New: Defakto Mono Mech Dlc

Limited Edition 10 pieces: Single-hand watch. Available with either a Swiss automatic or manual wind movement, 39mm stainless steel case with DLC coating and sapphire crystal, Superluminova on hands and indexes, 10 ATM.

New: Defakto Transit Modular

Three-hand watch. Available with Swiss made Sellita automatic or handwound movement, 40 mm stainless steel case with Dlc-coated Topring, domed sapphire crystal, Superluminova on hands and indexes, 5 ATM.

Defakto: Purist Watch Design and in-house Manufacture from a One-Man Studio, Shaped by a 1924 Heritage

Defakto is an independent German watchmaker that manufactures high-quality, minimal design watches since 2009 in Pforzheim, Germany. The diversity of in-house manufacturing and craftsmanship is an integral characteristic of Defakto. Very few watch brands can offer such high in-house added value. 

On the design level, all watches of the unisex Defakto collection are products of Bauhaus-inspired contemporary minimalist design and quality. The manifold collection includes three, two- and single-hand watches that will catch your eye.

Guaranteed and driven by Raphael Ickler, Executive, Designer and Founder of the Defakto Watch Manufactory, the unmatched product quality and unique aesthetic is also attributed to the Ickler family’s more than 100 years of watchmaking experience. Another important part of Defakto is its one-man company structure. All processes from design, development, watchmaking to communication are carried out by Raphael Ickler personally.  

By the high level of personal attention and creative freedom - stringent, honest watches, emphasizing a minimal design aesthetic and sustainable, regional fabrication arise. Defakto offers function-driven, high-quality Ickler Manufactory watch cases, the pure beauty of a balanced interplay between hands and dial, and the reliability of precise and durable Swiss movements. 

As you will experience while inspecting the collection, Defakto watches offer advanced design concepts in terms of function and time perception. Each Defakto wristwatch is made by Raphael Ickler personally and can be further individualized according to the customer’s desires.

Radical Independence: How Defakto’s One-Man Autonomy Drives Pure Design and Built Quality

The high quality guaranteed by Defakto can be traced back to more than 100 years of family experience in watchmaking. This goes back to 1924, when Karl Ickler founded Ickler GmbH in the jewelry and watch-city of Pforzheim at the foot of the famous black forest. Since, high quality watchcases and watches are produced here at the Ickler facilities.

The minimalistic timepieces of Defakto are the brainchild of Designer and Executive Raphael Ickler, representing the fourth generation of Ickler watchmaking tradition and manufacture know-how. During his Master at the University of Arts in Bremen the concept of Defakto was born. The aim was to create a unique design language and to combine this with a autark production- and work scenario to create honest and conclusive watches that are, due to their timeless functional design and high product quality, not related to fast-paced trends. In addition to the independent and timeless unisex watch design, high-quality and sustainable in-house production, another unique factor is the one-man structure of the Defakto Watch Manufactory.

The sustainable, almost self-sufficient creation and support process leads to stringent, clearly designed products and one-to-one communication directly between the watch enthusiast and the maker. This lived sovereignty is intended and is the principle behind the technical and artistic standards of the Defakto brand. In this way, a maximum of 200-300 watches can be produced per year. All Defakto watches are made to order by Raphael Ickler within 2-4 weeks directly for the customer. Each watch can be individualized on request. Reflecting this background, Defakto is a member of the "Deutscher Werkbund" - an institution which was founded in 1907 by Peter Behrens, the "Wiener Werkstätten" and others. This economic and cultural "association of artists, architects, entrepreneurs and experts" was and is an important source of inspiration in the fields of modern architecture and industrial design. The Bauhaus movement later emerged from it, which has not lost its relevance and importance to this day.

Defakto Watches Limited Editions

Defakto Transit Futur Perfekt V2

Limited Edition, 40mm stainless steel, Swiss made automatic/handwound Sellita Sw 200/210, crystal and strong lume on hands and indexes, 5 Atm

The extravagant Defakto Transit was created to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Defakto Watch Manufactory. The second version of the Future Perfect with sunburst pattern is a special edition of this popular watch - limited to 30 pieces. 10% of the net price will be donated to Doctors Without Borders. The watch is the most complex manufacture created by Defakto yet. It offers unique modern aesthetics combined with high quality components such as a new in-house made 3-piece watchcase with brushed surface, a konvex sapphire crystal and a swiss made automatic movement. In the elaborate design process, great importance was placed on night readability.

