The New Junghans Max Bill Automatic Bauhaus Watch

There is no arguing with the fact that blue dial watches and green dial watches are a perennial favourites of luxury watch enthusiasts as of late. In fact, that trend has been going strong for quite a few years. But what of the black dial clan? More specifically, black dials that rock a matching black case? Junghans seems to strike a comfortable balance between bold and elegant with the release of its new Max Bill Automatic Bauhaus. It introduces a tasteful streak of red seen in the central hands – a colour that the brand has been recently experimenting with. Here is an introductory article on the newly released Junghans Max Bill Automatic Bauhaus watch and why it might appeal to you.

The Bauhaus watches by Junghans are those created by designer, Max Bill. The brand enlisted the talented Swiss artist in 1956, who created the famous “Kitchen Clock”. The famous Max Bill was a Swiss architect, painter and graphic designer who enjoyed many years studying at Germany’s Bauhaus. Today, he is remembered as being accredited with exerting the most persuasive influence over Swiss graphic design. His distinctive, minimalist aesthetic has gone on to serve as the foundation for a series of watches developed and released by Junghans. Since then, the collection has grown and thrived.

Max Bill and Junghans

Having studied under illustrious teachers at the Bauhaus school, Bill enjoyed a three-year apprenticeship as a silversmith. He then moved his career to architecture and graphic design. In 1937, he became the driving force behind a group of Swiss artists who shaped the way forward with geometric, abstract and colourful industrial designs. After a long career in teaching and applying the principles of the Bauhaus tradition, Max Bill’s noteworthy products have formed a solid platform to show off some of Junghans exquisite watchmaking traditions. Junghans revisited the original aesthetic of the famous Kitchen Clock in 2021 but prior to this had released elegant wristwatches all adhering to the Bauhaus design codes. Some of the brand’s earlier models featured white dials with three stick hands and a thin profile. Oversized hour indexes and luminous dots at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock were also present. The first model had neither numerals nor a date window, demonstrating just how far the brand has come in terms of evolving its popular minimalist watch designs.

The new Junghans Max Bill Automatic Bauhaus watch

Junghans is once again reserved in its application of dial elements with the new minimalist Max Bill Automatic Bauhaus watch. The simple three-handed time and date design never fails. In this model, black and red colours meld together perfectly. Although its design could be confused with no other, it somehow looks different to the rest of the timepieces in the collection. Perfect for accompanying a lady’s little black dress or a man’s tuxedo, the new Max Bill watch is undeniably refined and sophisticated. At the same time, it is youthful, yet nods to yesteryear and the Bauhaus period very accurately.

The spec of the new Max Bill Automatic Bauhaus is similar to other models from the collection. It measures a very manageable 38mm diameter and sits at a depth of just 10mm tall, making it great for slipping underneath the cuff of a shirt. The steel case is coated with a sleek black PVD material, giving it a stealth-like appearance. In keeping with the rest of the design, the crown, caseback and bezel also bear this same finish. The matte black surface makes way for a matching black dial where lighter detailing can be admired in the needle-fine hour markers and the crisp Junghans Automatic lettering at 12 o’clock. Each fifteen-minute mark around the scale is highlighted with a luminous dot. To finish the design – a blacked-out date window at 3 o’clock. The hour and minute hands, as mentioned, are coated in a vibrant red colour, as is the tip of the central second hand.

The new Junghans Max Bill Automatic Bauhaus watch is powered by the Calibre J800.1 automatic winding movement. It offers a power reserve of 38 hours and is based on a popular ETA movement. The watch is also completed on a velvety black calfskin leather strap, securing with a stainless steel pin buckle that has been executed in the same black-coated finish.

If you’d like to try the Junghans Max Bill Automatic Bauhaus watch on, get in touch with a member of our Jura Watches sales team today on 01335 453453, or email us at (enter).