Borna Bosniaks
Geometric shapes, primary colors, functionality first. In short, economic thinking is how we would describe the Bauhaus style. The name comes from the Staatliches Bauhaus, a German art school that championed a “rational” style during the period it operated between the two world wars. Since much of the Bauhaus style focused on creating beautiful and usable everyday objects, it was only a matter of time before watches became a given. Bauhaus and minimalism go hand in hand, and in keeping with Dieter Rams’ famous line, “good design is as little design as possible,” we’ll strive to approach the entries on this list in the same way. Hold on, was that sentence too long? Anyway… let’s get started. Here are 6 of the best Bauhaus watches.
Swatch Bow Swatch Elementary SO29B705
Technically, you could choose any basic white dial Swatch for this list of best Bauhaus watches, but the Bau Swatch Elementary brings just the right amount of Bauhaus elements to make it the perfect watch. It displays the time on a highly legible white dial with day and date. It’s not too big, not too small, and not too expensive. And, in perhaps the ultimate sign of user-friendliness, it comes with free lifetime battery changes. Price: $85 USD
Brown AW10
Braun is one of the leading exponents of the Bauhaus style, which began with the appointment of Dieter Rams as Chief Design Officer in 1953. Alongside bedside alarm clocks, radios, and electric shavers, Braun introduced its first wristwatch in 1977, but it would take another 12 years for the brand’s first analogue watch, the AW10, to hit the market. Today, the AW10 is still made in Germany, has a Swiss quartz movement, and measures 33mm x 7.2mm, a size that was impressive for its time. Given its relatively high price, the specs may not seem all that impressive, but considering the design comes from some of the greatest minds in Bauhaus history, it doesn’t seem so bad. Price: £200 (approx. US$260)
Sternglas Hamburg 42mm Automatic
Sternglass’ approach to Bauhaus design is very modern, considering the 42mm case size is not often seen in other Bauhaus-inspired watches. The Hamburg’s spacious white dial always evokes something like a measuring instrument. The lettering is small, but it doesn’t affect the readability of the time. Powered by a Miyota 8000 series movement, the Hamburg 42mm offers a minimalist design that many covet, while still delivering a quality production that can’t be said for all watches in the more affordable price range. Price: 399 Euros (approx. $440 USD)
Sinn 1739 Cent IS
Sinn is a surprisingly underrated brand, but even those who know the Frankfurt watchmaker often only pay attention to its sportier and more durable model family. There’s no denying their value, of course, but the value of the 1739 collection is astounding. Firstly, no one will argue that this is a great watch, but the specs are just as impressive. The 39mm x 9.1mm case is water resistant to 100 meters and is powered by the Sellita SW300-1, a premium Swiss movement that’s a step above the entry-level 2824/SW200 and its clones. Price: 1,990 Euros (approx. $2,200 USD)
Horror Omnium 40mm
German brands aren’t the only ones who know how to do the Bauhaus way. Horrage has been around longer than you might think, having launched its first watch, the Omnium, at Baselworld in 2009, but the brand’s origins go back much further than that, all the way back to 1999. With a focus on producing modular automatic movements capable of accommodating a range of complications, the Biel brand’s first release is most suited to the Bauhaus design language. It has blocky numerals and simple hands, with a mini grand date at 3 o’clock, courtesy of the automatic movement K1. Admittedly, the Faceted Sapphire doesn’t strictly follow the Bauhaus “no frills” ideology, but I’m willing to forgive the point. Perhaps the Omnium needs a microreg upgrade… Price: CHF 2,900 (approx. USD 3,400)
Nomos Ahoi Neomatik Atlantic
And, to the surprise of no one, NOMOS makes it onto our list of the best Bauhaus watches. Frankly, Bauhaus design can be a little sterile at times, but that’s not something you can blame NOMOS for, especially when it comes to a watch like the Ahoi. This model in particular stands out to me because it hides features like 200 meters of water resistance in a case that’s not too different from other NOMOS watches, and it really showcases the idea that a dive watch doesn’t have to be big and clunky with a big bezel and thick case. Price: From $4,120 USD
T+T Timeless Pick: Junghans Max Bill Handbag
If you’re looking for the purest expression of a Bauhaus-style watch, there’s pretty much only one choice. This Junghans was, perhaps unsurprisingly, designed by Max Bill, who, along with his work with German brands, is widely considered the main driving force behind Swiss graphic design in the 1950s. The Max Bill dial is barely noticeable, yet legible at a glance, and at 34mm x 9mm, it’s the smallest sweet spot to fit most wrists. Why manual winding? Because that’s all you really need. Price: 1,075 euros (approx. $1,200 USD)
