# Visiting Pforzheim, Stowa and Jörg Schauer (part two)



## safi_cz

_Finally, I was able to finish second part of report from visit of Jörg Schauer watch atelier. In the first part of the article, history of Pforzheim, Laco, Durowe and Stowa has been described. This time, we visit Jörg Schauer watch atelier. _

_English version of report is published first here on WUS. Later, Czech version will be published on Chronomag.cz _

_Enjoy it!_
_Martin Šafránek_
_Editor in chief_
_Chronomag.cz_

*Entering Jörg Schauer Wonderland*
After visit of Technischen Museum der Pforzheimer Schmuck und Uhrenindustrie Tobias Buchner takes me finally to Jörg Schauer watch atelier located 20 minutes by car from Pforzheim in the Naturpark Schwarzwald Nord. From entry side, building looks like small interpretation of church. Cement concrete skelet is covered by black isolation and wooden lathes which will carry metal desks. First misleading idea of visitor can be: "_Interesting final appearance of the building - contrast of cement concrete skelet and wooden lathes_". But Tobias Buchner turns my attention to metal desks in left down corner. In the beginning of summer 2010 whole building will be covered by metal desks.









_Author: "Z", member of Chronomag forum_

Architecture of building is far away from simple cube warehouse buildings which can be usually seen in city suburbs. From outside, it looks like a temple or sanctuary.. a watch sanctuary Entry door is hidden in the long corridor with really high roof. Walking in entry corridor, you can enjoy exhibited Stowa and Schauer models in window on left side.

Finally we are standing in front of the doors to Jörg Schauer wonderland. What is behind? &#8230;.Wonderland




























Enter inside door, turn left and you are just in the front of reception desk. There is lot of space around you, building is really long and spacious. On your left side you can see dark large room with around 80 stands - Stowa museum. Over reception, hidden by the wall, there is a meeting room. On right side, you can see open space where all administration and sales job is done. Behind open space are workshops, where watch parts are produced and watches are assembled.

Stowa museum room as it can be seen from the reception:








_Author: "Z", member of Chronomag forum_

View from end of museum room over the museum and reception:








_Author: "Z", member of Chronomag forum_

Design of interior is highly functional, composition of "rooms" cannot be better. Attention of every visitor is quickly catch by Stowa museum. On the second hand - watch workshop spaces are separated from rest of open space to secure optimal condition for concentration of watchmakers (during my visit, there was a provisional barrier).

Equipped with big windows, building is full of sun light even in the late afternoon.



















*Who is Jörg Schauer?*

_According to official Jörg Schauer watches web page "In 1990, at the age of 22, Jörg Schauer becomes an independent watchmaker. His target is to manufacture high-class wrist watches which combine demanding technical solutions with exceptional design. " _

Jörg Schauer runs family business where Stowa and Jörg Schauer watches are produces as well as Durowe movements. Company consists of Jörg Schauer, who is driving force of all three brands, and his colleagues:

Five above-average qualified watchmakers
Viveca Hafner, Tobias Buchner and Sandra Schuler who are responsible for sales support and communication with media and office organization
Jörg Schauer wife which helps him with a book-keeping










One of interesting part of doing watch journalist in a free time is to meet people who are in charge of design, production and public relationship and who helps me to organize things on their side to collect enough information for the articles. They occupy different positions in companies, belong to different generations and have their personal approach how to best represent their companies. Sometime I try to trace ways how they act and compare it one by one. For example:

Mrs. Fisher Ute-Graf, very active young lady, is responsible for PR in Nomos Glashütte. Maybe she do not know all technical particular points of certain production operation, but she knows how to help you to understand what the brand is about and how cultivated the product is. She knows how to point out particular aspect at right time to show you how good the product is.
Mr. Libor Hovorka, who is now responsible for development and resurrected production of in-house movements and watches in Czech watch company Elton Hodinářská (owner of brand Prim Manufacture 1949, translation of report is on progress) is a technocrat engineer from old school who worked for watch-making industry in communism Czechoslovakia for tens of years. He has no problem to say where are limits of current production technology, what should be improved and how he plans to improve it. Only few minutes with this men and he will get your full respect - by his deep knowledge of watch-making and his modesty. Not only respect for him, but also for the effort of whole company to again produce in-house movements
What about Mr. Jörg Schauer? He has different approach as he is not a pure manager or a technocrat specialist. He is an artist, designer and engineer and watchmaker. And entrepreneur. First artist, designer, then engineer and watchmaker. For Mr. Schauer, production of watches is not way how to solve technical problems, but the way how to give live to his ideas of art and design.

Simply said: *Jörg Schauer is a soul and heart of his personal brand*, Stowa and Durowe: He is the person, who came with ideas of new watches who simply shows the way. There is no preference of Jörg Schauer watches before Stowa watches. Both brands get the same attention from Jörg Schauer.

*Jörg Schauer - designer* 
At the beginning of his watchmaker career, he was manufacturing custom watches. Watch community was not organized over the internet as today. Small groups of watch collectors met on a one-two day events in hotels where they drank beer, had a fun, bought and sold watches and movements. Jörg was manufacturing custom made timepieces according to the ideals of customers -watch collectors. Cases were mainly made of gold or platinum, often rare movements were used. Within 5 years more than 400 watches have been made.

