Alain Silberstein Krono Bauhaus 2

The Alain Silberstein Krono Bauhaus 2 represents a distinctive intersection of contemporary art, architectural design, and traditional mechanical watchmaking. Inspired by the principles of the Bauhaus movement, Silberstein reimagined the conventional chronograph through a playful vocabulary of geometric shapes, primary colors, and unconventional displays. Housed in a round stainless steel case with distinctive cylindrical lugs and a matching multi-link bracelet, this example features a silver-toned dial with contrasting dark subsidiary registers, luminous hour markers, and brightly colored geometric hands. Its unconventional combination of a yellow circular hour hand, red triangular minute hand, and blue chronograph indications transforms the traditional mechanical watch into a striking expression of modern design.

Beneath its unconventional appearance lies the automatic Valjoux 7751 movement, a sophisticated Swiss mechanical calibre incorporating a chronograph, complete calendar, moonphase display, and 24-hour indication. The dial features a day and month display at 12 o'clock, a pointer date indicated along the outer circumference, a 24-hour register at 9 o'clock, and a moonphase display integrated into the chronograph hour counter at 6 o'clock. These complications are presented through Silberstein's unmistakable visual language, demonstrating how traditional mechanical engineering can coexist with artistic experimentation.

History and Collecting

Trained as an architect, Alain Silberstein established his watchmaking enterprise in Besançon, France, in the late 1980s, introducing an entirely different visual language to an industry traditionally governed by conservative design. Drawing inspiration from the Bauhaus school founded in Germany in 1919, Silberstein embraced elementary geometric forms, vivid colors, and the relationship between art and function. His watches emerged during a period of renewed interest in mechanical horology, offering collectors an alternative to the traditional aesthetics of established Swiss manufactures.

The Krono Bauhaus 2 exemplifies this creative philosophy, combining a mechanically complex calendar chronograph with an immediately recognizable artistic identity. Its distinctive geometric hands, colorful indications, and architectural case design embody the experimental spirit that defined Silberstein's early work. For collectors, these watches represent an important chapter in the development of independent watch design, when unconventional creators began challenging established traditions and introducing a new relationship between horology, architecture, and contemporary art.

Watch Attributes

Brand: Alain Silberstein

Model: Krono Bauhaus 2

Era: Late 1990s–2000s

Case Material: Stainless Steel

Case Shape: Round with Cylindrical Lugs

Case Diameter: Approximately 40mm

Dial: Silver-Toned with Contrasting Dark Registers

Hour Markers: Luminous Circular and Rectangular Indexes

Hands: Multicolored Geometric Design

Movement: Automatic, Valjoux Calibre 7751

Functions: Hours, Minutes, Small Seconds, Chronograph, Day, Date, Month, Moonphase, 24-Hour Indication

Chronograph: Central Seconds, 30-Minute Counter, 12-Hour Counter

Calendar: Complete Calendar with Pointer Date

Bracelet: Stainless Steel Multi-Link Bracelet

Design Features: Cylindrical Lugs, Geometric Hands, Color-Coded Indications

Box: Yes

Papers: Yes, Undated