Stowa
- Founded
- 1927
- Based in
- Engelsbrand, Germany
- In our catalog
- 2 watches from $900 to $1,100
Stowa makes two very different kinds of watch, and both have deep roots. One is the Flieger, the big, readable pilot's watch based on those made for German air force navigators in the Second World War. The other is the Antea, a slim, rectangular-numeral dress watch from 1937 that reads like a Bauhaus poster. Both are made near Pforzheim and sold online at sensible prices.
History
Walter Storz started the company in 1927; the name is short for STOrz WAlter. It moved to Pforzheim, Germany's jewelry and watch town, in the 1930s. During the war Stowa was one of five companies that made the large observation watches for Luftwaffe navigators, and its factory was destroyed when Pforzheim was bombed in 1945. The company rebuilt and carried on making watches through the postwar decades.
In 1996 watchmaker Jörg Schauer bought the brand. He brought back the historic designs, moved sales online and kept the prices low by skipping retailers. Stowa is now based in Engelsbrand, just outside Pforzheim.
Signature models
- Flieger Classic 40: The pilot's watch in a 40 mm case, with the triangle at 12, large numerals and heat-blued hands. It's a faithful but wearable version of the wartime design.
- Antea KS: The 1937 dress watch, with slim numerals and a thin case. "KS" stands for small seconds.
What it's known for
Stowa's Fliegers are as close to the originals as you'll find at this price, and its Antea is one of the purest Bauhaus watches made. Movements are Swiss automatics and hand-winders, finished and regulated in Germany. Popular models sometimes have waiting lists.
Price and positioning
Stowa watches mostly cost $800 to $1,500. Laco offers a similar pilot's watch story for a bit less, and Nomos a more modern take on Bauhaus with in-house movements for a bit more.
Stowa watches in our library
- Stowa Flieger Classic 40 ($900 to $1,100)
- Stowa Antea KS ($900 to $1,000)