Junghans updates its aviation watch collection with two contemporary variations of the Meister Pilot Chronoscope plus the Meister Pilot Automatic Navy Blue, a new three-hand-with-date model.
The new Junghans Meister Pilot Chronoscope Desert.
The two new Chronoscope models watches retain the existing Meister Pilot case size (43.3mm) and bicompax chronograph design (small second at 3 o’clock, 30-minute counter at 9 o’clock) but sport a slightly larger Arabic numeral set, a vintage Junghans logo and a cleaner dial that dispenses with the inner five-minutes track found on the current Meister Pilot models.
The new Junghans Meister Pilot Chronoscope Navy Blue.
Junghans also retains one of the characteristic steel case features of Meister Pilot collection: the twelve concave case recesses that are meant to allow for more precise bezel adjustments.
Caseback view of the Meister Pilot Chronoscope Navy Blue.
Junghans is offering the Meister Pilot Chronoscope Navy Blue as a limited edition of 300 watches, each boasting a black DLC-coated steel case.
The new Junghans Meister Pilot Automatic Navy Blue.
No-Chrono
The new Meister Pilot Automatic Navy Blue offers the same pilot style but without the chronograph and with a date.
Junghans has added a date disc made to resemble a cockpit display, complete with red accents and a contrasting small seconds hand. Instead of a the chronograph caliber found in the Chronoscopes, the Meister Pilot Automatic Navy Blue is powered by the ETA-based Caliber J880.1.6.
Junghans has a long history making aviation timers, starting in the 1930s when the German-based company supplied onboard clocks for numerous aircraft. In the 1950s, Junghans was awarded a contract for the newly established German Air force and subsequently developed the J88 intermediate-wheel chronograph.
Prices: 1,995 euros (Meister Pilot Automatic) and 2,590 euros (both new Meister Pilot Chronoscope models).
Now available in a karat gold case, the Junghans Meister Fein Automatic adds a luxurious aspect to this German brand’s dressy Meister collection.
The Junghans Meister Fein Automatic.
With its long markers and hands framed within a slim bezel, the Meister Fein Automatic differs from the more directly retro Meister Automatic, which features 1950s-style dauphine-shaped hands and somewhat shorter markers.
The newer Meister Fein Automatic model is also somewhat larger at 39.5mm in diameter when compared to the 38mm of the Meister Automatic line, but both wear snug to the wrist with their small, curved lugs, curved crystal and slim cases.
By removing the word ‘Automatic’ from the dial and affixing its traditional logo just below the twelve o’clock position, Junghans underscores its minimalist tendencies, which arise from early 20th century German design philosophies.
Junghans attaches the watch to the wrist with an elegant, seam-free black alligator leather strap. The strap, like the case, is gently curved.
And finally, Junghans rebuilds a base ETA movement to create its J800.1 caliber, which features a spherical, two-arm rotor with a gilded Junghans star. These additions are clearly visible through the sapphire crystal caseback.
Junghans will make 100 pieces of this limited edition.
Price: $8,000
Specifications: Junghans Meister Fein Automatic
Movement: Self-winding ETA-based J800.1 with two-arm rotor designed specifically for this model, and a power reserve of up to 38 hours. Rhodium-plated with blue screws, Junghans-designed rotor with sunray brush finish, gilded and polished plate as bearing cover over the rotor bearing.
Case: 39.5mm by 11.0mm gold, 4-screw back, convex and sapphire crystal with anti-reflection coating on both sides. Water resistant to 30 meters.
Dial: Matte silver-plated, convex, diamond-effect strokes as hour markings, historical Junghans logo, hands with curved pointers.
Strap: Black alligator leather with 18-karat gold buckle.
Max is back and minimal is original. Sixty years after the launch of the Max Bill Automatic, Junghans has revisited not only that minimalistic design, but has dared to offer it in the authentic 34mm original size.
An original Max Bill watch from 1961 (left) and a new model, with date. Both are 34mm in diameter.
Tiny by today’s standards (for a men’s watch), the 34mm watch is powered by an automatic movement under a dial bereft of excess – or anything distracting, except, for some, a date display. Two dial options offer a choice between an numeral-free edition or a model with Arabic numerals in a fine font.
Whether with simple stick markers or Arabic numerals, the austere dial keeps the smaller size from feeling too crowded, while the almost-nonexistent bezel adds volume and expanse to the scant case.
Water resistance is nominal at 30 meters and good for splashes and rain, while a double-coated sapphire crystal reaches to the very perimeter of the case. A truly unisex watch, the modern rendition ranges in price from $1,095 to $1,195 depending on the case finish and strap or bracelet choice.
Among the watches Junghans debuted this year to celebrate its 160th anniversary is this set of three 38mm Max Bill minimalist-style watches.
Each of the three steel-cased timepieces – a Max Bill Automatic, a Max Bill MEGA Kleine Sekunde (small second) and a Max Bill Regulator – come in their own case and are also housed in a special edition box. Each watch presents the time in its own manner, as delineated by each individual name.
A Junghans ETA-based automatic movement powers two models while the third, the small seconds model, is powered by a Junghans-built multi-frequency, radio-controlled movement. The small seconds model is essentially a perpetual calendar with time-setting precise to a second. Junghans offers an app to control the watch’s settings.
