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Kurth Watches |
Just about twelve miles north of Cologne lies the small town of Kerpen, nowadays world renowned as the hometown of multiple Formula 1 world champion Michael Schumacher and his brother Ralf.
Motors roar in Kerpen, of course, but extraordinary watches are also produced here in the tranquility of a small watchmaker's workshop. The atelier belonging to Birgit Kurth and her father Franz excels because it encompasses one of the most comprehensive "spare parts stores" for vintage Swiss precision watches. For some time now Franz Kurth has been reworking parts of his enormous stock of old movements and has been putting them into solid, handmade cases of outstanding quality that have "it" in them - literally.
Each and every part of the manually wound movements is the result of time-consuming, meticulous craftsmanship. They are taken apart, skeletonized, engraved, gilded, polished, ground, beveled, refined, and fine-tuned or improved with a new fine adjustment.
Kurth's collection cannot be categorized in terms of style, but rather orients itself collossally on the availability of the vintage manufacture movements used. Despite this, Kurth does manage to produce small series utilizing common movements by the manufactures Valjoux, Peseux, Unitas, and ETA. All of these series are limited to less than 100 pieces. |
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Kurth models are numbered on the dial and may also be assembled according to the wishes of the individual client. Many customers love to choose their lucky numbers or birth dates, although the number 007 seems to be one of the most popular.
Collectors and enthusiasts certainly seem to prefer the series using vintage movements such as the first automatic movement that ETA developed in 1949, Caliber 1256. The movement ticking away in the Victory model may well have awakened itself from its Sleeping Beauty slumber: It is outfitted with the first alarm movement by AS, Caliber 1475 from the year 1954.
The fine art of watchmaking will not cease to exist here since Franz's daughter Birgit Kurth, also a qualified watchmaker, started up her own business in 1997. The Kurth workshop will therefore remain one of the finest addresses for mechanical wristwatches for several decades to come. Truly.
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Uhren-Atelier Birgit Kurth
Kolpingstr. 21
50171 Kerpen, Germany
Tel.: (011-49) 2237-2800
Fax: (011-49) 2237-29 38
info@kurth.net
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