In the world of automatic watches, Swiss manufacturers receive significant attention. This is to be expected. After all, Switzerland is the global capital of watchmaking, and most of the best movements are made there. Reflecting on my past reviews, I would estimate that 80 percent or more of watches are produced in Switzerland, with even more using Swiss movements. In fairness, this is often the case with German watches as well.
However, German engineering is renowned worldwide for good reasons. This country has given us BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and some of the world's greatest scientists. Therefore, it's not surprising that Germany produces more than its share of quality watches. Today, I will review five such options, each priced around $1000. Each of these watches is a great choice. However, they are all unique and have their special aesthetics. Let's take a closer look at them.
Stowa Flieger Classic 36 Automatic
The Stowa Flieger Classic 36 Automatic is made of stainless steel with a diameter of 36 mm, giving it a relatively minimal appearance on the wrist, yet large enough for readability. The watch is 10.2 mm thick, which is about average for such small watches, but they remain lightweight and comfortable to wear. The bezel is sharply angled, and the flat sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating is located on both the front and back sides of the watch.
The hour and minute hands are spear-shaped with green luminescent stripes in the center, while the second hand is thin and straight, with a similar luminescent coating. The black dial is relatively spartan, with no complications except for a small date window at the 6 o'clock position. The indices have small hashes at the one-minute marks and bolder hashes at the five-minute marks. There are also numerals at all positions except 6 and 12 o'clock. At the 12 o'clock position is a broad arrow, and at the 6 o'clock position is the aforementioned date window.
The movement is the ETA 2824-2, which will be familiar to most high horology enthusiasts. It is an automatic movement with self-winding, with an accuracy of +/- 12-30 seconds per day. For automatic watches, this is quite normal, as is the 38-hour power reserve. It is well visible through the display case back, so watch enthusiasts can enjoy the view of this classic movement.
The water resistance of the Flieger Classic is 50 meters, making them suitable for showers and splashes, but not for prolonged submersion. The watch is secured with a brown leather strap with steel rivets near the lugs for reinforcement and decoration.
Stowa Partitio
The Stowa Partitio watch is made of stainless steel and has a diameter of 37 mm. This provides a medium wrist presence, as does the 10.2 mm thickness. The thickness provides enough space for the Swiss automatic movement while not being excessive. The Partitio watch has a narrow, rounded bezel that maximizes the diameter, allowing for a large, easily visible dial.
The dial itself is flat black, with no complications or embellishments. The only thing that breaks the clean look is the elegant Stowa logo. The hour and minute hands are wide, with a luminescent stripe for better visibility at night. They taper towards the ends, giving the Partitio watch an elegant look. Large numerals 1-12 are placed in each hour position, right inside the index. The indicator has ultra-thin hashes at the 12-second marks, larger hashes at the one-minute marks, and small numerals at the five-minute marks. These tiny marks are difficult to see without a magnifying glass, but they are a nice adornment to the plain dial.
The movement is Swiss automatic, with accuracy to a few seconds per day. It is available in two variants. One with manual winding and the other without. For the money, I would choose the manual winding version, if only because it offers more options. Nevertheless, either option is a viable and functional choice.
The Partitio watch is rated for 50 meters of water resistance, meaning they are splash-resistant but not recommended for prolonged swimming. The watch has a screw-down crown, which is unusual for watches rated up to 100 meters, but it allows you not to snag it by mistake. The glossy black leather strap is minimalist in style but pleasing to the eye.
Junghans Max Bill Chronoscope
The Junghans Max Bill Chronoscope is a wide 40-mm watch with a stainless steel case. It has a very narrow bezel, giving it even more presence on the wrist than typical 40-mm watches. The watch is also unusually thick for its size - 14.4 mm. This is mostly due to the acrylic glass, which has a very high dome. It significantly distorts the dial unless you look at it directly, adding extra aesthetics.
The dial itself is elegant but somewhat cluttered. At the 3 o'clock position is a date and day window, at the 12 o'clock position is a 30-minute subdial, and at the 6 o'clock position is a 12-hour subdial. The gold hands are thin, with luminescent strips, creating a sharp contrast against the black dial. The second hand is even thinner, making it hard to read unless you keep an eye on it. The index has thin, elegant hashes, with equally thin numerals in each hour position.
The Caliber J880.2 movement is quite mundane. It is based on the earlier Valjoux 7750 chronograph, so it cannot be called the most accurate, although it has a 48-hour power reserve. At the same time, it is unusually loud. Personally, I am not a big fan of very loud movements, as they can attract unwanted attention if you are in a meeting or other setting where silence is expected. Nevertheless, if you like hearing your watch tick, there is a lot to enjoy here.
The Max Bill Chronoscope is not water-resistant. Don't get me wrong, it's a great watch and a bright fashion statement; you just won't want to take it in the shower or swim. The watch comes with a brown leather strap with decorative stitching along the outer edge.
Sinn 556 A
The Sinn 556 A is a working watch with a 38.5-mm stainless steel case with a subdued matte finish. Its diameter is 11 mm, providing a proportional appearance and comfort when worn on the wrist. The case back is made of sapphire, allowing for a good view of the movement if desired. The main glass is also sapphire, with an anti-reflective coating on both the front and back.
The dial is flat, black, with the white Sinn logo as the only adornment. At the 4:30 position is a date window, but it is so small that it is almost impossible to read. The index consists of bold white hashes, with bold bright hashes at the five-minute marks and large numerals at the 3, 6, 9, and 12 o'clock positions. The hands are also white, with wide, sharp hour and minute hands and a narrower second hand.
The movement is the automatic caliber SW200-1 with a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour. This is a rather fast pace, but it is standard for automatic movements. The caliber with 26 jewels is sufficiently accurate, and if you need to adjust it, you can easily get back on track. The movement features hacking, so the second hand stops ticking when the crown is pulled out all the way.
The 556 A model boasts the best water resistance among all these German watches. It is rated for 200 meters, which is more than enough for swimming and even diving. If you are a fan of underwater diving, you should look at these watches. Additionally, the watch is equipped with a three-link satin steel bracelet, which is comfortable, flexible, and reliable.
Damasko DA34
The Damasko DA34 watch has a unique ice-hardened stainless steel case with a unique finish balancing between polished and matte. The case has a screw-down case back, allowing for easy maintenance and adjustment if desired. The bezel is completely flat, and the crystal has a concave curve that does not distort the dial but certainly looks unique. The dimensions are 40 mm in diameter and 10 mm in thickness, providing a medium wrist size.
The black glossy dial is fairly simple, although there is a date and day window at the 3 o'clock position. The minute and hour hands are white and shaped like spearheads, giving them a sharp, high-contrast look. The second hand is bright red, drawing the eye as it moves across the dial. Thin white hashes mark the individual minutes, while bolder hashes indicate the five-minute marks. Double hashes highlight the 15-minute marks, and there is a bold red double hash at the 12 o'clock position.
The ETA 2836-2 Elabore movement has an accuracy of about 12 seconds per day, plus or minus some predictable deviation. It also provides a 38-hour power reserve, sufficient to set the watch aside for a day without needing to restart it. The DA34 watch is water-resistant to 100 meters, which is quite enough for swimming, showering, and other everyday water contact. The crown is screw-down, eliminating jamming and water ingress. The watch is equipped with a black leather strap with red stitching, making a sharp and noticeable accent on a restrained product.
