Citizen goes Bauhaus: A structured approach to formal watches

December 27, 2019
Watch Gonzo
Automatic, Automatic, Citizen, Dress watches, Luxury, Titanium
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Bauhaus:^{The house of structure. This school of fine arts and designs’ working tenet was form following function. Anything unnecessary and superfluous got no place in the final product.}

^Type:^{German styled architecture.}

^Founder:^{Walter Gropius, 1918.}

^Existence:^{1919 – 1933, Germany.}

Some watch design concepts were never meant to be the shy types. That kept them from retiring. Judgmental as I might sound, there’s nothing I could find out about them going completely out of the scene. A parallel stream always exists. Every now and then they are repeated by someone or the other in the industry. A price range that varies too much, the recent Citizen Bauhaus-influenced automatic watches are a safe pick from any angle you consider.

Those inclined more towards snazzier styles might draw comparisons with the Bauhaus-Citizen’s slightly less-flattering looks but every manufacturer has the right to represent Bauhaus in its own, distinct way. Interpretation and executions thus vary; the design principle shows through the basic style fabricated with old or contemporary themes. It’s an ideology where you strip down the design to its very basic form. Its stylistic significance turns different.

Bauhaus is not exactly minimalism but has connections to the philosophy. Bauhaus doesn’t prohibit incorporating design-flairs unless they become too overpowering. The Bauhaus design principle thus makes for excellent watches.

The Citizen Automatic NJ is a typical example of a Bauhaus-inspired watch. They got everything that’s important. From their components to their designs and details and their layouts excellently shedding the excess and extravagances leaves you finally with a versatile timepiece, elegant and timeless. They are clean, simple and tad austere. Minimalist aesthetics, on the other hand, is wholly austere.

Bauhaus aims to unify art and craft with technology to create a progressive design approach. Bauhaus pushes boundaries of usability and effectiveness that creates the design archetype with sleek forms done in the less-is-more way. It has continued being a part of our lives in many ways than you may think. Most of today’s gadgets share this principle. Even tall buildings made from steel and glass.

The Bauhaus styled Citizen could bring its substantial impact being a good design accessible to the everyday guy. There’s both art and individuality to it; in its philosophy and in the creator’s way of thinking. At work, you got to do away with fancy flourishes and stick to the only important task at hand. The Bauhaus watch too does that — legibly and effectively they tell the time. The other little touches place them undeniably high in the standards of the established order. Outstanding in their subtlety! There are no angled, long lugs; they meld into the bracelet straight from the watch case. Yes, even for the leather straps.