Defakto Kinetik Stille Nacht

Limited Edition, 50 pieces, unique airbrush deep space star field dial, 39mm stainless steel watchcase with Dlc-coating, Swiss made automatic/handwound movement Sellita Sw 200/210, 10 ATM water resistance

As the nights become longer the seasonally released Defakto Stille Nacht (silent night) with unique handmade airbrush deep sky dials is available again. The watch is a cooperation of artist Frieda Bellmann and Raphael Ickler. As many customers have wished for: Now in a additional new version with 39mm watchcase and Swiss made Sellita Sw 200/210 automatic/handwound movement. This time only 50 pieces in total. With its skeletonized watch hands the new automatic version of the Stille Nacht generates geometric constellations above the deep sky watch dial. The hands are desinged to fit in each other perfectly as they meet. The special thing about the Stille Nacht watches are the matt black dials that show airbrushed dots representing the endless stars of the deep sky. Due to the handmade airbrush technique patterns vary, making every dial a unique piece of art. While being brushed randomly, one can hardly imagine that they might still represent real star constellations of our endless universe.

Defakto Watch Collection

Defakto Transit Standard

40mm stainless steel automatic-watch with Swiss Sellita Sw 200/210 movement, domed sapphire crystal and strong lume on hands and indexes, 5 Atm

The extravagant Defakto Transit was created to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Defakto Watch Manufactory. The watch has just won the internationally renowned German Design Award 2020 in the category Winner product design luxury goods. It is the most complex manufacture created by Defakto yet. It offers unique modern aesthetics combined with high quality components such as a new in-house made 3-piece watchcase with brushed surface, a konvex sapphire crystal and a swiss made automatic movement. In the elaborate design process, great importance was placed on night readability. 

Defakto Kinetik Standard

Robust 39mm stainless steel automatic-watch with Swiss Sellita Sw 200/210, sapphire crystal, fluorescent hands and dial, skeletonized hands and 10 Atm

The minimalist design of the Defakto Kinetik watch aims to visually emphasize the interaction of its watch hands and the resulting geometrical constellations. The watch has been upgraded with nightglowing Superluminova coating on hands and indexes. The Bauhaus-inspired Defakto Kinetik connects all three watch hands to the Swiss-made Sellita Sw 200/210 automatic/handwound movement via three identical disks. As they pass above, the skeletonized hands fully enclose minute and hour indexes of identical line strength. The see-through hands enable excellent, guided readability as they constantly frame the indexes, create a symmetrical pattern or interlace perfectly if superimposed. The flowing second hand brings continuous movement into the kinetic scheme of the watch, constantly generating new geometric constellations and symmetrical overlays directly on the wrist of the wearer.

Defakto Eins Inkognito

Robust 42mm automatic one-hand watch with fluorescent indexes and hands and 10 Atm

The Defakto Eins Inkognito could not be more puristic. In addition to its aesthetics the ultra-minimal dial of the logo-free single-hand watch leads to a timepiece that allows both left- and right-handed use in the same model by simply turning the watch 180 degrees and adjusting the time to fit. The Eins Inkognito is the only minimalist one-hand watch that will turn heads. Its puristic dial and the singular skeleton hand make a unique statement – one that says you live at your own pace. On the Defakto Eins, time is read in intervals rather than moments, as the indexes represent only the hour and quarter-hour periods. The large single hand is simultaneously used to read both the hour and approximate minute. Due to the extensive, almost brutalistic indexing, the time can be read accurately to the nearest five minute interval. Wearing the watch for a while will give you a more positive, intuitive approach to time. The lack of precision will fine-tune your intuition and decelerate your day. This single-hand watch will change your perception of time. 

