Baselworld 2019: Junghans Celebrates 100 Years of Bauhaus

Junghans is celebrating the centennial of the Bauhaus school with two new limited edition pieces in the Max Bill line that will look extremely familiar to devotees of the brand, but have some unique twists that make them special. These are, by design, simple watches that set out to be legible and, above all, not waste any space, so it’s perhaps anachronistic for a Bauhaus inspired watch to include elements that are meant to be shown off, which is part of what makes these two pieces interesting.

Max Bill Automatic 100 Years of Bauhaus

Case Material: Stainless steel
Dial: Matte silver plated, luminous dots
Dimensions: 38mm, 9.7mm thick
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 3 bar
Crown: Push/pull
Movement: Self-winding movement J800.1 with a power reserve of 38 hours
Strap/bracelet: Grey calf leather
Price: n/a
Expected release: n/a

Max Bill Chronoscope 100 Years of Bauhaus

Case Material: White Gold
Dial: White highly polished dial, luminous dots
Dimensions: 40mm, 14.4mm thick
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 3 bar
Crown: Push/pull
Movement: Self-winding movement J880.2 with a power reserve of 48 hours, date
Strap/bracelet: Black calf leather
Price: n/a
Expected release: n/a

First up is the Max Bill 100 Years of Bauhaus Automatic, limited to 1,000 pieces. It’s a familiar minimalist dial with long and thin indices at the hours, and shorter indices at the minutes that start just millimeters from the edge of the dial, giving the impression they are floating somewhere in space. Breaking up the almost aggressive symmetry is this watch’s calling card, a bright red date wheel with luminous material of its own. It’s truly striking, and meant to represent the color of the lead balcony doors of the Bauhaus school circa 1927 when Max Bill himself entered as a student.

Also new to the collection is the white gold (yes, white gold) Max Bill Chronoscope 100 Years of Bauhaus limited edition. Limited to 100, this familiar looking chronograph is presented in white gold for the first time, and includes accents in red, similar to the three-hander. The Chronoscope is one of the most enduring designs in modern watchmaking — it’s simply exactly what it sets out to be, and nothing more or less. Easy to read, easy to wear, and incredibly functional.

The cherry on top of these limited editions is the exhibition caseback. While you won’t find a movement that is decorated to the highest levels (and I couldn’t imagine something less appropriate for a watch like this), you will be treated to a likeness of the Bauhaus building and its famous facade. The movement is visible through the building’s windows. Kudos to Junghans for coming up with a clever way to display the movement and pay homage to the school. Junghans.de