Junghans was once the world's largest clock manufacturer, producing millions of timepieces from its Black Forest factory. Today, it's best known for the Max Bill collection—watches designed by a Bauhaus master that have become icons of modernist design. From industrial giant to design legend, Junghans represents German watchmaking's evolution.
Black Forest Origins (1861)
Erhard Junghans founded his company in Schramberg, deep in Germany's Black Forest clockmaking region, in 1861. Initially producing clock components, Junghans soon expanded to complete clocks and, by 1866, pocket watches.
The company grew rapidly through industrialization and efficiency. By 1903, Junghans employed over 3,000 workers and was the largest clock manufacturer in the world, producing millions of timepieces annually.
Olympic Timekeeping
Junghans's precision earned it the role of official timekeeper for the 1936 Berlin Olympics and the 1972 Munich Olympics. The brand developed specialized timing equipment capable of measuring to hundredths of a second—crucial for determining winners in close races.
This association with precision sports timing enhanced Junghans's reputation for accuracy and reliability.
Max Bill: The Bauhaus Master (1961)
In 1956, Junghans approached Max Bill—Swiss architect, artist, and former Bauhaus student—to design a kitchen clock. The collaboration expanded, and in 1961, Bill created his first wristwatch designs for Junghans.
Max Bill's watches embodied Bauhaus principles: clean typography, minimal ornamentation, perfect proportions, and absolute legibility. The dials featured his custom-designed numerals and markers; the cases were pure geometric forms.
Design Museum Icon: The Max Bill watches are considered among the purest expressions of Bauhaus design in horology. They're displayed in museums worldwide and remain in continuous production—essentially unchanged—over 60 years later.
Radio-Controlled Innovation (1990)
In 1990, Junghans introduced the Mega 1—the world's first radio-controlled wristwatch. The watch received time signals from atomic clocks, automatically setting itself to perfect accuracy. No manual adjustment was ever needed.
This technology, which Junghans continued to develop, represented a different approach to precision than mechanical movements: perfect accuracy through technology rather than craftsmanship.
Decline and Revival
The quartz crisis hit Junghans hard. The company that once employed thousands shrank dramatically through the 1970s and 1980s. Ownership changed hands multiple times, and the brand's future seemed uncertain.
Revival came through focus. Rather than competing across all segments, Junghans emphasized its design heritage—particularly the Max Bill collection—and German manufacturing quality. The brand shed volume ambitions to concentrate on meaningful products.
Erhard Junghans founds company in Schramberg
Becomes world's largest clock manufacturer
Official timekeeper, Berlin Olympics
Max Bill wristwatch designs debut
Official timekeeper, Munich Olympics
Mega 1—first radio-controlled wristwatch
Acquired by Uhrenfabrik Junghans; refocus on heritage
The Collections Today
Modern Junghans focuses on several distinct lines:
• Max Bill: The icon—automatic, hand-wound, and quartz versions of Bill's original designs
• Meister: Classical German watchmaking with traditional finishing
• Form: Contemporary minimalism for daily wear
• Force: Sporty, robust designs
• Spektrum: Colorful, accessible pieces
Max Bill's Enduring Legacy
Max Bill died in 1994, but his Junghans designs live on virtually unchanged. The watches remain in the permanent collections of design museums; they're specified by architects who appreciate their purity; they're worn by those who believe less is more.
In an industry often obsessed with complications and embellishment, Max Bill Junghans watches prove that restraint itself can be revolutionary.
Today's Junghans
Under German ownership since 2009, Junghans manufactures in Schramberg—the same Black Forest town where Erhard Junghans began. Production is modest compared to the brand's industrial heyday, but quality and design focus have never been higher.
For those seeking Bauhaus authenticity at accessible prices (most models fall between $500-$2,500), Junghans offers something no other brand can: designs by an actual Bauhaus master, in continuous production for over six decades.