5 Best Bauhaus Watches in 2022

Best Bauhaus Watches

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The Bauhaus school of design has, over the years, been able to harmonize craft-making with the German art movement. They have been the source of motivation for watchmakers. Any watch enthusiast who understands the essence of being functional and fashionable would have heard of the Bauhaus style watches.

Now, we bring you some of the best Bauhaus watches that you can add to your collection of timepieces. But before we proceed, let’s talk about some of the exciting things you need to know about Bauhaus.

The word Bauhaus means ‘construction house.’ It originated from the German school of arts founded by Walter Gropius in the 20th century. The school later changed into a modern art movement by exhibiting a unique approach to architecture and design. 

Today, the Bauhaus is popularly known to have creatively combine arts and crafts, which today has an enduring influence on modern and contemporary art. The Bauhaus movement is characterized by economic sensibility, simplicity, and a focus on mass production.

So let us therefore create a new guild of craftsmen, free of the divisive class pretensions that endeavored to raise a prideful barrier between craftsmen and artists!” –The Bauhaus Manifesto by Walter Gropius, April 1919.

The Bauhaus movement encourages “truth to materials” as a core tenet. This means that material should be used in its most appropriate and accurate form, and its nature should not, therefore, by any means, be altered.

What is the Style of Bauhaus Designs?

The Bauhaus design is mostly characterized by the combination of arts and crafts movements. This is evident in the emphasis on function and the “aim to bring art back into contact with everyday life.” Thus, typical Bauhaus designs focus on balanced forms and abstract shapes.

What Makes a Watch Bauhaus Inspired?

For a watch to be considered a Bauhaus style watch, it must possess some important traits. These traits are common in all Bauhaus timepieces.

Accessible – Most Bauhaus watches are affordable. You don’t have to break the bank to acquire one. And at the same time, they don’t show up much in the hallowed halls of Haute Horlogerie

Minimalist design – Bauhaus watches are modern, simplistic watches. Any decoration that doesn’t serve an important function is either minimized or removed. 

Legible – The fact that they are of minimalistic design doesn’t mean they are not readable. Bauhaus automatic watches offer at a glance time telling through the use of contrasting colors (e.g., black hands on a white dial). The dials and hands are always easy to see.

Clean fonts – The clean Sans-Serif fonts (derived, more or less) are usually employed for the typography of Bauhaus design watches. This is inspired by Bauhaus graduate Herbert Bayer’s Universal typeface of 1925.

Small bezels and big dials – Small bezels enables the dial to be wide open. Due to this reason, many Bauhaus style watches will appear larger than they are.

Sleek – Bauhaus inspired watches are not chunky.

Splash-proof – Most Bauhaus watches offer much of water resistance and shock resistance. This is why they stay so sleek for longer.

Now let’s take a look at some of the best Bauhaus watches for the year 2022.

Comparison Table

Product

Case diameter

Band

Water Resistance

Price

NOMOS Glashütte watch

Case diameter: 37.5 mm

37.5 mm

Band: Leather

Leather

Water Resistance: 30 meters (100 feet)

30 meters (100 feet)

Junghans Max Bill Chronoscope Watch

Case diameter: 40 mm

40 mm

Band: Stainless steel

Stainless steel

Water Resistance: 30 meters (100 feet)

30 meters (100 feet)

MeisterSinger pangaea black dial watch

Case diameter: 40 mm

40 mm

Band: Leather

Leather

Water Resistance: 50 meters (165 feet)

50 meters (165 feet)

Laco Classics Wittenberg Watch

Case diameter: 40 mm

40 mm

Band: Leather

Leather

Water Resistance: 50 meters (165 feet)

50 meters (165 feet)

Junkers Bauhaus Automatic Watch

Case diameter: 40 mm

40 mm

Band: Leather

Leather

Water Resistance: 30 meters (100 feet)

30 meters (100 feet)

The 10 Best Bauhaus Watches of 2022

1. NOMOS Glashütte Tangent 38 Date

FEATURES

Case Diameter: 37.5 mm
Case Thickness: 6.8 mm
Case Material: Stainless steel, exhibition case back with sapphire crystal glass.
Dial Window: Sapphire crystal
Dial Color: Galvanized white silver-plated
Bezel Material: Fixed stainless steel
Band Material & Color: Black leather
Band Width: 19 mm  
Movement: In-house mechanical movement (hand wound caliber DUW 4101)​
Water Resistance: 30 m (100 feet)

The Nomos Glashutte is a German watch brand that was considered synonymous with the definition of the Bauhaus School of Art. It was founded in January 1990 by Roland Schwertner.

This Bauhaus watch has a hand-wind movement with a 42-hour power reserve. The timepiece comes with a galvanized white silver-plated dial, and the small seconds sub-dial is above the 6 o’clock position.

It has a stainless steel case with the size and thickness of 37.5mm and 6.75mm, respectively. The leather strap is made of shell cordovan, which gives it its casual style. And the date display window is at the 6 o’clock position.

