In the beginning, there was Walter Storz.
In 1927, he founded his own company, branching out from his father’s large watch factory in Hornberg/Kinzigtal.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o
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At first, Walter Storz tried his hand at representing small Swiss watch factories. In 1935, he founded his own manufacturing business in Pforzheim, in a rented space for the first three years. In 1938, he erected his own factory building.
The company grew. The STOWA brand - named after the first syllables of Walter Storz’s name - came to stand for quality throughout the world.<o
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<?xml:namespace prefix = v ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" /><v:shape id=Bild23 style="MARGIN-TOP: -256.85pt; Z-INDEX: 3; MARGIN-LEFT: -85.05pt; WIDTH: 70.5pt; POSITION: absolute; HEIGHT: 22.5pt; mso-wrap-distance-left: 0; mso-wrap-distance-top: 0; mso-wrap-distance-right: 0; mso-wrap-distance-bottom: 0; mso-position-horizontal: absolute; mso-position-horizontal-relative: text; mso-position-vertical-relative: line; mso-position-vertical: absolute" type="#_x0000_t75" o:allowoverlap="f" alt="RESTART" o:spid="_x0000_s1028"><v:imagedata o:title="a_initial_12" src="file:///C:/WINDOWS/TEMP/msoclip1/01/clip_image003.gif"></v:imagedata><?xml:namespace prefix = w ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" /><w:wrap type="square"></w:wrap></v:shape>The factory building was destroyed near the end of the war, on February 23rd 1945. The situation in Pforzheim having grown increasingly difficult, Walter Storz moved to Rheinfelden, setting up his own manufacturing building there in 1951.
Among other things, STOWA also built shock protection (RUFA), still used in many PUW and
Durowe watch movements today.<o
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At the same time, the building in Pforzheim was reconstructed, and the production capacity of both factories was expanded enormously. The proportion of exports rose to almost 50%, and STOWA watches were distributed to some 80 countries worldwide.<o
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<v:shape id=Bild24 style="MARGIN-TOP: -418.55pt; Z-INDEX: 4; MARGIN-LEFT: -85.05pt; WIDTH: 70.5pt; POSITION: absolute; HEIGHT: 22.5pt; mso-wrap-distance-left: 0; mso-wrap-distance-top: 0; mso-wrap-distance-right: 0; mso-wrap-distance-bottom: 0; mso-position-horizontal: absolute; mso-position-horizontal-relative: text; mso-position-vertical-relative: line; mso-position-vertical: absolute" type="#_x0000_t75" o:allowoverlap="f" alt="THE NEXT
GENERATION" o:spid="_x0000_s1029"><v:imagedata o:title="a_initial_20" src="file:///C:/WINDOWS/TEMP/msoclip1/01/clip_image004.gif"></v:imagedata><w:wrap type="square"></w:wrap></v:shape>In the early 1960s, Werner Storz, Walter Storz’s son, joined the company, assuming responsibility, above all, for strenuous overseas trips. Werner Storz continued to successfully manage STOWA’s business through 1996, before retiring and looking for a successor. He found one in Jörg Schauer from Engelsbrand, who has continued the uninterrupted manufacture of STOWA watches, in keeping with the intentions of their founder and his family, ever since.<o
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And so STOWA’s history is still being written successfully today!<o
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