PUW Watch Co.: German Precision Movement Maker from Pforzheim Since 1932
PUW (Pforzheimer Uhren-Rohwerke) stands for Pforzheim Watch Movements or Pforzheim Ébauches, a historically significant German manufacturer of mechanical watch movements founded in 1932 by Rudolf Wehner in Pforzheim, Germany. This company specialized in producing reliable and well-crafted mechanical calibers and played a key role in supplying numerous German and international watch brands during the mid-20th century.
Key Highlights
Founded: 1932 in Pforzheim, Germany by Rudolf Wehner, who originally hailed from Dresden.
Name Meaning: PUW is an acronym for Pforzheimer Uhren-Rohwerke, meaning Pforzheim Watch Movements.
Historical Context: PUW was created partly in response to the precarious foreign currency situation in Germany during the early 1930s, reducing dependency on Swiss movement imports by localizing production.
Product Focus: Known for manufacturing a wide range of mechanical watch movements (ébauches), including manual wind, automatic, and chronograph calibers. PUW movements were noted for their robustness and good quality, making them popular from the 1960s through the 1970s.
Famous Movements:
Caliber PUW 1260 and 1360 movements were widely used by Pforzheim-based watch brands and considered reliable mechanical engines during their era.
The PUW caliber 1561, launched in 1971, was a popular automatic movement that was later superseded by the caliber 1661 in 1975.
Industry Role: PUW supplied movements to several smaller German watch manufacturers, helping to sustain the local watch industry especially during and after World War II.
Collectibility: Today, PUW movements and watches equipped with them are respected by collectors for their historical significance and as witnesses of German mid-century watchmaking craftsmanship.
Decline: Like many traditional movement makers, PUW was affected by the quartz crisis and industry consolidation but remains a name of interest to enthusiasts of vintage German watches.
Why PUW Watch Co. Matters
German Watchmaking Pioneer: One of Pforzheim’s key movement manufacturers, contributing to local horological independence from Swiss ébauche imports.
Robust Mechanical Movements: Helped power an array of German wristwatches with quality mechanical calibers during a critical period of watchmaking history.
Legacy Brand: PUW movements symbolize a valuable chapter of German industrial and watchmaking heritage.
Collectors’ Interest: Vintage timepieces featuring PUW movements are increasingly sought after by aficionados of historic German watches.
PUW Watch Co. exemplifies German mechanical engineering in horology, reflecting the resilience and skill of Pforzheim’s watch industry across the mid-1900s.