Max Bill Regulator
As a reminder, Junghans released its Max Bill models in 1956, five years after the German-based watchmaker’s collaboration with the minimalist Bauhaus artist.
Max Bill MEGA Kleine Sekunde (small second).
All three models sport a similar color scheme: anthracite, beige gray and orange.Junghans places luminous material at the top of each dial within the 12 o’clock index as well as on the hands and the interior lining of the orange strap. The case and the edging of the calf leather strap match in the dark steely anthracite, though the outer strap is beige.
Max Bill Automatic.
The Max Bill Bauhaus minimalist style is evident on the dial of each watch. Luminous twin dots at 12 o’clock integrate in the number 60 while thin hands, markers and font characterize the design over the white dial. Additionally, a special edition engraving is featured on the case back of each watch. Limited to 1,060 pieces worldwide
Junghans engraves the back of each special edition.
Junghans celebrates its 160th anniversary this year with an impressive array of new watches that primarily feature the German-based watchmaker and clockmaker’s historically based Max Bill and Meister collections.
The new Junghans Max Bill Regulator is one of three Max Bill watches offered as part of a limited edition set.
In addition, Junghans adds a limited-edition model to its newer, minimalist Form line while also reviving a long-time favorite kitchen clock/timer it originally debuted in the 1950s.
Junghans has revived a kitchen clock/timer originally sold in the 1950s.
Here, we’ll focus on the additions to the Meister line, with special attention to the Meister Signature Hand-winding Edition 160. Look to future postings for details about the clock and the Max Bill collection updates, or check them out here on the Junghans website.
Gold Meister
The new Meister Signature Hand-winding Edition 160 is a manual-wind model cased in 18-karat gold and fit with an interesting Junghans movement that oscillates at a leisurely 18,000 bph. Measuring a wrist-friendly 39mm in diameter, the limited edition (of 160) watch recalls dress watch styling from the 1960s and 1970s, which Junghans underscores with a decidedly retro rendition of its brand name, as seen on Junghans products of yore.
The new Junghans Meister Signature Hand-winding Edition 160.
Junghans produced the original J620 hand-winding movement between 1966 and 1975 and utilized it for a wide range of mechanical three-hand wristwatches. The J620 can also be found in the Junghans Olympic series of 14-karat gold watches made in 1971 and 1972.
The original Junghans J620 manual-wind movement (right) and the new gold-plated caliber.
For the new watch, Junghans has disassembled, decorated and reassembled existing, historical J620 movements, plating each with a coat of 18-karat rose gold for good measure. And Junghans has thoughtfully provided a clear sapphire caseback to view the work. Price: $9,800.
Meister Power Reserve
Displaying an unusual vertical power reserve indicator just above the 6 o’clock position, the new Meister Gangreserve (power reserve) Edition 160 echoes a similar design Junghans released in the 1950s.
On the steel Junghans Meister Gangreserve (power reserve) Edition 160, the power reserve indicator gradually changes from green to yellow to red as reserve is reduced.
As the power reserve recedes, the indicator’s color on the steel-bracelet model gradually changes from green to yellow and finally to red, which indicates that it’s time to wind the automatic watch again. Two leather-strap models are more subtle: When fully charged, the indicator shows the dial color (see example below). At fifty percent power, the indicator turn gray, and when power drops to zero, the indicator shows red. The Meister Gangreserve Edition 160 is limited to only 160 watches in each of three versions. Prices start at $1,700.
Meister Fein Automatic
This very modern design features a new convex case to frame its minimalist dial. Though not technically thin, it appears so on the wrist with a 39.5mm diameter, almost absent bezel and long hands and markers.
The Junghans Meister Fein Automatic.
Only a date window interrupts the finely detailed dial. Inside, Junghans places a self-winding (ETA-based) J800.1 movement with a power reserve of up to 38 hours. Prices begin at $1,450.
A side view of the Junghans Meister Fein Automatic shows the new convex case.
Meister S Chronoscope, Platinum Edition 160
Junghans cases its most limited anniversary model in polished platinum. The Chronoscope is one of the brand’s top sellers, and here Junghans creates a twelve-piece numbered edition, with the limited edition number cleverly noted within the twelve-hour counter.
The new Junghans Meister S Chronoscope, Platinum Edition 160.
The 45mm by 15.9mm watch features a screwed solid platinum case back with edition logo engraving and a platinum screwed crown (and tube). Its dial reflects the precious case with a gold-hued markers and a nice lacquer finish that fades from matte silver-plate in the center to grey at the edge, set with luminous markers.
The new Junghans Meister S Chronoscope Platinum Edition 160 dial
The synthetic rubber strap features an alligator leather inlay and a platinum buckle. Price: $19,200.
Movement: Historical hand-winding Junghans movement J620 with a power reserve of up to 45 hours, 18,000 bph, rose-gold plated, sunburst ratchet wheel, polished barrel bridge, gear bridge and balance cock with fine longitudinal grinding, stones in polished, bowl-shaped countersinks, outside with fine diamond cut, polished steel screws, Junghans star and caliber number engraving.
The Junghans J620 manual-wind movement.
Case: 39mm by 10.3mm rose gold, five-times screwed gold caseback with sapphire crystal with anti-reflection coating on both sides, domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflection coating on both sides. Water resistant to 100 meters.
Dial: Matte silver-plated, minute track with applied dots, dauphin hands with diamond cut.
