Tutima

Who are Tutima?

Tutima is a German watchmaker based in Glashütte, Saxony. Its story starts in 1927, when Dr Ernst Kurtz took charge of two new Glashütte companies, the movement maker UROFA and the watch assembler UFAG (Tutima; Quill & Pad). After the Second World War the business moved west to Ganderkesee in Lower Saxony, and it returned to Glashütte with a new factory in 2008 (Tutima). This page covers its history, collections and ownership, then what to check when buying a Tutima watch second-hand in the UK.

Tutima is mainly known for pilot’s chronographs: a flyback chronograph made for German pilots from 1941, and the Military Chronograph ref. 798 of the 1980s (Quill & Pad; Tutima). The company is owned by the Delecate family (Insight Luxury) and does not publish production figures.

The history of Tutima

Tutima’s history runs from Glashütte in 1927, through wartime destruction and four decades in West Germany, to a return to its home town. The key dates are the founding (1927), the flyback chronograph (1941), the move to Ganderkesee (about 1951), the Delecate takeover (about 1960), the NATO chronograph (1984) and the Glashütte factory (2008).

Glashütte, 1927. UROFA and UFAG were set up in 1927 from what remained of the Deutsche Präzisions-Uhrenfabrik Glashütte, which had collapsed after the hyperinflation of the early 1920s (Quill & Pad). Kurtz ran both companies: UROFA made movements and UFAG assembled watches (aBlogtoWatch). The name Tutima, from the Latin tutus, meaning safe or secure, was given to UFAG’s top-grade watches (Tutima).

War. From the end of 1938 both factories were drawn into the armaments industry, and by 1940 they had stopped making civilian wristwatches (Quill & Pad). The pilot’s chronograph of 1941 used Calibre 59, the first German chronograph with a flyback function, and about 30,000 were made between 1941 and 1945 (Quill & Pad). An air raid destroyed the factory hours before the end of the war, and Soviet troops then occupied the region (Tutima). Quill & Pad says the Soviets began dismantling the factories on 1 July 1945.

Ganderkesee. Kurtz had moved west shortly before the war ended (Tutima). Around 1951 he settled in Ganderkesee, near Bremen, and made watches there; after financial trouble the business passed to Werner Pohlan, who revived the Tutima name (Quill & Pad). Back in Glashütte, the remaining watch firms were combined into a state company (aBlogtoWatch). Sources differ slightly on the next step: Quill & Pad says Dieter Delecate took over production around 1960 and reorganised the company as Tutima Uhren GmbH, while Tutima’s own account says only that Delecate carried the company forward “since the 1960s”. aBlogtoWatch says he had joined Kurtz’s factory in 1954, aged 19. Wikipedia gives 7 April 1970 as the date the brand was registered.

The NATO chronograph. In the early 1980s Tutima developed the Military Chronograph ref. 798 for a German Air Force tender (aBlogtoWatch). Tutima says it became the official NATO pilot’s watch in 1984; Quill & Pad dates the German army contract to 1985. It used the Swiss Lemania 5100 movement, which is no longer made (Tutima). In 1994 Tutima released a re-edition of the 1941 chronograph, with a Valjoux 7760 movement (Quill & Pad).

Back to Glashütte. After reunification, Delecate began planning a return to Glashütte (Tutima). Quill & Pad says the family bought a former railway maintenance site in the town in 2005. Sources give two dates for the return: Tutima says the new factory started work on 14 May 2008, while Quill & Pad dates the official opening, and the end of a 65-year absence, to 12 May 2011. For a time the Glashütte site ran alongside Ganderkesee (Tutima). On 12 May 2011 Tutima also presented the Hommage Minute Repeater (Quill & Pad).

Recent years. Dieter Delecate’s children, Jörg and Ute, took over day-to-day management after the move (Quill & Pad). The Tempostopp flyback chronograph followed in 2017 (Quill & Pad). Matthias Stotz, previously chief executive of Junghans, has led Tutima since the start of 2025 (Insight Luxury).

What is Tutima known for?

Tutima is known for pilot’s chronographs, for its link to Glashütte, and since 2011 for movements developed and made in its own Glashütte workshop.

Pilot’s chronographs. The 1941 flyback chronograph and the 1984 NATO chronograph are the two models Tutima’s later collections refer back to: the Grand Flieger is described as a re-edition of the 1940s chronograph, and the M2 as a reissue of the NATO chronograph (Tutima).

Glashütte. Tutima now makes its watches in Glashütte (Tutima). Since 2022 a German federal regulation has controlled who may call a watch “Glashütte”: among other things, the movement must be assembled, regulated and cased in the town, and more than half of the value added in the main production stages must come from the area (GlashütteV, section 5). Our pages on Nomos Glashütte and A. Lange & Söhne cover the town’s other makers and the rule in more detail.

Its own movements. The Hommage of 2011 used Calibre 800, presented as the first modern minute repeater from Glashütte (SJX Watches). Tutima’s current movements include the hand-wound Calibre 617 in the Patria, the T659 in the Tempostopp, and Calibre 521 in M2 and Saxon One chronographs (Tutima; Quill & Pad). Other models use the automatic Calibre T 330 (Tutima). Our guide to in-house and outsourced movements explains why this matters for servicing.

