Stowa Unveil Antea Classic KS Rose Gold and Anthracite Inspired by 1937 Minimalism

The legacy of Germany’s Bauhaus movement is a strong one, extending for over a century with the school having been founded in 1919. However, while its influences are still being felt in the watch industry today, its impact on German watchmakers was more or less instant. During their research for the new Antea Classic KS Rose Gold and Anthracite, Stowa discovered that their heritage Bauhaus and minimalist designs date back to as early as 1937, just four years after the iconic school closed in 1933, which given the design lag in the industry, makes them one of the style’s earliest adopters.

As part of their research into the period, Stowa spoke with Mr. Karl D. Weber, the son of the founder of Weber & Baral, a dial factory who worked with German brands including Stowa and Lange in the 1930s. According to Weber, the proliferation of Bauhaus design happened almost subconsciously in the watch industry. His father, Arthur Weber, was not moved by the doctrines or ideology of Bauhaus when he designed those early 1937 dials for Stowa so much as he was inspired by the furniture, curtains and patterns that had become popular and which in turn had been influenced by Bauhaus. It’s a surprisingly down-to-earth answer. Not jumping on the bandwagon of artistic pretention and instead saying no, what was important was reflecting the culture and interests of customers.

Jumping forward more than a few decades to 2025, the Antea Classic KS Rose Gold and Anthracite aim to capture the original charm of those 1937 models. The rose gold model in particular is directly inspired by one of those vintage references while the anthracite edition is more of a modernisation. When Stowa say rose gold, they’re talking about the colour of the dial rather than the material of the case as both versions are produced in stainless steel measuring a vintage appropriate 35.5mm.

In today’s parlance we would describe the Antea Classic KS Rose Gold as a salmon watch. Interestingly, just as the vintage Stowas were early adopters of Bauhaus, they were also early adopters of the salmon colour scheme because the term was first coined in the 1930s and caught on in a significant way in the 40s. The term refers specifically to watches with rose gold or copper-coloured dials with steel or white gold cases, creating that signature colour combination like a fillet of salmon with crisp, silver skin.

It was a very popular colour combination a few years ago though it has dropped off a little recently. That’s perhaps why Stowa have presented a second version with a cool grey dial with bold, white markings that feels more modern in comparison to the retro rose gold model. Both versions feature sunray brushing and minimalist Roman numeral markings – new to these archival editions as opposed to the Arabic numeral models in the existing Antea line. They also have a small seconds subdial at 6 o’clock.

Powering the Stowa Antea Classic KS Rose Gold and Anthracite is the Peseux 7001, a manual-winding calibre with a 42–45-hour power reserve. It’s known for its slim profile, measuring just 2.5mm thick, which makes it appropriate for the vintage dimensions of the collection. It’s also finished to top grade with Geneva stripes. It’s visible through an exhibition caseback.

The price is €1,200 on leather strap or €1,270 on Milanese bracelets (approx. £1,010/£1,070). That price seems appropriate given that it’s a mechanical watch with a sleek, vintage inspired dress watch design. It’s right on the cusp between being an entry-level, accessible watch and that second tier of mid-range luxury timepiece – which is fitting as that’s how I’d describe Stowa as a whole.

More details at Stowa.

​Oracle Time 

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