POINTtec: bauhaus - without ifs and buts
Many brand manufacturers use the "Bauhaus" label to describe their products. This usually refers to a minimalist design language. So far, so good, and so popular. The "form follows function" principle of the Bauhaus design school from Dessau still resonates with many people's sense of form, which is why product designers often draw on it.
At POINTtec, the Bauhaus concept is a little different – namely, much more concrete and closer to its historical origins.
The family-owned company from Ismaning near Munich has been having watches produced in Ruhla for many years; in 2019, they took over production with all employees at the traditional site in Thuringia – and thus a very special building in which watches have been manufactured since 1929.
During the GDR era, millions of watches and watch movements were manufactured here at the "VEB Uhrenwerk Ruhla" (Ruhla Watch Factory). The same building, which has since been extensively restored, also houses the Ruhla Watch Museum, which is likewise operated by POINTtec.
What does this have to do with Bauhaus? Quite simply: the historic, listed production facility is clearly influenced by the Bauhaus philosophy. And here – especially on the fifth floor in the light-filled ambiance with a view of the Thuringian Forest – a relaxed atmosphere prevails, in which, among other things, the timepieces of the Pointtec brand bauhaus have been created since 2020.
Bauhaus timepiece from a Bauhaus building
„Watches in Bauhaus design have long been part of POINTtec’s product range across all brands, and they have been manufactured in Ruhla for just as long. But knowing that we now own the building designed and constructed in 1929 by the Jena architects Schreiter & Schlag according to the then cutting-edge Bauhaus principles is something truly special,“ explained POINTtec Managing Director Willi Birk at the time, referring to the founding of the Made-in-Germany brand Bauhaus. “Bauhaus watches from our own Bauhaus building – the story of our watches has thus gained a rather dazzling new facet.”.
„"Bauhaus clocks from our own Bauhaus building – the story of our clocks has thus been enriched by a rather dazzling facet."“
Willi Birk
The Bauhaus brand, by the way, not only draws on the "form follows function" minimalism, but also on the colorful phase of the Bauhaus movement. Recently, pilot's watches have also been offered under the Bauhaus label, listed under the Bauhaus Aviation line.
Among the highlights is the new "Eurofighter" generation, now in its fifth iteration under the "bauhaus aviation" line. The "Tornado" series, introduced last year, also sees prominent additions. The new "Titanium Horizon" features redesigned dials, and the classic "Dessau" series receives a whole host of new models, all in the familiar design, ranging from quartz watches to chronometers.
The icing on the cake is the „Smarty“, which combines clever smart functions with the classic look of a traditional watch.
