Tradition Meets Innovation: Watches from Germany
Interview with Nathalie Birk, Executive Management of POINT TEC Products Electronic GmbH
High-quality watches 'Made in Germany' at a fair price: That's the philosophy of POINT TEC Products Electronic GmbH. With the brands ZEPPELIN, bauhaus, and RUHLA, the family business from Ismaning near Munich has successfully established itself in Germany and Europe.
Wirtschaftsforum: Ms. Birk, what would you say makes a watch from POINT TEC special?
Nathalie Birk: Each of our brands has its own individual design, its own story. We make watches with character. Our high-quality watches also impress with their details. All of our watches are also made in Germany.
Wirtschaftsforum: You address different brands. Which brands are these?
Nathalie Birk: Our brands are ZEPPELIN, bauhaus, and RUHLA. The ZEPPELIN brand – winner of the German Brand Award 2025 – offers timeless design and excellent value for money. Characteristics of our bauhaus watches include their minimalist design, reflecting the philosophy of the Bauhaus. The brand is particularly appealing because our heritage-listed building of the former RUHLA watch factories is an impressive testament to Bauhaus architecture. And that brings me to our third brand: RUHLA. In 2019, we took over the RUHLA watch factories in Thuringia, including a museum. Here, the over 160-year history of watchmaking art in Ruhla is tangible.
Wirtschaftsforum: Truly a place with tradition. Where are your watches priced?
Nathalie Birk: In the quartz and automatic watch segment, the entry prices range from 200 to 500 EUR, while a high-end chronometer can cost as much as 2,500 EUR.
Wirtschaftsforum: We have already talked about history. Could you please tell us about the history of POINT TEC?
Nathalie Birk: My father Willi Birk founded the company in 1987. My mother was also involved in the company from the beginning, a classic family business. From the start, the focus has been on producing high-quality watches with character and history in Germany. Despite the high quality standards, the watches were meant to be affordable. Over the decades, POINT TEC has developed from a small family business into an established manufacturer with three brands today. A particular milestone was, of course, the acquisition of the RUHLA watchworks in 2019, which had already been manufacturing watches for us for several years. During GDR times and before their dismantling after the reunification, the RUHLA watchworks was one of the largest watch factories in the world. Here, 8,000 people worked and in the record year of 1980, 6.6 million pieces were sold from just a single movement.
Wirtschaftsforum: What is the structure of POINT TEC? How many employees do you have?
Nathalie Birk: Our company has been 100% family-owned from the beginning. In addition to our headquarters in Ismaning near Munich, we have had a second location with the RUHLA watchworks since 2019. Currently, we employ a total of
48 employees.
Wirtschaftsforum: Do you only manufacture your own brands or do you also produce for other clients?
Nathalie Birk: In addition to our brands, we also produce private labels for various industries, for example, as special editions for company anniversaries.
Wirtschaftsforum: Through which distribution channels do you sell your brands?
Nathalie Birk: We primarily sell through retail, that is, watch and jewelry stores.
Wirtschaftsforum: And where are your brands available?
Nathalie Birk: Our most important market is the DACH region. However, we have also entered new markets. Thus, we are present in almost every country in Europe with our brands, but we also sell our watches in Asia. We now export about two-thirds of our watches.
Wirtschaftsforum: What sales and marketing channels do you use?
Nathalie Birk: In Germany, our sales force is partly made up of our own employees and partly of freelancers. Outside of Germany, we work with distribution partners. A good network and intensive market research are also crucial. We value strong partnerships. We primarily rely on online marketing. For example, on Instagram, we have around 100,000 followers for the brand ZEPPELIN. We also support our customers at the point of sale. The most important trade shows we are participating in this year are Inhorgenta Munich and Time to Watches in Geneva.
Wirtschaftsforum: What are your goals for the coming years?
Nathalie Birk: We want to increase brand awareness, strengthen existing partnerships, continue to expand internationally, grow healthily, maintain the values of a family business, and sharpen our brand profile.