I just lately visited the Aristo Vollmer watch and bracelet producer within the Black Forest city of Pforzheim. Aristo-Vollmer was based 14 years in the past as a merger of two well-known corporations from the cities of Birkenfeld and Pforzheim.
After three generations within the possession of the founding Epple household, the watch producer Aristo Watch was bought in 1998 to Hansjörg Vollmer, a member of the founding household of watch bracelet producer Vollmer, which has been related to Aristo since 1927.
Hansjörg Vollmer is a grandson of the founding father of the steel bracelet manufactory Vollmer (Vollmer, Evvo, New Line), which was based in 1922 and had maintained enterprise relations with Aristo since 1927. After World Struggle II, the manufacturing of bracelets moved from Birkenfeld to Pforzheim the place it’s nonetheless positioned subsequent to the Pforzheim prepare station.
Since 2005, the Aristo-Vollmer’s portfolio consists of watch manufacturers (Aristo, Aristomatic, Aristocrat, Messerschmitt, Vollmer, Bellana, Aristella, and Erbprinz) in addition to bracelets (stainless-steel, titanium, carbon), buckles, and deployant clasps. The bracelets are used for its personal watch manufacturers, and equipped to retailers, in addition to outdoors the group. Just lately Aristo added Klaus Jakob’s Jacques Etoile model, which we’ll come again to slightly later.
Hansjörg is an intriguing character, very pushed but approachable. He’s a high-speed fanatic and professionally races BMW bikes, and even customized builds them upon request. I attended one in all his races within the Czech Republic and was impressed that at age 65, he was convincingly beating riders of their 20s. He has an extended lineup of trophies within the manufacturing unit. His holidays and enterprise journeys incorporate his racing schedule and way of life. He works quite a bit with carbon fiber for his bikes, so it was pure for him to make use of it in watches as nicely.
In 2004, Aristo, with the mannequin 3H45, pioneered a carbon watch with a carbon dial. A 12 months later, Aristo launched its new mannequin “Carbon II” at Baselworld 2005. In 2006, the Carbon chronograph was launched with a stainless-steel case handled with PVD. I bear in mind Hansjörg displaying me these watches enthusiastically in Basel with photos of his bikes.
From 2010 to 2012 Aristo participated in a know-how program supported by the German Ministry of Financial Affairs and Analysis. Since then, composite constructions of bracelets (for watches and jewellery) manufactured from carbon, together with stainless-steel or titanium hyperlinks, are being mass produced. As a result of resistance, light-weight, and the allergy-neutral properties of this materials in comparison with metal, Aristo has prolonged their carbon portfolio.
Strolling into the Aristo manufacturing unit is sort of a stroll into the previous of Pforzheim watchmaking. All the things seems to be left intact from many years of producing and certain by a a lot bigger workforce. For the reason that Vollmer manufacturing unit resided a couple of kilometers outdoors of Pforzheim, they have been spared by the Allied bombs within the conflict years. Therefore, the second you enter the workshop, you may instantly scent the oil from the machines and see them in motion – it’s like taking a time machine to the early Nineteen Forties. A few watch buddies who joined me on this journey glanced at one another in disbelief, however with a giant grin, understanding that we have been experiencing one thing particular. We’re so accustomed to seeing fashionable manufacturing with all of the DIN certifications, however this was just like the Willy Wonka manufacturing unit with absolutely functioning classic fuse containers and hand-and-foot operated machines.
After the workshop flooring, we visited this small archive room which is used as a “museum”, and we discovered a treasure trove of previous dials with a really fascinating historical past. As some Stowa aficionados already know there was a dial making firm positioned in Pforzheim within the Thirties and Nineteen Forties, generally known as Weber & Baral. Lots of new manufacturers took up an previous design of 1937 Weber & Baral dials which have been – for instance – utilized by Lange & Söhne and Stowa in these days. To our shock, we discovered two samples of those previous Weber & Barals dials within the archives. These days you will notice that this design is usually utilized by Nomos (Tangente) and Stowa (Antea).
We then found an enormous field of samples of rectangular instances Aristo made throughout that very same time interval – all of them had their unique tags. There was additionally a pattern e book with hand-drawn pendants for pocket watches. You don’t come throughout this previous stuff usually.
As we sifted by means of all of the historic dials, instances, bracelets, and watches, there was this one watch which caught my eye – the Aristo Bundeswehr chronograph made in co-operation with Helmut Sinn. Aristo had made two dial variations in white/cream and black and cased it within the 1970’s Sinn 144 metal case with reference 3H19xx. There have been a couple of variations of the Tachymeter and different scales contained in the bezel as nicely. The watch is powered by Valjoux 7750 and has a German day wheel with date. This particular instance had the Vollmer mesh bracelet. There are different recognized examples in Aristo’s catalog from the early 2000s, which got here with a Bund leather-based strap.
