The rebirth of a great name in aviation
Bremen in 1923: three men – Heinrich Focke, Georg Wulf and Werner Naumann – found a company that will soon make history. Under the name Focke-Wulf Flugzeugbau AG, they produce aircraft that are not only technically groundbreaking, but also open a new chapter in German aviation.
From the elegant Fw200 “Condor” to the legendary Fw190 “Würger” fighter aircraft, their designs conquered the skies and set new standards. Today, this legacy lives on in a completely different form: Focke-Wulf watches are reviving the traditional name. The brand transfers the values of aviation – precision, reliability and technical sophistication – to the world of pilot’s watches.
From the beginnings to the first successes
The early years are characterized by experimentation and passion. With the A16, a small passenger aircraft, Focke-Wulf proves early on that practical and reliable aircraft are the key to the future. The big breakthrough follows with the Fw44 “Stieglitz”, an agile biplane that is used worldwide as a training aircraft. Generations of pilots climb into this aircraft and associate the name Focke-Wulf with suitability for everyday use, robustness and precision in aircraft construction.
Focke-Wulf during the Second World War
In the 1930s, the company moved more into the military focus. Under the leadership of Kurt Tank, an ingenious engineer and passionate pilot, the Fw190 “Würger” fighter is created. Fast, robust and versatile, it became the Luftwaffe’s most important fighter aircraft in the 1940s alongside the legendary Messerschmitt Bf 109. Even today, the aircraft is still regarded as a symbol of the ingenious combination of engineering skill and flying practice.
But as impressive as these technical developments are, they were created in a dark period of history. Like many other companies in the aviation industry, Focke-Wulf was part of an armaments machine. This makes it all the more important to separate the technical achievements from the political circumstances: Strength, reliability and functionality characterize the designs – characteristics that today are incorporated in a positive sense into the philosophy of Focke-Wulf watches.
Our watches are practical, just like the Focke Wulf aircraft that inspired them.
Focke-Wulf
From demise to resurrection as a brand
After 1945, Focke-Wulf lies in ruins. The production halls are destroyed, leading figures such as Kurt Tank leave Germany, and the company is later absorbed into the Airbus Group through several mergers. The name seems lost for decades. But in 2021, Focke-Wulf celebrates its return – not as an aircraft manufacturer, but as a manufacturer of timepieces that bring the great legacy into the present in a new way.
Design philosophy and promise of quality
Just as the airplanes once did, Focke-Wulf pilot’s watches embody the interplay of functionality and elegance. Inspired by the Fw190, which Kurt Tank once described as a “service horse”, they stand for functionality, reliability and timeless elegance. Each watch is made in Switzerland and meets the strict standards for the “Swiss Made” seal of quality.
A Swiss precision movement from Ronda works under the cowling – accurate, reliable and resistant to dust, moisture, vibrations and magnetic fields. It is the “workhorse” of modern watchmaking, just as the Fw190 was the workhorse of the skies. The result is timepieces that not only represent a piece of aviation history, but also confidently withstand the demands of everyday life.
Focke-Wulf watches between past and present
Today, the heart of the brand beats in Ashfield near Sydney, Australia, where it is managed by Sierra Velo Pty Ltd. From here, its legend lives on and reignites the fascination for aviation in a new generation of watch enthusiasts. Focke-Wulf is not a nostalgic brand, but rather a bridge: It combines the pioneering days of aviation with modern Swiss watchmaking, turning history into the present.
Focke-Wulf sees itself as a tribute to pioneers such as Heinrich Focke, Georg Wulf and Kurt Tank – engineers and test pilots who set standards with courage, inventiveness and passion. Even though their work took place in a complex and contradictory time, today the brand stands exclusively for technical achievements and the fascination of flying – values that are reflected in every timepiece made by Focke-Wulf.
The world of Focke-Wulf watches
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