Defakto Dialog Superluminova

Flat wristwatch with Swiss Quarz-movement, polished st. steel 40mm watchcase, lume-hands, sapphire crystal and 5 Atm

The two-handed Defakto Dialog watch with fluorescent hands is characterized by its understated aesthetics, its flat case and its clear time-mapping. By doing away with the second hand, the resulting watch makes a very balanced and quiet impression. The finely-delineated indexing perfectly matches the light, rounded hands – both of which ensure excellent readability and ensure the elegant appearance of this Bauhaus-inspired watch.

Defakto Akkord Standard

Robust 42mm automatic watch in a 42mm brushed stainless steel case with fluorescent, partly skeletonized hands and indexes, sapphire crystal, 10 Atm

The minimalist design watch Defakto Akkord is a striking, slightly brutalist aesthetic statement offering excellent readability - now with a new handset that adds the second. The semi-coarse brushing of the 42 mm watchcase middle piece gives the watch a subtle texture, while the contrasting materials play off the stark dial for a modern and sophisticated look. The accurate Swiss-made automatic/handwound movement Sellita Sw 200/210 drives the skeletonized hour hand, whose inner width perfectly matches the index-sized minute hand, providing a unified geometric stripe as the hands eclipse each other. The interplay of the clearly arranged indexes of the dial and the interacting hands sets a contemporary note and provides high readability. The tension between the size of the markers and the negative space in between, the rhythm of the forms and their interaction with the uniquely shaped hands make up the minimalist character of the watch. The strict proportions and clean lines of the dial and hands aid in an accurate telling of time. Pure and timeless, the Defakto Akkord is a versatile watch that invites wearing on a daily basis. 

Defakto Mono Superluminova

Flat single-hand watch with st. steel, pod-coated watch case, Swiss Ronda 712 Quarz-movement, fluorescent hand, sapphire crystal and 5 Atm

The single-hand watch Defakto Mono with fluorescent one-hand offers a minimal design that uses five-minute indexes to decode time. The casual scale stimulates the wearers intuition and leads to a more relaxed experience of time. Its very flat 6.6 mm stainless steel case has a diameter of 40 mm. The watch offers ample space to carry the puristic aesthetics but doesn't wear big – making it a perfect unisex watch. All indexes have the same lineweight and double their length at each step from 5 to 15 to 60 minute intervals. In combination with the matching needle-like hand, this is a watch for minimalists that like the idea of combining understatement with unique concepts of time.

Defakto Vektor Orbit

40mm brushed, stainless steel watch with Swiss automatic movement Sellita Sw 200/210, domed sapphire crystal,  fluorescent dial and hands, 5 Atm

The remastered edition of the succesfull unisex Defakto Vektor series - the Vektor Orbit offers a in-house made, 40 mm Ickler-watchcase, a scratch-resistant anti-reflective sapphire crystal, clocks with the automatic/handwound Swiss movement Sellita Sw 200/210 and is now 5 Atm waterproof. In addition, all three hands are covered with luminescent Superluminova. It offers a retro-futuristic design embodied by a matt black convex dial circumnavigated by manually shaped hands. The finely drawn indexation and the thin, rounded hands with disc-like hearts make up the modern, puristic character of the Defakto Vektor Orbit. The watch builds a bridge between classical 1950s design and modern minimalist aesthetics. Its thin, three-piece 40 mm stainless steel watchcase has a finely brushed surface to achieve a subtle interplay of surfaces and to highlight the Defakto Vektor Orbit´s flat body. It displays time via its elegant, smoothly-rotating sweeping second hand, running constantly through the curved space of the watch. 

Defakto Meta Standard

40mm brushed, stainless steel single-hand watch with Swiss automatic/handwound movement Sellita Sw 200/210, domed sapphire crystal, curved hand, strong lume and 5 Atm

Defakto´s first watch was a one-hander - the successful Defakto Eins. With the new Defakto Meta I am coming back to this concept to celebrate Defakto´s 10 year anniversary. The new, in-house made single-hand watch Defakto Meta is a super minimal, night glowing approx-watch that helps to find your pace and de-accelerate the day. The Defakto Meta follows the design idea of the Defakto Transit which has just won the German Design Award 2020. As customers of the original Eins already highly appreciated, the intuitive, approximate time perception lives on and is the core idea of the new Meta series. Due to its wide, rounded single-hand, the watch´s concept focuses on a even more intuitive time resolution than the original Eins. As the indexes represent only the hour and quarter-hour periods, on the minimalistic single-hand watch Defakto Meta, time is read rather in approximate intervals than specific seconds. The large single hand is used to read both the hour and approximate minute at the same time. The lack of precise time display will fine-tune your intuition and will give you a more positive, intuitive approach to time. 

