Gottlieb Honold developed the “armature in a circle”

When Gottlob Honold joined the Bosch company in 1901, he was the company’s first researcher and developer and a success factor for the young company: The magneto ignition with spark plugs, electric lights for cars and even tire-pressure warning devices were developed by Honold. No wonder, by 1903, he led the “engineering office” with five employees. Until his early death in 1923, all major automotive Bosch innovations were developed and made ready for series production by Honold and his team.

In Autumn 1918, however, Honold was working on a task which had nothing to do with automobiles: a new logotype for the Bosch company. In November, he presented his first drafts. Actually this measure had its origins in the past: After the first world war, the old logo – the famous “red devil” – had become a victim of the expropriation of Bosch possessions and properties in the USA. With this, Bosch was no longer allowed to use the “devil” anywhere.

The company needed something new, simple, unique and distinctive. Honold did what was most obvious: He literally made a draft of the core of the Bosch bestseller – the magneto ignition – with its “Double-T armature”. However, he only drew the essentials, with just a few lines, without details such as the copper windings nor the yoke it surrounds – as some kind of a sectional drawing.

Probably even a contemporary graphic designer had not made it any better – nor any more timeless: Down to the present day, the armature in a circle has persisted as Bosch logotype – even though it was originally just meant as a provisional solution.