He was not only manufacturing timepieces, in many cases he was also responsible for watch design.

In 1995 he established his brand "Jörg Schauer", which can be characterized by following visual components:

Twelvefold screwed on bezel
Brushed cases as it accentuates curves of watch case and gives more opportunities to present vision of artist than boring polished surface. Every painter needs canvas and brush to express his vision. For Jörg Schauer watch case is a canvas and grinding machine is a brush. Result is well balanced and matured. Solid robust watch, definitely not shiny catch-eyer, but piece of art with discreet elegance. 
Of course *every Schauer watch case is finished personally by Mr. Schauer* (while _STOWA watch cases are finished by the suppliers_).
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_Note: Currently around forty percent of Stowa Marine Original watches is ordered with brushed case. Soon, Stowa Marine Automatic will be also available with brushed case. _

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*Jörg Schauer - engineer and watchmaker *
Every working day, he spends 3-4 hours by watch making activities in regular working day. And many other hours in the evening and during weekend. Remaining working time is occupied by daily care about the company.

He personally checks all watches before final delivery to customer. And do many other watch-making work: design, prototype production, movement modification and refinement, engraving and polishing of rotors, case production and brushing, coating of the dials with fine lacquer and printing of the dials.

Shot from Mr. Schauer table - Stowa Seatime waiting for final assembly of bezel and strap:









Photo shows ETA 7750 movement with custom made bridge from platinum and removed automatic winding mechanism: 









Machine used to engrave and polish rotors: 









Photo corner, where Stowa official photos are taken. 









*Stowa Museum and other vintage Stowa watches*

In previous paragraphs, I have mentioned Stowa museum several times. Stowa museum is large dark room where around 80 shining Stowa vintage watches are exhibited, including the most famous: B-UHREN, Antea and the others. Interior of museum is strictly minimalistic; nothing interrupts from observing presented watches. No decoration, only cement floor, walls and ceiling. Single watches are hanged on a steel strings, highlighted by point lights. On a ceiling there is a skylight but not functional yet.

Clever composition of exhibited items bring you outside time and space for a half hour, so you will be happy for a short break on a leather sofa.









_Author: "Z", member of Chronomag forum_

In background you can see graphic art by Mrs. Kull which accompanies Jörg Schauer for last 15 Years.









_Author: "Z", member of Chronomag forum_

Museum consists of approximately 80 pieces. But not all interesting historical Stowa watches are presented there as some pieces wait for restoration. During my visit, Jörg Schauer showed me six-seven drawers full of historical Stowa models. Tens and tens of interesting historical models. Tomorow Jörg Schauer can sit down, take a cup of a coffee or glass of beer, think, listen to music and maybe chose one model. And in few weeks introduce concept of new Stowa model.

This historical heritage differs Stowa from most another "new" internet brands like MKIIWATCHES, Archimede, Steinhart or Debaufre. Yes, Archimede Pilot is cheaper than Stowa, it keeps certain quality, but it miss:

Deeper historical context and one of the famous 5 companys who did the airman watches with historical background (IWC, Wempe, Langer&Söhne, Laco and STOWA)
Twelve year of production without any change (since 1996)
Possibility of Chronometer movement
Real blued steel hands (related to date of posting)
_And according to my personal opinion, Stowa Airman has more sophisticated case design than similar models from Aristo, Archimede or Steinhart. _

Let's shortly describe few Stowa historical models, which I consider the most interesting. Some have been already published on Stowa internet museum, or on Stowa official forum, some have not been presented yet:

Rectangular Stowa watch from 1930, unfortunately, there are no technical details about movement:










Vintage Stowa Antea (1938):










Next photo shows composition of three vintage Stowa Antea watches including ladies size (real solid yellow gold 585/000). It would be nice if Jörg introduces pink faced Stowa Antea KS. It would really fit my pink shirt, pink tie and pink cufflinks. &#8230;&#8230;CUTE:thanks










Stowa Partitio from end of 1930s:




























Stowa Kriegsmarine:

During WWII Stowa has produced aviator and naval deck (Kriegsmarine) watches for German army with 19jewels Unitas handwound movement. According to http://www.ninanet.net: _"Underneath the black markings, the dial is painted with a unique (and non-radioactive!) coating of zinc sulfide doped with copper. Over six decades later, it still glows in even moderate shadow, and when charged with incandescent light emits a fierce green! The movement is (I believe) based on an obscure Unitas ebauche"_



















According to Jörg "_After the war there have been 2000 movements left which have been not used for the last order STOWA got. One day the old Helmut Sinn came to STOWA and bought these movements. Some of them he used for Sinn Pocketwatch and some have been sold to Ulyse Nardin_".



















