Stowa to TEMPUS ARTE Group

This little tidbit of news has been making the rounds on the various discussion forums, but curious to relate not so much in the halls of the favored outlets of Watch Town.

News broke about a week ago that Stowa had become a member of Tempus Arte GmbH. In fact, this change was effective as of July 1.

Here are the pertinents, as shared in the German press release (courtesy of Google Translate):

Achieving more together! 

The well-known German watch brand STOWA has been operating under the umbrella of Tempus Arte since July 1, 2021. The Tempus Arte Group includes the brands Uhrmanufaktur Lang & Heyne Dresden, Uhren-Werke-Dresden (UWD), and Leinfelder Uhren München. In addition, Tempus Arte is involved in Blaken GmbH, which specializes in customization. STOWA, founded in 1927, is a pioneer in the field of online trading of high-quality watches in direct sales and can look back on over 90 years of history. 

Jörg Schauer, previous main shareholder of STOWA GmbH & CO KG: 

“We are delighted to be part of Tempus Arte with immediate effect. It will further strengthen the stable foundation of the popular STOWA brand and also provide the opportunity for further growth. Our know-how in a wide variety of areas will help the group to continue to develop positively. We see an exciting future ahead of us. " 

The group of companies is now looking forward to the use of synergies in different areas with a now comprehensive range of watches in different segments of watchmaking. From the pilot's or Bauhaus watch in the entry-level area, through creative collector's items and individualizations, to the highest level of craftsmanship of a fully integrated manufacture. The further diversification of the Tempus Arte Group creates a sympathetic, agile German group with ambitions that responsibly faces the challenges of the future.

Now I hope you will forgive me for not really having an understanding of who exactly Tempus Arte Group is, and despite a lot of flattering language, I am not 100% certain what the true synergies or advantages may (or may not) be. As I have understood it, Stowa was always super-busy and to hear some say, 100% self-sufficient. So it begs the question - why sell? In truth, Stowa has never struck me as a company aching to create tourbillons or esoteric complications. They have created a solid brand that is appreciated by thousands of customers around the world. So again, why sell?

Sooner or later, if you are successful, someone will come along and offer you something too good to pass up. And while I do not claim to have any inside knowledge about the machinations of the TEMPUS ARTE Group or the motivations of Mr. Schauer, this certainly seems likely.