It was the year 1927, a time when Europe was buzzing with an unprecedented awakening. This era, known as the Golden Twenties, was marked by a surge in technical innovation, the rise of young arts like film and photography, and the introduction of revolutionary music like jazz.
Amid the crisis, two companies were founded in Glashütte: Uhren-Rohwerke-Fabrik Glashütte AG (UROFA) and Uhrenfabrik Glashütte AG, or UFAG. Leading these companies as Chairman and Managing Director was Dr Ernst Kurtz, a visionary jurist who quickly recognized that the future of timepieces would not belong to the still widely utilized pocket watch, but the wristwatch. His best models, which were exceptionally reliable and durable, did not need to shun comparison to Swiss brands. They received the name 'Tutima', derived from the Latin word 'safe, secure.' And thus, a brand was born.
The beginnings of watchmaking in Glashütte are deeply entwined with the secluded eastern Ore Mountains: watchmakers had to make almost all their parts themselves. Some of them became independent. At the end of the 1920s,Dr Ernst Kurtz brought the lone wolves scattered across the Müglitz valley under one roof in a factory, developing modern work structures that emphasized collaboration, efficiency, and precision. This innovative approach laid the foundation for the brand's commitment to quality and craftsmanship.
This boundless passion and patience are why special movement modules such as the chronograph calibre Tutima 521 are created at Tutima. It is based on the ETA Valjoux 7750 and replaces the Swiss calibre Lémania 5100.
The challenge of this module was to make sure that it reliably functions without compromise and pack it into the smallest possible amount of space. The result is a masterful construction that we have registered for a patent.
On the road to success there are no shortcuts. And thus the creation of a complicated timekeeper calls for one thing above all: a lot of time. Because two to three years of planning and development may pass before a watch becomes a complete Tutima.
