stowa and Steinhart

scwazrh

Does anyone know why there is so many Steinhart watches near identical to stowa watches but cost half the price?Which manufacturer is regarded to be better and why?

Lex Luthor

I have one of each, Steinhart is a diver watch and the Stowa a flieger

Stowa quality is probably higher. They also have heritage when it comes to the fliegers in being one of the original manufacturers of fliegers
I wouldn't knock Steinhart, they make some great watches..for extremely good value

fret_wimp2

Lex is bang on.

Stienhart is a relatively new company, less than 10 years old. Stowa produced some of the first fliegers earlier on in the last century.

Steinharts are manufactured in china. Stowa are manufactured in Germany under the close eye of watch designer jorg schaucer. There is a LOT more care and attention put into putting together a stowa.

Steinhart make great watches for the price, don't knock them. Stowa are a cut above though. Much more craftsmanship.

Buy whichever one fits in your price range and which one you will wear.

Lex Luthor

fret_wimp2 wrote: »

Steinharts are manufactured in china.

news to me???

Where is your source of information?

fret_wimp2

My last steinhart came feom Asia if i remember correctly. It is a OVM. It came with the wrong bezel installed ( another reason stowa are more highly regarded, their quality control is leaps and bounds above steinhart). Took about 3 weeks to get resolved.

A lot of manufacturers do this. Helson watches ship from Asia also.

Lex Luthor

fret_wimp2 wrote: »

My last steinhart came feom Asia if i remember correctly.

I dont think that is proof the watch was made in China

If you read the watch forums there has been some debate about this before and there is enough people on there on WUS in the know with Steinhart and have rebuffed the China rumour

fret_wimp2

Il see if I can find the delivery docket.
Evenso, stienhart has a much much lower QC process than stowa. I've actually never heard of stowa sending out anything to perfect, whereas there are lots of stories for stienhart.

Stienhart are good, I have one, I know, but they can be a little flaky is all I'm aaying, when compared to stowa.

Lex Luthor

I had to return my ob1 also because of a not so perfect bezel inlay. However watch came from germany and went back there for repair

?Cee?view

I saw this Chinese question being raised about Steinhart on one of the other watch fora. It came about because someone saw the country designation CH on Steinhart paperwork and decided that that meant the watch was made in China. Of course, CH refers to Switzerland e.g. CHF = Swiss Franc

Lex Luthor

?Cee?view wrote: »

I saw this Chinese question being raised about Steinhart on one of the other watch fora. It came about because someone saw the country designation CH on Steinhart paperwork and decided that that meant the watch was made in China. Of course, CH refers to Switzerland e.g. CHF = Swiss Franc

:rolleyes:

scwazrh

I ve been doing a bit of research on this and I've noticed a few things.The models which I thought Steinhart had similar to stowa are actually the marine range and flieger.

I have learned that these two ranges are not unique to either manufacturer but are a style of watch which each manufacturer is making their own version of.

When looking in detail at available pics it does appear that Stowa is higher qulity. Add in the facts that Stowa by all reports do everything they can to keep a customer happy, good things come to those who wait, and also the fact Stowa seem to have a customer loyalty base second to none , My own opinion now is that Stowa are the better brand.

My first Stowa will be delivered in February next year so I will buy a Steinhart in the mean time and compare both when I have them both in hand.

Lex Luthor

scwazrh wrote: »

I ve been doing a bit of research on this and I've noticed a few things.The models which I thought Steinhart had similar to stowa are actually the marine range and flieger.

I have learned that these two ranges are not unique to either manufacturer but are a style of watch which each manufacturer is making their own version of.

When looking in detail at available pics it does appear that Stowa is higher qulity. Add in the facts that Stowa by all reports do everything they can to keep a customer happy, good things come to those who wait, and also the fact Stowa seem to have a customer loyalty base second to none , My own opinion now is that Stowa are the better brand.

My first Stowa will be delivered in February next year so I will buy a Steinhart in the mean time and compare both when I have them both in hand.

So tell us, what did you order?

peasant

Well, at least (and in contrast to Steinhart) Stowa have no compunction about admitting that some of their components stem from the far east

quote from their FAQ section (highlights by me)

Sometimes there are discussions about the "Country of Origin" of STOWA watches and other watchbrands.
We at STOWA want to be open as always.

Already in the year 2007 an article in the german watchmagazine Armbanduhren was published.
(in the reason of the 80th. Anniversary of the STOWA Brand)
It was the result of a interview Jörg Schauer gave to Armbanduhren.

Martin Häussermann(Journalist) and Jörg Schauer talked about the marketing and philosophy of STOWA.:

"Even under Schauer's aegis, these have been turbulent times for Stowa, with a lot of pressure being exerted on prices.The young team in Engelsbrand has managed to release this pressure in two ways: on the one hand, Schauer has been systematically and successfully looking for component manufacturers with a more favourable pricing structure, including those in the Far East, he admits. On the other hand, he emphasised that "80 percent of the value of Stowa watches is created in Europe". The company's marketing policy has been changed as well: from a traditional brand to direct sales. Schauer has been selling Stowa almost exclusively on-line for almost three years now (www.stowa.com) or directly from his workshop. Stowa watches have become clearly cheaper as a result of more favourable purchasing terms and the elimination of dealer profit margins."

scwazrh

Lex Luthor wrote: »

So tell us, what did you order?

This beaut https://www.stowa.de/lshop,showdetail,137452553210804,en,1374527524-1477,antea,anteakskleinesekunde,2,Tshowrub--antea,.htm

?Cee?view

Lex Luthor wrote: »

:rolleyes:

What?

Lex Luthor

?Cee?view wrote: »

What?

Not directed at you, but at the info you posted about the CH mixup

Lex Luthor

scwazrh wrote: »

This beaut https://www.stowa.de/lshop,showdetail,137452553210804,en,1374527524-1477,antea,anteakskleinesekunde,2,Tshowrub--antea,.htm

Very nice, bit small for my tastes but love the antea range

scwazrh

Most of my watches are in the 42-44mm range so its a lot smaller than I normally go for but I liked the handwinding and plain look of it.I ordered it with the croc strap as well.

I don't expect to wear it that much but I thought its a nice different piece to add to my collection.I'll buy the Steinhart flieger and that will quench my German style thirst .

johnthemull

Stowa make better quality watches than Steinhart and have better customer service. Steinharts QC can be bad and they take forever to answer emails. However when they get around to dealing with a problem they are honest and attentive.
When it comes to choosing between them Its a question of what you can afford. I have acquired a Stowa marine original and a Steinhart Vintage red over the years and they are both excellent value for money IMHO.
Steinhart are not made in China.