How 1980s minimalism has stood the test of time

Analogue watch — From left, AW 50 watch in matt stainless steel with silver dial; AW 10 watch in matt stainless steel with black dial, both by Braun.

(Image credit: Peter Langer)

Braun’s reissue of the AW 10 and AW 50 watches points to a growing appreciation for the horological design of the 1980s and 1990s, when Dietrich Lubs and Dieter Rams were at its forefront. Notably, the success of Nomos Glashütte’s interpretation of Rams’ principles and the new Carré H from Hermès, as well as a recent wave of minimalist start-up brands, couldn’t show Braun’s influence more clearly. Lubs’ AW 10 design takes its design cues from the monochrome travel alarms of the mid-1970s.

But it’s the refinement of the details – the clarity of the Akzidenz-Grotesk typeface, the finish of the reinforced plastic, the pop of colour for the second hand and the slight lip on the caseback that protects the crown – which makes it an unmistakeable Braun. Lubs’ 1990s AW 50 simplifies the design further, reducing the dial to a flash of brushed silver with only the finest index lines to show the hours, set off by the red chevron next to the date window.

As originally featured in Precious Index, our Watches & Jewellery supplement (see W*230)

Man wearing a tie — Dietrich Lubs wearing a DW 30 watch designed in 1978.

Digital watch — AW 10 watch, by Dietrich Lubs (1989).

Radio — ABR 2 click radio, by Dieter Rams and Dietrich Lubs (1978).

Watch — AB 1 clock, by Dietrich Lubs (1978).

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Braun website

TOPICS

James Gurney has written on watches for over 25 years, founding QP Magazine in 2003, the UK’s first home-grown watch title. In 2009, he initiated SalonQP, one of the first watch fairs to focus on the end-consumer, and is regarded as a leading horological voice contributing to news and magazine titles across the globe.