Stowa’s Steady Evolution: How Kevin Müller Is Guiding the Iconic German Watch Brand into a Confident New Era

In the world of watch collecting, the idea of change can feel like a threat—especially when it involves a beloved independent brand. Collectors are naturally sentimental. Our passion is fueled by stories, legacies, and continuity. And when a name we’ve come to admire is sold, restructured, or absorbed into a larger corporate entity, there’s always an uneasiness: Will it still be the same?

This fear is not unfounded. So many independent brands have either been swallowed whole by conglomerates or have strayed too far from their roots in a misguided attempt to chase mainstream appeal. But in rare and fortunate cases, a brand manages to evolve while preserving what made it special to begin with. Stowa is one of those rare cases.

Founded in 1927 and revived in 1996 by independent watchmaker Jörg Schauer, Stowa has long held a special place in the hearts of enthusiasts. Known for its historically inspired pilot’s watches, its marine chronometers, and its Bauhaus-style dress watches, Stowa carved out a distinct identity within the community. It wasn’t the flashiest brand, nor the trendiest—but it was trusted. It offered value, integrity, and design clarity in an industry increasingly cluttered with noise.

That’s why the news in 2021 of Schauer selling the company to German watch group Tempus Arte raised eyebrows. This was a man who had single-handedly shaped the modern identity of the brand. For many, he was Stowa. And Tempus Arte, known for its ownership of the high-end Dresden-based Lang & Heyne, represented the type of high-concept luxury that felt worlds apart from Stowa’s more grounded approach.

Would Stowa lose its soul? Would it still speak to enthusiasts the way it once had?

As it turns out, those fears were premature. Today, Stowa is not only still standing—it’s thriving. And a large part of that continuity is thanks to Kevin Müller, the brand’s General Manager since 2022, who has been quietly but effectively guiding Stowa into its next chapter.

Unlike many new brand leaders, Müller didn’t arrive with a clean slate and a corporate résumé. He came up through the ranks. Joining the company in 2017, his original role was focused on e-commerce, digital communications, and social media—domains that Jörg Schauer had previously handled himself, often in a charmingly ad hoc fashion.

“At the time, Jörg would realize at 8 p.m. that no newsletter had gone out in four weeks,” Müller recalls with a laugh. “It was all very hands-on. I came in to help give structure and consistency to those areas.”

What began as a supporting role quickly became something more. Under Schauer’s mentorship, Müller gained an intimate understanding of not just how Stowa operated, but why it mattered. He stayed through the pandemic, which, paradoxically, became a boom period for the brand as collectors turned to online shopping and rediscovered the value of smaller, enthusiast-focused watchmakers. By 2021, following a year of unprecedented growth and fatigue, Schauer began to consider his next move—and ultimately decided to sell the company.

The sale to Tempus Arte came with a critical decision: Who would take the reins?

“Tempus Arte asked Jörg if he knew someone from within Stowa who could continue to lead the brand,” Müller explains. “He said, ‘Let’s talk to Kevin Müller—maybe he’s interested.’ That’s how I stepped into the role.”

Müller officially became General Manager on January 1, 2022, marking the first time in Stowa’s modern history that someone other than Jörg Schauer would hold the position of operational leadership. The transition wasn’t just symbolic; it required a deep understanding of every detail—Schauer had been involved in everything from product design to advertising, quality control, customer service, and even hands-on watch assembly.

And yet, Müller proved to be the right choice. His leadership style has been characterized not by disruption, but by refinement. He understands that Stowa’s strength lies in its consistency—but also that staying relevant means evolving intelligently.

Importantly, Müller emphasizes that Tempus Arte has not imposed creative constraints on the brand. “They give us full freedom,” he says. “They offer financial support, industry contacts, and we can learn from their other brands—but we maintain our independence. We still do things the Stowa way.”

That “Stowa way” is both a guiding philosophy and a practical framework. Under Müller’s direction, the brand has embarked on a quiet but significant modernization. With Tempus Arte’s support, Stowa has completed a major digital transformation—launching a redesigned website, restoring its vintage swooping “S” logo, overhauling internal systems, and relocating to a modern, fully integrated office where design, watchmaking, and administration all operate on a single floor. It’s the kind of vertical integration that brings teams closer and ideas more fluidly to life.

But beyond infrastructure, it’s the watches themselves that continue to speak volumes. Far from abandoning its core lines, Stowa has reinvigorated them. The Prodiver range has been refreshed, and new iterations of the Marine, Antea, and Chronograph collections have been introduced. These watches remain faithful to the brand’s core design language—precise, legible, functional—but with thoughtful updates that reflect current tastes.

Still, nothing defines Stowa quite like its Flieger series. These historically inspired pilot’s watches, rooted in the brand’s contributions to the original German Luftwaffe B-Uhr designs, remain the company’s most important line—accounting for around 60% of its total sales.

Stowa is one of the few original manufacturers of these WWII-era Flieger watches still producing them today, alongside Laco and IWC. While other historic names have moved on or disappeared, Stowa remains committed to preserving this legacy—not as a gimmick, but as a testament to its enduring relevance.

What’s more, Müller has introduced new life into the Flieger line. The Flieger Verus Black Forest Lagoon brought in a more modern aesthetic, blending traditional case shapes with contemporary color schemes. The Flieger Olympus series, released ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics, offered gold, silver, and bronze case options—a subtle nod to the spirit of competition and international unity.

Perhaps most notably, Stowa has taken its first steps into the world of proprietary mechanical movements. The STOWA-M1, based on the reliable Unitas 6498-1, represents a move toward greater vertical integration and technical independence. While not entirely in-house in the strictest sense, it marks a significant evolution for a brand that has traditionally relied on third-party calibers.

This combination of heritage preservation and thoughtful innovation is what sets Stowa apart in today’s crowded watch landscape. While other brands chase trends or rely on influencer hype, Stowa remains grounded in product integrity and long-term relationships with its customers.

“We know our customers love Stowa,” Müller says. “They worry that being part of a larger group will change who we are. But we want them to understand: Stowa is not about one person. It’s not ‘Jörg Schauer is Stowa’ anymore. Stowa is the brand, and the watches themselves represent that identity.”

This shift in narrative—from a brand personified by its founder to a collective legacy upheld by its team and its products—is a healthy and necessary evolution. It signals maturity. It shows that a brand can survive, and even thrive, beyond its charismatic originator—so long as it stays true to its values.

And those values haven’t changed. Stowa still refuses to chase fleeting market trends. It still delivers tremendous value at its price point. It still speaks directly to enthusiasts who appreciate honest design, functional beauty, and the quiet pride of owning something well-made.

In a time when watch brands increasingly rely on spectacle—be it through celebrity endorsements, outrageous complications, or artificial scarcity—Stowa’s low-key excellence is a breath of fresh air. It’s not the loudest voice in the room, but it’s often the most thoughtful.

From a strategic perspective, Müller’s approach also makes smart business sense. Instead of trying to be all things to all people, Stowa continues to serve a specific, passionate segment of the market—and serves it exceptionally well. That kind of brand focus is rare, and it’s the reason why Stowa remains not just relevant, but essential.

So yes, change has come to Stowa. The founder has stepped aside. A new logo graces the website. The product lineup has grown more diverse. But if you’re wondering whether the heart of the brand is still beating the same—rest assured, it is.

In fact, it may be beating stronger than ever.