Damasko
- Founded
- 1994
- Based in
- Barbing, Germany
- In our catalog
- 3 watches from $1,520 to $1,950
Damasko makes watches that are meant to be hard to scratch and hard to break. The company comes from materials engineering rather than traditional watchmaking, and that shows: it hardens its steel cases, develops its own gaskets and springs and makes its own automatic movement.
History
Konrad Damasko started the business in 1994 near Regensburg in Bavaria, at first making parts and cases for other brands. The first watches under the Damasko name followed a few years later, and the company has since moved more of the production in-house.
Its research led to patented ice-hardened steel, a submarine-grade steel for cases and its own calibres, beginning with chronographs and later the A26 automatic movement. Everything is made in Barbing, just outside Regensburg.
Signature models
- DK30: A 39 mm three-hand watch with Damasko's in-house A26-1 automatic movement and a matt black dial.
- DS30: The classic Damasko pilot design, with a date and a Sellita movement fitted with a silicon escape wheel.
- DF10 Automatik: A newer flieger-style model with large numerals, also 39 mm.
What it's known for
Hardness. Damasko's bead-blasted cases are much harder than normal steel, the crystals are thick sapphire, and the designs are stripped back pilot and tool watches. The watches are quite thin for their water resistance of 200 m.
Price and positioning
Most models cost about $1,500 to $3,500, with chronographs higher. The obvious comparison is Sinn, which offers similar German engineering. Damasko's own movement at under $2,000 is a strong argument.
Damasko watches in our library
- Damasko DS30 ($1,520)
- Damasko DF10 Automatik ($1,690)
- Damasko DK30 ($1,950)