Which Tutima collections are there?

Tutima lists eight collections: Flieger, Patria, M2, Sky, Grand Flieger, Saxon One, Tempostopp and Hommage (Tutima). The collections table on this page gives a line on each. Points that help when reading listings:

• M2: check the movement. The 1984 original used the Lemania 5100; current M2 chronographs use Calibre 521, and the M2 Seven Seas and Coastline use Calibre T 330 (Tutima). Older listings may describe either.
• Titanium cases. The M2 and the Flieger Legacy are in titanium (Tutima). Ask for close-up photos of the case and bracelet, and see our guide to watch condition grades.
• Patria: start date unclear. aBlogtoWatch gives both 2013 and 2014 for the Patria’s debut, so this page gives no start year. Current Patria models with the hand-wound Calibre 617 have a 65-hour power reserve (aBlogtoWatch).
• Older names. Re-editions have carried earlier names, such as the Grand Classic Flieger (Quill & Pad). Read the reference number, not only the model name.

Who owns Tutima?

Tutima is family-owned. Insight Luxury describes the Delecate family as the owners and Jörg Delecate as a shareholder, with Matthias Stotz as chief executive since 2025. aBlogtoWatch, in a sponsored article, says Tutima “remains fully independent and family-owned”. It is not part of a watch group.

The operating company is TUTIMA Glashütte GmbH & Co. KG, registered at Amtsgericht Dresden (HRA 12151), whose general partner is TUTIMA Glashütte Verwaltungs GmbH, managed by Matthias Stotz (Tutima). Wikipedia also lists a German company registered at Amtsgericht Delmenhorst, near Ganderkesee, and a separate company, Tutima USA, in California.

Buying a Tutima watch second-hand in the UK: what to check

Check which movement the watch has, whether it is a modern Glashütte watch or an older Ganderkesee one, whether the serial number matches the papers, and run a stolen-watch check.

1. Glashütte or Ganderkesee. Tutima made watches in Ganderkesee for decades before its return to Glashütte in 2008 to 2011 (Tutima; Quill & Pad). Ask the seller where and when a watch was made, and check the papers.

2. The movement. Tutima has used both Swiss movements and its own: the NATO chronograph used the Lemania 5100, the 1994 re-edition a Valjoux 7760, and current models calibres such as 521, 617 and T659 (Tutima; Quill & Pad). Ask which calibre the watch has.

3. Papers and the full set. Ask which items come with the watch and whether they are originals. Our guide to what “full set” means explains what each item proves.

4. Servicing and warranty. Tutima asks owners to arrange servicing through an authorised retailer, who sends the watch in (Tutima). Ask when the watch was last serviced, by whom, and for the paperwork; our guide on how to care for a mechanical watch covers what a service involves. Tutima’s warranty length, and whether it passes to a second owner, are not confirmed here. See watch warranties explained.

5. Military and historical pieces. Wartime Tutima chronographs and service-issue NATO chronographs are collected in their own right. For these, ask a specialist to check the movement and whether parts have been replaced.

6. Authenticity. Buy from a seller who will put authenticity in writing and accept returns. Our guide on how to spot a fake watch covers what a watchmaker looks at.

7. Stolen-watch check. Check the serial number against a stolen-watch register before you pay. Our stolen-watch check guide lists the UK registers.

For the full process from setting a budget to collecting the watch, see the guide to buying a luxury watch.

Frequently asked questions

Where are Tutima watches made?

In Glashütte, Saxony, Germany, where Tutima’s factory opened in 2008 (Tutima).

Who owns Tutima?

The Delecate family. Tutima is family-owned and not part of a watch group (Insight Luxury).

Is Tutima a German brand?

Yes. Its roots are in Glashütte in 1927, and it is based there today (Tutima).

What does the name Tutima mean?

It comes from the Latin tutus, meaning safe or secure (Tutima).

What was the Tutima NATO chronograph?

The Military Chronograph ref. 798, developed in the early 1980s for the German Air Force, with a Lemania 5100 movement. Tutima says it became the official NATO pilot’s watch in 1984 (Tutima; aBlogtoWatch).

Does Tutima make its own movements?

Yes, for several models, including calibres 617, T659 and 800. Earlier models used Swiss movements such as the Lemania 5100 and Valjoux 7760 (Tutima; Quill & Pad).

Why did Tutima leave Glashütte?

The factory was destroyed at the end of the Second World War, and Dr Ernst Kurtz had already moved west; the business continued in Ganderkesee, Lower Saxony (Tutima; Quill & Pad).

Is Tutima the same as Glashütte Original?

No. They are separate companies. Glashütte Original grew from the state company formed in Glashütte after the war and belongs to the Swatch Group (Wikipedia, Glashütte Original); Tutima is family-owned.

This page is general information. Watch60 is independent and has no commercial relationship with Tutima.

We check the facts on this page against the sources listed, and it is correct to the best of our knowledge as of October 2026. Brands change their warranty, servicing and sales terms, so confirm them with the brand or the seller before you buy.