Dr. Ernst Kurtz, founder of the Tutima brand
The name Tutima derives from the Latin word tutus, tutissima, which means “safe” or “protected.” The choice of brand name was fitting for timepieces guaranteeing precision and reliability. In an age when nothing else was certain, Tutima watches unfailingly lived up to their name, advancing steadily to success right in the midst of a global recession.
Apart from its claim to deliver an exceptional quality standard, the brand also owed its success to the tenacity of founder Dr. Ernst Kurtz and his sure instinct for the demands of the market: when in early 1927 UROFA (Uhren-Rohwerke-Fabrik Glashütte AG) and UFAG (Uhrenfabrik Glashütte AG) commenced operations, they were the harbingers of the modern era of the wristwatch in Glashütte. Young Dr. Kurtz devoted enormous personal commitment to promoting the newly founded companies, inspiring his staff not only to produce top quality pocket watches, but also firing their enthusiasm for his new project: the systematic development and production of the company's own wristwatch calibers, including top quality versions grouped under the name of Tutima.
Urofa Caliber 59
Dr. Ernst Kurtz
This was a decision that was to bear very special fruit. The last — and most legendary — development completed by UROFA-UFAG under the management of Dr. Ernst Kurtz was the two-pusher Tutima pilot’s chronograph developed in 1939/1940, powered by sophisticated UROFA Caliber 59. This was the first German chronograph outfitted with addition stopwatch timing and a flyback function, and this was a watch that set the bar in terms of aesthetics and functional standards. Today it is not only a milestone in the history of pilot’s watches, but the tangible expression of Tutima's motto “time with a history”.
UFAG Glashütte, 1939 Dr. Ernst Kurtz (third from left) and his development team