Stowa B-UHREN:

Reichs-Luftfahrt-Ministerium has approved only five watch companies as producers of "observers/navigator watches for Luftwaffe: 

IWC
Lange & Söhne
Wempe
Walter Storz (Stowa)
Lacher & Co. (Laco)
General characteristics were: 55mm case, hacking, manual winding movement with chronometer accuracy, breguet balance spring, big crow for operating with watch with gloves as watch was worn over navigator jacket. Another requirement was big central second hand. Today, central second hand is presented in the major part of mechanical watches, that time it was a complication "to all intents and purposes" because small second hand was a "standard".

Most of producers were not able to fulfill production of required amount, so another watch companies participated on production of watches. This cooperation has been often mentioned of inner side of watch back:

Lacher cooperated with its sister company Durowe
Lange cooperated with Fischer & Trabant, Wempe, Union Glasshüte and the others
Wempe cooperated with Thommen
Walter Storz (Stowa) cooperated with Unitas
Stowa B-Uhren have been produced in two dial versions: 

Baumuster A dial version - actually produced dial version or Stowa Airman
Baumuster B dial version - only 42 pieces is known today. It is the most rare big airman watch in the world
Stowa B-Uhren Baumuster A watch have hand-wound Unitas 2812 movement with 20 jewels. Baumuster A - nowadays flieger Stowa watch - Stowa Airman has the same type of steel temperature blue hands










Notice thick crystal:










Military watch for French Army was produced as a part of war reparations (1949). 2500 pieces have been produced. No 1- No 750 with a 15 jewels Durowe movement and No 751 - 2500 with a 17 jewels Durowe movement. All watches except No 1 had a black dial:



















Stowa produced wrist and pocket watches for blind people. Indexes have 3D profile, and big hands, so time can be quite easily read by fingers. Button on position "2" was used to open locker of front glass. Unfortunately, photo of pocket watch was not good.










Stowa Seatime watches from 1960s:



















Stowa Seatime with electric movement and internal bezel operated by second Crow (about 1970):










Stowa pocket/deck watch from early 1970s. Watch can be wear as a small pocket watch, but can be used also as desk watch:



















Stowa mechanical chronograph from 1970:










Another sport watch:










Second part of report is over. Third and final part will be shorter and will contain photos of Jörg Schauer watches I made.

I almost forgot.. during visit I saw new variant of dial for one major Stowa model&#8230;.:-d


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## persco

Thanks for another fine installment. Really great!

s.

---
scott


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## Hary

Excellent report, what a great reading :-!


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## ScottH

*The case of the watch in the last picture sure looks...*

like the inspiration for the case of the current Seatime/Prodiver. I, for one, would love to see a re-issue of a watch inspired by either the second Seatime or the chrono. Thanks for the great report.


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## J_Hack

*Re: The case of the watch in the last picture sure looks...*

Great write up. Lots of good information in there.


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## vincesf

Fantastic. Part two provided me with an even better sense of Stowa today and the perspective of its history.

Very enjoyable and thank you,
vincesf


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## hwilsdorf

STOWA vintage sport watches, vintage seatime and vintage chronographs are a must for future releases! :-! :-!

Thanks for the great report ZAFI!


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## Top Cat

The Stowa chronograph from 1970 looks great. I never saw a Stowa chronograph with a bezel. It looks like a tough tool watch a little like the Sinn 256.


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## walsh

Martin,

thanks again for compiling a handbook of Stowa/Schauer essentials -a detailed and enjoyable coverage with amazing photos. Your visit to Engelsbrand must have been great fun; I greatly appreciate your sharing this experience with us. :-!

Cheers, 
walsh


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## tiwe

Thanks for the great report!


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## brainless

Thank you Martin,

your report made me planning another visit to Engelsbrand.
I have to study all those vintage watches more precisely than I have done till now.

Here are some additions to your choice of vintage STOWA's:

A pocket/desk/travel watch:










A small ( diameter 20 mm ) watch, ball-shaped, worn on a bracelet:










A gold plated chrono:










A parking timer out of the late sixties:










Last not least: 
A STOWA stop watch:










I love them all,

Volker ;-)


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## LouS

Great read. Another free education from WatchUSeek and its members. Many thanks.


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## Flashharry

What a great thread and fantastic photos.

I would like to add a special thankyou for the Stowa Seatime Electric photo as I knew the only other known example was one in the Stowa Museum.

Here is mine for comparison (with its second hand in place:think: )


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## seaview

Wonderful and informative.......looking forward to next installment........Pete L.


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## Capt. Canuck

Awesome report and photos, thank you. |>


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## apnk

Wow. Can't wait for the 3rd part! I really miss my Seatime :-(.


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## scm64

Thank you for a great look at Jorg's new shop and the wonderful photos.


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## Maese

Superb work!!!

Congratulations for such a very good job:-!


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## Andrzej

Excellent - looking forward to the third and final part.


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## Matt2006

Great work! Sure would be cool if they made a replica of the Kriegsmarine pocket watch (with a similar movement as the original, no 6497/6498 please).


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## nothenorm

Nice Job done.

As well as cool additions by Volker. :thanks


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## t20569cald

Great reports, thanks.

I did not notice any case making equipment though.
Do they make their own cases?


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## gregorv

excellent job, I think this thread (also other parts) should be marked as sticky


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## K2LINOS

Thank's!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Amazing job!!!


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