Glashütte on a dial usually carries a very particular expectation, both in watchmaking credibility and in price.
DUG, short for Deutsche Uhrenmanufaktur Glashütte GmbH, is taking a different route with the Purist Typ 1 and Typ 2, two automatic German watches pitched well below the usual cost of entry for the town’s name.
The proposition is straightforward but interesting. Keep the design clean, use a proven Swiss movement architecture, then do the finishing, assembly and adjustment work in Glashütte.
At a glance
- DUG’s Purist Typ 1 starts at €1,249, while the Purist Typ 2 starts at €1,299.
- Both use the DUG 400 automatic movement, built on Sellita SW 400 architecture and finished in Glashütte.
- A new 37 mm Purist 37 family is also open for pre-order from €1,199.
A cleaner path into Glashütte
The town of Glashütte has become shorthand for a certain kind of German watchmaking, marked by precision, restraint and visible movement decoration.
That reputation has often lived at the higher end of the market, where brands such as A. Lange & Söhne, Glashütte Original and Nomos have shaped the modern identity of Saxon watchmaking.
DUG’s Purist line sits in a different corner of the conversation.
Rather than chasing high complications or elaborate casework, the brand is presenting a more accessible watch that still carries the Glashütte designation and the origin requirements attached to it.
That matters because the value argument here isn’t about novelty for its own sake.
It’s about whether meaningful regional finishing and assembly can be delivered at a price that overlaps with the better end of the independent and microbrand market.
Typ 1 and Typ 2 split the same idea two ways
The Purist Typ 1 and Typ 2 share the same 40 mm stainless steel platform, with the dial doing most of the separating.
Typ 1 is the more contemporary option, using baton markers for a cleaner, modern look.
Typ 2 leans more classical, replacing the batons with Arabic numerals.
Both versions are offered with or without a date window at 6 o’clock, and the no-date models avoid the awkward ghost-date crown position that can appear when a date movement is simply covered by a no-date dial.
The case measures 10.95 mm thick and 47.5 mm lug to lug, which keeps the proportions practical rather than oversized.
A slightly domed sapphire crystal with double anti-reflective coating sits up front, while a sapphire back gives a view of the movement.
Dial colours include Onyx Black, Moon White, Royal Blue, Granite Grey and Burgundy Red, with Tonka Brown listed as sold out at the time noted.
The dials are textured, fitted with applied markers or numerals, and use Swiss Super-LumiNova BG W9 for low-light legibility.
The DUG 400 puts the emphasis on finishing
Inside the Purist Typ 1 and Typ 2 is the DUG 400 automatic calibre, which uses Sellita SW 400 architecture.
That means buyers shouldn’t read this as an in-house movement play.
The appeal is instead in how the calibre is treated, with rhodium plating, hand-applied Glashütte perlage, rhodium-plated bridges and plates, and blued screws.
The openworked rotor is 24k gold-plated and made in Glashütte, adding a more local point of distinction than the base calibre alone would offer.
The movement runs at 28,800 vibrations per hour and offers a 40-hour power reserve.
Those are familiar figures, but the finishing package is what gives the watch its sharper identity in this price bracket.
Details & Specifications
| Brand | DUG, Deutsche Uhrenmanufaktur Glashütte GmbH |
|---|---|
| Models | Purist Typ 1 and Purist Typ 2 |
| Case size | 40 mm diameter, 10.95 mm thick, 47.5 mm lug to lug |
| Case material | Three-piece stainless steel |
| Crystal | Slightly domed sapphire with double anti-reflective coating |
| Case back | Sapphire |
| Water resistance | 100 metres, 10 ATM |
| Movement | DUG 400 automatic, built on Sellita SW 400 architecture |
| Frequency | 28,800 vph, 4 Hz |
| Power reserve | 40 hours |
| Finishing | Rhodium plating, hand-applied Glashütte perlage, blued screws and 24k gold-plated openworked rotor |
| Dial styles | Typ 1 with baton indices, Typ 2 with Arabic numerals |
| Dial colours | Onyx Black, Moon White, Royal Blue, Granite Grey, Burgundy Red and Tonka Brown |
| Lume | Swiss Super-LumiNova BG W9 |
| Date | Optional date at 6 o’clock |
| Strap and bracelet | Buffalo leather strap or stainless steel bracelet with fine adjustment |
| Lug width | 20 mm |
| Warranty | Three years |
| Starting price | €1,249 for Typ 1 and €1,299 for Typ 2 |
Pricing, configurations and availability
The Purist Typ 1 starts at €1,249 on leather in no-date form with a black, white or blue dial.
The equivalent Purist Typ 2 starts at €1,299.
Granite Grey and Burgundy Red dials add €50, placing the leather, no-date Typ 1 at €1,299 and the Typ 2 at €1,349 in those colours.
The date option adds €100, and the stainless steel bracelet adds another €100.
That brings the highest listed 40 mm configuration to €1,449 for the Typ 1 and €1,499 for the Typ 2.
DUG is also taking pre-orders for the smaller Purist 37 family, which starts at €1,199.
A Typ 2 California Dial USA edition, combining Roman and Arabic numerals, is listed at €1,349.
The brand sells directly in euros, while US buyers can also look to Windup Watch Shop in Brooklyn for local availability.
For collectors comparing the Purist with Swiss-made independents in the same price range, the decision will likely come down to priorities.
If movement architecture is the main concern, the Sellita-derived calibre is familiar territory.
If finishing, Glashütte assembly and a restrained German design language carry more weight, the Purist Typ 1 and Typ 2 make a much more specific case for themselves.
DUG hasn’t reinvented the everyday automatic watch here, and that may be part of the point.
The Purist line is measured, legible and priced with intent, offering a credible way into Glashütte watchmaking without pretending to be something it isn’t.
