Junghans
- Founded
- 1861
- Based in
- Schramberg, Germany
- In our catalog
- 6 watches from $495 to $2,150
Junghans is best known for a set of watches designed in the 1960s by the Swiss architect and artist Max Bill, a student of the Bauhaus. Their clean dials, thin hands and domed crystals have become a model of minimalist design, and they're still Junghans's best-selling watches.
History
Erhard Junghans founded the company in Schramberg in the Black Forest in 1861. It became the largest clock maker in the world in the early twentieth century. In 1956 it asked Max Bill to design a kitchen clock, and in 1961 he designed wristwatches with the same clarity.
Junghans also pioneered radio-controlled timekeeping, launching one of the first radio-controlled wristwatches, the Mega, in 1990. The company has been owned by the Steim family since 2009.
Signature models
- Max Bill Hand-Wound: The original 1961 design, thin and simple.
- Max Bill Automatic: The automatic version, slightly thicker.
- Max Bill Chronoscope: A minimalist chronograph.
- Max Bill Damen: A smaller quartz version.
- Meister Driver: A vintage-style watch inspired by car dashboards.
- Form A: A modern, more affordable take on the Max Bill style.
What it's known for
Junghans watches are clean, elegant and readable. They're popular with architects and designers, and the Max Bill is one of the most recognizable minimalist watches.
Price and positioning
Junghans watches cost from about $500 for a quartz Max Bill to around $2,000 for the Chronoscope. Nomos is the brand people compare it with on design, and Nomos has in-house movements; Junghans is cheaper and has the stronger claim to the original 1960s look.
Junghans watches in our library
- Junghans Max Bill Damen ($495 to $595)
- Junghans Max Bill Hand-Wound ($850 to $950)
- Junghans Form A ($995 to $1,150)
- Junghans Max Bill Automatic ($1,000 to $1,150)
- Junghans Meister Driver ($1,450 to $1,550)
- Junghans Max Bill Chronoscope ($1,950 to $2,150)