UNION GLASHUTTE

In 1880 Johannes Dürrstein sold watches under the brand “Union”. Watches were made at the Glashütter Uhrenfabrik Union. Those watches had good accuracy and excellent workmanship but they did not have premium materials. Dürrstein and Julius Bergter worked together to create luxurious complicated pocket watches so they released the “La Fabuleuse” grande complication movement. During the 1920s and 1930s the company declined and until the 1990s the company was absent. In 1996 the Union brand used a Glashütte Original caliber 30 for the Julius Bergter watch. This watch had a moonphase and a power reserve indicator which made it a way more complicated watch than former Union watches. In 2000 the Swatch group acquired the company. Union Glashütte now uses ETA movements and the other parts come from Union’s watchmakers like rotors, bridges or decorations. In order to be a “Glashütte” brand, watches need to have at least 50% of Glashütte-produced components. Today watches have from the classic Union collection have an elegant simple german design inspired by the 1950s and 1960s. The casebacks of the watches have sapphire windows in order to reveal the movements and the dials are mostly black or white. The Viro collection is the brand’s basic collection, watches have a smaller diameter than the Union collection and more vivid colors. The Noramis collection is a reminiscent of the Bauhaus design with dauphine hands and thin curved lugs. The Belisar collection is a tribute to aviation and pilots’ watches.