Tutima: A Stalwart in Glashütte Watchmaking Tradition

The Tutima Tempostopp

Founded in 1927 by Dr. Ernst Kurtz in Glashütte, Germany, Tutima has taken great lengths to honor its tradition of watchmaking.

During World World II, in 1945, Tutima’s factories were destroyed in an air raid; Dr. Kurtz and a handful of employees fled to western Germany. Against all odds, they continued to manufacture precision timepieces and preserved not only Tutima’s respected reputation, but also the greater Glashütte watchmaking tradition.

L - Glashütte Buildings R - Tempostopp Detail

Tutima’s sleek yet formidable watch designs so elegantly reflect the brand’s fascinating and turbulent history—particularly in their Tempostopp flyback chronograph.

The Tempostopp was released to commemorate Tutima’s 90th anniversary and is based upon one of their breakthrough 1940s pilot watches. With the original designs lost during the infamous bombing of Glashütte, the modern Tempostopp had to be reverse engineered. It took three years to replicate the complex original Calibre 59 movement, the first German chronograph movement with flyback function.

Tutima North American President Gustavo Calzadilla, who has been with the German watch brand for 20 years, discusses Tutima’s long-awaited Glashütte homecoming and how its history manifests itself in their contemporary collection.