Defakto Struktur Superluminova

Flat 40mm st.steel wristwatch with Swiss made Ronda 6004.D Quarz-movement, lume-hands, small separate second, sapphire crystal and 5 Atm

The minimalistic three-hand watch Defakto Struktur with fluorescent hands is characterized by its ultra-flat 6.6 mm stainless steel case and its characteristically scaled dial. Together they make up a highly functional, understated watch. The finely-drawn indexation of second, minute and hour steps are drawn with identical lineweight to achieve a pure and balanced design. This effort is directly supported by the light, rounded hands, which add extra character to the watch. The separate second hand ensures accurate reading and adds a certain liveliness of detail to the puristic watch theme.

In-house development, design, production and assemblage

All Defakto Manufaktur watch cases are made of highly durable 316L stainless steel, which is characterized by its particularly high corrosion resistance. The black coating of some watches consists of PVD, a material for the initial hardening of industrial milling drills. The built-in, high-quality movements are Swiss Made (ETA 2824-2, Ronda 712, Ronda 6004.D) and are known for their precision and reliability in everyday life, ease of use and worldwide maintenance ability. All watches are available in various material or surface variations and can be further customized on request. Small series have also been created in cooperation with external designers and artists - please contact Defakto for further details. The fluorescent material for indexes and hands is biodegradable, non-toxic Superluminova, which is added by hand in La-Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. Almost all watches are available as Inkognito versions without the Defakto logo. All models can be assembled as right or left-handed watches on individual request. It is possible to exchange the automatic movements for manual wind movements. For any other customization wish contact Defakto.

Defakto watches offer advanced design concept aspects on the meta level. As an example, the Defakto Kinetik’s design is based on the visual emphasis of the geometrical constellations generated by the interaction of the skeletonized hands and the dial components. For the Eins and Mono one-hand watches, fifteen- or five-minute indexes convey a more intuitive, de-accelerating experience of time.

Sustainability is very important for Defakto - be it in the design, the material and manufacturing quality or in the handling of raw materials in production - short distances, regional sources of supply and in-house production make this possible. Be it with Defakto or with independent watchmakers around the world, all watches have been designed with easy maintenance in mind. The timeless design and highly functional, high-quality components with a high level of standardization ensure long life cycles.

With a Defakto watch you acquire an honest product ex works in direct sales without paying a surcharge for marketing blah blah or broker/reseller commissions. If you have any questions about the watches or the creation process, please contact Defakto by phone or email. Appointments can also be made with Raphael Ickler in person to see the German made wristwatches in real life.

All aspects of the company, from the idea, the concept, the final design and development of a Defakto wristwatch, in-house production of the watchcase, surface treatment, the engraving and watchmaking processes, the complete assembly, logistics and customer communication, product photography and web design come from a single source - the designer and executive of Defakto Raphael Ickler. This self-sufficient, sustainable development and care process leads to honest, on-demand manufactured stringent watches and direct communication with the person responsible for every aspect of the products – a level of engagement that is unmatched in the watchmaking world. Since the begining the company consists of only one person, 42-year-old designer and founder Raphael Ickler, that creates, developes and manufactures every model from A-Z. Based on this fact all Defakto Watches incooporate their characteristic stringency of design. Considering Defakto also involves inhouse-made high quality watch cases, watchmaking and customer contact from a single source – watches are born of of unrivalled authenticity. Such a high density of in-house manufacturing is hard to find in the price range. The price level is made possible by direct sales of the watches via this website. Thank you for your support over the years, you have made Defakto what it is today!

Raphael Ickler 
Designer, Watchmaker and Founder
Defakto Watch Manufactory

Email: info (at) defakto-uhren.de