Jörg Schauer, one of the charismatic creators of German watches who calls himself "Der Uhrenbauer," which translates to "The Watch Builder" in English, has come to Japan to promote a limited edition model commemorating the opening of "TiCTAC update" at "NEXT TOKYO" on the 5th floor of the new Shibuya Parco.
Interview with Jörg Schauer
"Swiss watches are too complicated"
The commemorative model is not from the brand "Schauer" that bears his name, but rather a limited edition of only 30 pieces worldwide of the new "Flieger Wales 40" from the "Flieger" collection, a classic model from "STOWA," a long-established brand in his hometown of Pforzheim that he has been working to inherit and develop since 2004. The regular model of this "Flieger Wales 40" won the "Red Dot Design Award 2019," Germany's equivalent of the Good Design Award.
This is a cool watch with stealth design, with the hands and indexes of the Flieger model matched to the gray dial. The price is reasonable at 12 yen (excluding tax). The case back also offers a view of the ETA2824-2 movement.
He was wearing a simple grey long-sleeved T-shirt, jeans, and white sneakers. He had yellow-green eyeglass frames and a watch with a yellow-green rubber strap. The interview took place on November 22nd, the day of the grand opening of the new Shibuya Parco. Schauer's fashion perfectly suited the NEXT TOKYO floor on the fifth floor. However, as a self-proclaimed "watch builder," it is rare to find a watch brand owner who exudes such a spirit of craftsmanship as he does.
"I chose the Stowa brand for the limited edition model because I want more young people to know about the appeal of mechanical watches. Schauer is a watch brand that embodies my ideas with my own hands. If I'm no longer around, they won't be able to make it. But Stowa is different. It's a watch brand with a long history and is loved by many people. I want more people to experience the appeal of German watches with Stowa," says Schauer. He also says that the movement finish was deliberately kept basic in order to keep the price down.
Looking back, the first time I had the opportunity to interview Mr. Schauer was at the Basel Fair (now Baselworld) around 2000. German watch creators rented space in an underground area close to the trade fair venue and exhibited together. The person who introduced me to him was Mitsuhiro Matsuzaki, CEO of Neuve-A, who currently oversees TiCTAC and other events. It was also Mr. Matsuzaki who took me to Mr. Schauer's workshop. At the time, he personally attended the Basel Fair as a buyer, working hard to develop new brands. After a fateful encounter with Mr. Schauer in 1999, he became the Japanese distributor and has since sold Schauer and Stowa watches at TiCTAC.
Schauer says that the appeal of German watches is, above all, "simple, minimal style and high quality." Before long, the conversation turned to the latest Swiss watches and the future of Baselworld.
"Personally, I think Swiss watches today are too complicated and too expensive. And Baselworld is too expensive. When I was exhibiting at Basel, it was a fun place where watch lovers could gather and talk about watches. I think we need to create a new platform like that back then, one that is free for both exhibitors and participants, for everyone involved with watches, and I think there are many people who are looking for that."
Recently, he exhibited at a small three-day exhibition in New York that brought together independent watch brands, and was deeply impressed. "It was a small venue, but anyone could casually come and look at the watches. Even though it was only a three-day event, there were 15,000 visitors, and everyone at the venue was lively and energetic. It was fun."
Schauer has purchased a former restaurant building near his workshop, renovated it into a guesthouse, and will be holding regular customer events there.
"Each time, I invite a maximum of 15 people to enjoy wine, food, and conversation, and then I give them a tour of my workshop. Half of the food is catered, but the other half is made by me. I've also installed a fantastic Italian espresso machine. I want people to enjoy my watches, including the story behind them."
If more young people discover at Shibuya Parco that there is a world like his inside watches, wouldn't watches become even more popular and the industry become more fun and exciting?