PROS

CONS

2. Junghans Max Bill Chronoscope

FEATURES

Case Diameter: 40 mm
Case Thickness: 14.4 mm
Case Material: Stainless steel
Dial Window: Convex hard plexiglass with coating for enhanced scratch resistance
Dial Color: Matt silver-plated
Bezel Material: Fixed stainless steel
Band Material & Color: Stainless steel milanaise mesh
Band Width: 20 mm  
Movement: Automatic movement (self-wind calibre J880.2)
Water Resistance: 30 m (100 feet)

Junghans watches, founded by Erhard Junghans in 1861, have a long history of harmonizing watch-making and art. By 1903, the company was the largest clock manufacturer in the world. Their watches are characterized by skilled craftsmanship, meticulousness, and creative nuance. The watches are consciously modest, showing the personality and attitude of the wearer.

The Junghans Max Bill Chronoscope is a self-winding piece with impeccable craftsmanship and attention to detail. It has a stainless steel Milanese bracelet that provides comfort and looks wonderfully on the wrist.

The chronograph function features a sweep second hand, 30 minute counter at the 12:00 position and a 12 hour counter at the 6:00 position. The date window is at the 3:00 position.

PROS

CONS

3. MeisterSinger Pangaea

FEATURES

Case Diameter: 40 mm
Case Thickness: 10.3 mm
Case Material: Stainless steel case with 6-screwed exhibition case back.
Dial Window: Domed sapphire crystal
Dial Color: Anthracite sun-burst dial
Bezel Material: Stainless steel
Band Material & Color: Grey Leather 
Band Width: 20 mm  
Movement: Automatic movement (ETA Sellita caliber SW300-1)
Water Resistance: 50 m (165 feet)

The MeisterSinger Pangaea is an elegant but more minimalistic designed watch with a stunning Anthracite sun-burst dial.

It is has a large single hand with a sharp point, which helps to tell the time accurately. With the single hour hand, this timepiece will give a feeling of deceleration. And that’s what the ‘fermata’ (logo above the brand’s name) stands for.

Not only does this watch look attractive, but it also fits comfortably on the wrist. The dial of this Bauhaus style watch has an easy to read white marker and Arabic numerals. 

It comes with essential features like a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. The black leather strap is white stitched to complement the dial.

PROS

CONS

4. Laco Classics Wittenberg

FEATURES

Case Diameter: 40 mm
Case Thickness: 9.7 mm
Case Material: Brushed stainless steel case with a sapphire crystal exhibition case back.
Dial Window: Flat sapphire crystal
Dial Color: White
Bezel Material: Stainless steel
Band Material & Color: Brown calf leather
Band Width: 20 mm  
Movement: Automatic movement (Laco 92 ETA 2892.A2)
Water Resistance: 50 m (165 feet)

Here is another Bauhaus inspired simplistic modern watch. Stylish men and women will find in the Laco classics a timepiece made in Germany that suits them.

The Laco Classics Wittenberg is a whole elegant timepiece featuring the unembellished Bauhaus style. It has a distinctive dial that makes it stand out from the rest. The dial of this watch has a white marker with 12 numbers and minutes.

Like any other German watch brand, Laco released many military-grade watches in the 20th century. But their Classics line is 100% civilian-oriented.

The Bauhaus inspired style is hard to miss in the Laco Classics; they have clean dials, narrow bezels, and either stick markers or classic sans-serif numerals. The second, minute and hour hands are made from steel and are thermical blued. This makes it easy to read at any time, even when in the dark.

PROS

CONS

5. Junkers Bauhaus

FEATURES

Case Diameter: 40 mm
Case Thickness: 12 mm
Case Material: Stainless steel
Dial Window: Hesalite crystal
Dial Color: White
Bezel Material: Stainless steel
Band Material & Color: Brown leather 
Band Width: 20 mm  
Movement: Automatic movement 
Water Resistance: 30 m (100 feet)

This Junkers Bauhaus with domed hesalite crystal is built in line with the German heritage design. It is elegantly designed to match perfectly with both formal and casual outfits.

The watch has a power reserve meter just below the 12:00 and a sub-dial above the 6:00. Inside is a modified self-winding movement with a visible silver rotor. It also has a date window shown at 3:00. The silver hour and minute hands are luminous which makes it easy to read in the dark.

If you are looking for an affordable yet good quality Bauhaus style watch, this Junkers Bauhaus is one to consider.

PROS

CONS

Final Thoughts!

There is no doubt that any of the Bauhaus design watches will be a great addition to the collection of your timepieces.

Of course, there are other brands of modern Bauhaus watches we did not mention, including pieces from Zenos, Ruhla, Stowa, and Braun. All these are popular among watch lovers, and they offer good value for money.

If you’re planning to buy a Bauhaus inspired watch, we hope this article will help you to make the right decision.


5 Best Bauhaus Watches in 2022 1

Marilyn

Marilyn Chase writes fashion articles for luxury power houses that want to see their brands surge. Her articles have appeared in various North American and Western European websites. She contributes articles about design, craftsmanship and manufacturing techniques in fashion. Her articles focus on trends and research supported by first hand interviews and pictures. She is qualified by extensive experience and a degree in fashion from New York.

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