The Ruhra brand of watches was founded in 1862 by the Thiel brothers as a metal parts manufacturer in Ruhra, Thuringia, and began producing watches in 1892. In 1929, Bauhaus architects Schreiter and Schlag constructed a building that remains famous as a Bauhaus building, and watch production began inside that building.

After World War II, the company was seized by the Soviet Union and became the largest metalwork manufacturer in East Germany under the name VEB Urenwerke Ruhla. Ruhla watches became a top brand in the former communist bloc.

The history and relaunch of the Ruhra brand watches

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the company faced difficulties, but was acquired by Munich-based Pointec and regained prominence with the launch of new brands such as Junkers, Zeppelin and Iron Annie.

In 2019, Pointec CEO Willy Berk acquired the Bauhaus Architectural Factory and the RUHLA brand, and began producing BAUHAUS-branded watches. RUHLA-branded watches will be revived in September 2023 and will be available in Japan from April 2024!