 fashions in 2014, the primary in line of the Antea assortment. The most recent Antea Basic KS, with its small seconds show and elongated Roman numerals, is available in two flavours. The rose gold-toned (salmon) dial is impressed by a historic 1937 Stowa with a copper dial, Roman numerals and a chrome-plated case, whereas the second Antea Basic has a extra modern anthracite dial.

With its good costume watch proportions, the case has a delectably compact diameter of 35.5mm and a slim peak of simply 6.9mm. The spherical chrome steel case with straight lugs has a slim bezel and a sublime, polished end. Seen in profile, the screwed lugs jut down at an angle, a signature design component of Bauhaus watches of the period.

The traditionally impressed mannequin with a sunburst coppery golden dial has black elongated Roman numerals at XII, III, VI and IX o’clock and slim baton indices, heat-blued arms and a barely recessed and snailed small seconds counter at 6 o’clock. The dial of the anthracite mannequin additionally has a radiant, silky sunburst end with white Roman numerals and indices and heat-blued arms. A pleasant design contact is the way in which the VI invades the small seconds counter.

The caseback has six useful screws and a window revealing the traditional, manual-winding Peseux 7001 motion. For a evaluate of this legendary ultra-slim motion, don’t miss Denis’ in-depth article. With a peak of simply 2.5mm, the motion beats at 21,600vph and delivers a 46-hour energy reserve. A top-grade variant, the finishings embody horizontal ribbing on the bridges, sunray finishes on the ratchet and crown wheels, perlage on the bottom plate and heat-blued screws.

For a dressier look, the Stowa Antea Basic KS fashions might be paired with a traditional black leather-based strap and retail for EUR 1,200. Alternatively, they are often fitted with a sportier Milanese metal bracelet for EUR 1,270. Extra data at stowa.de.