One other watch I got here throughout was a neo-vintage Flieger fashion white dial in a cushion case with an enormous crown. As a Flieger fanatic, this was an uncommon and intriguing watch. Hansjörg defined that Aristo through the years collaborated with different manufacturers, buying their dials and actions. This Flieger had a particular and well-decorated Molnija motion. Molnija actions are nonetheless produced in Russia and began out as a replica of a Swiss Cortébert motion. This motion was customized made for Aristo and is properly adorned upon Hansjörg’s request.
As we sat down in Hansjörg’s workplace to see your entire assortment, my first impression was not as enthusiastic. My pet peeve is the position of tiny date at 3 o’clock, when both a correct date window or no date in any respect is a greater possibility. Many of the watches I noticed as I regarded round had this tiny date. Once I began to choose up watches from every assortment, it began to make extra sense. I spotted that Aristo has their regular retail shops, mid-to-low priced choices, after which they’ve particular items that watch lovers and collectors would recognize.
The Messerschmitt assortment had some fascinating pilots fashion watches, although most of those once more had the small date. Some fashions did resonate with me, just like the outsized Aristo ME-262, which has the dial constituted of the chassis sheet of the unique ME-262 plane. It’s one thing the “previous” Bremont would have performed.
Nonetheless, the watches that left the strongest impression have been the classic fashion watches constituted of both distinctive dials or actions. The watches Aristo makes utilizing the historic Seventies Longines’ Report 1959-2 computerized motion stand out as an important cut price. Aristo managed to safe a number of of the unused Report actions. They first disassembled, then utterly cleaned and reassembled these actions to make sure correct performance and accuracy.
I like each the traditional gown fashion watches in a 38.5mm case, and the army fashion watches in bigger instances with the Report motion. These watches characteristic restrained classic impressed dials, no date, and run on historic actions, for underneath $600. As a result of restricted inventory of the motion, they’re restricted in numbers per sequence. If Aristo made the very same fashions with Sellita motion for underneath $500 as a part of their everlasting assortment, I believe it might nonetheless be a great worth proposition.
The Aristo Classic Pilot Chronograph shares the identical design with the traditional Porsche Design watch from the Seventies. As famous earlier that Aristo and Helmut Sinn had a pleasant relationship and even shared some elements, akin to watch instances. Up to now, Aristo produced matte, darkish sandblasted stainless-steel instances within the 40.5mm measurement. Nonetheless, these instances haven’t been used till now. Hansjörg determined to place these instances to make use of in a Pilot chronograph in restricted manufacturing (not a restricted version).
The Pilot chronograph is obtainable in two variations – with Arabic numerals, and with hour markers for a clear look. The unidirectional rotating bezel will be turned counterclockwise. The crown protector and chronograph pushbuttons are ergonomically designed and provides the Prime Gun environment of the Eighties. The watch is accomplished with an identical mesh bracelet made within the Pforzheim manufacturing unit, or on a leather-based strap, which supplies the watch a extra fashionable look. Personally, I believe the hour marker model on a mesh bracelet makes for a wonderful piece. It’s powered by a Sellita SW500 motion and priced at roughly $1,300.
Lastly, Hansjörg has taken over the manufacturing of Jacques Etoile watches from Klaus Jakob. Within the close to future, I’ll do a deeper dive into Klaus Jakob, who’s a watchmaker from Lörrach, in southwest Germany. Klaus was primarily making some cool watches at about the identical time as Chronoswiss, within the early 2000s. Each of them have been recognized for closely modifying actions to create fascinating issues and designs. Throughout COVID, Klaus entrusted his Jacques Etoile model to Aristo and now solely focuses on his second model, Mercure.
The sector dial Jacques Etoile Le Mans sequence are understated three-hander watches. The dials can be found in 4 colours – blue, salmon, black, and orange. The case measurement is 41mm in both metal or titanium. It wears extra like 40mm, with a 48mm lug to lug measurement. I’m barely biased in the direction of the salmon dial in titanium since it’s a distinctive dial shade and mixture. It’s powered by a Sellita SW200 and priced round $500. These classic dials are definitely worth the value of the watch. Klaus Jakob was not recognized to stint on the standard of the elements. He had his dials manufactured on the well-known Schätzle dial maker in Weil am Rhein, Germany.
Total, visiting the Aristo manufacturing unit was like dialing up the time machine again to the higher manufacturing days of Pforzheim. I loved searching for hidden gems that may be discovered within the Aristo assortment and of their archives. There are thrilling issues taking place there, and Hansjörg Vollmer is a gradual hand guiding the operation. It won’t shock if a decade from now we discover Hansjörg nonetheless competing professionally together with his trusty BMW bike on the ripe age of 75, and profitable extra races.
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