Durowe (Deutsche Uhren-Rohwerke)

Durowe (Deutsche Uhren-Roh-Werke) was a German ébauche (watch movement blank) manufacturer founded on October 23, 1933, in Pforzheim by Ludwig Hummel to supply his company Laco and other watchmakers, reducing reliance on Swiss movements. The company rapidly expanded, reaching a monthly production of about 30,000 movements due to competitive pricing. Its facilities in Pforzheim were heavily damaged during World War II, particularly in the February 1945 air raid that destroyed 80% of the city. Production temporarily shifted to the Metallwarenfabrik Wolff (already owned by Hummel) until rebuilding in 1949. Durowe supplied movements to numerous Pforzheim firms, including Laco, Aristo, and A. Lange & Söhne, contributing to the region's watch industry prominence alongside makers like Pforzheimer Uhren-Rohwerke (PUW). In 1959, Durowe was acquired by the U.S. Time Corporation (Timex). By September 1, 1965, Ébauches SA (later Swatch Group) took over, rebranding it as INT (International Deutsche Uhren-Rohwerke). The company produced mechanical calibers and one quartz model (INT 301.001) as a replacement for a ladies' mechanical movement. The firm became defunct amid the 1970s quartz crisis, driven by cheap Asian imports, leading to sales declines at Timex and industry restructuring. Production of mechanical movements ceased as Pforzheim's watch sector shifted to quartz and Asian manufacturing.