D. Dornblüth Ref. 99.3

The year was 1959. The place was Chemnitz, or as it was then called: Karl Marx Stadt in the former DDR. Watchmaker Dieter Dornblüth designed his very own movement, based on inspiration provided by a silver pocket watch he had serviced for a client. He had only just started building his design when he was called to take over a watchmaker’s business in Kalbe and had to abandon his plans for his own movement.

Forward forty years, to 1999. Dieter’s son Dirk had designed his own steel watch, which he presented to his father for his 60th birthday. Based on the Glashütte 60.3 caliber, it was the trigger for father and son to sit down together that same night and start sketching their very own base movement. So many years after Dieter had abandoned his dream, the father/son team launched their cal. 99.2 movement. Dornblüth Manufacture was born.

Today, D. Dornblüth & Sohn is well established as a maker of fine watches. The brand offers a range of in-house movements, visible through glass case backs, in classically designed watches. Many of the timeless Dornblüth designs are reminiscent of naval chronometers with their “spade” hands and rail-road minute tracks.

Based around the 99.2, Dornblüth offers a range of variations. Simplified variants such as the 99.0 and 99.1 feature time only. More complex variants such as the 99.3 add complications such as power reserves and pointer dates. Different sizes and a specific women’s model are available as well.

As time passes, the father & son team set off to create more complicated watches. The 99.3 adds a date to the mix. The seconds sub-dial we know from the 99.1 is moved to 9 o’clock, freeing up space on the opposite end for a pointer date sub-dial. At twelve, we find a power reserve indicator, meaning the Dornblüth logo has moved to the resulting free real estate at six o’clock. The result is an extremely well-balanced dial layout, one would be excused for mistaking for a chronograph from a distance. The watch is offered in the familiar color options: a sterling silver dial finished in a grainy matte silver or black. Hands in either white superluminova or heat-blued. A case in stainless steel or 18k rose gold.

Specifications:
Case: Stainless steel or 18k yellow gold, 42mm diameter / 11,5mm height
Crystal: Sapphire, slightly domed with single-sided anti-reflective coating (inside)
Movement: 18.000 BPH with +/- 50 hours power reserve with date and power reserve indicator
Dial: Black or silver with superluminova or heat blued hands