Do you Junghans?
I’m wearing my Junghans Meister Driver today and pondering all thing’s Horological as I browse the WRUW photos, and as I do so I note that lack of representation this fine brand appears to have among this beautiful community.
This watch would be called a ‘Garage Queen’ if it were a car. It sits in my watch box looking stunning, and like a favourite fragrance that gets saved for special occasions it gets worn far to little.
Taking its design cues from the instruments in vintage cars, this Meister driver is (according to the Junghans webpage) is 7.3mm thick and 37.7mm in diameter. What is interesting to those who may not know is that the case has somewhat of a flying saucer shape. With the incredibly short lugs, this allows a strap to tuck under the case giving it a pleasant flow from case to strap. The hand wound ETA based movement is a pleasure to wind and keeps good time and the crystal on this model is not sapphire but I believe it is on newer models.
BORING?
Teddy Baldassarre often showcases the Max Bill watches, allocating them to Architects but in my opinion this often understates both the watch, and the brand. Like my Meister Driver the Max Bill is an incredibly slim watch with excellent proportions that should appeal to anyone that yearns for elegant simplicity of design an proportion, but, as you can see above, this 150 year old brand has some very dynamic pieces up its sleeve, along with some stunning dress pieces.
I’m not trying to sell the brand to you here, these watches can be a bit ‘Marmite’ as we say in the UK (you love it or hate it) but I hope I have made you pause long enough to look at these watches a little deeper, and if you already have one of the little beauties please share a shot and tell me why you Junghans 👍
HGV Drainage Engineer working around the UK
My late father-in-law left me his Junghans dress watch (which, sadly, can’t be repaired) so I have a soft spot for the brand.
I love the design of the Meister Driver, but it looks absolutely awful on me. The size, proportions, colour, just don’t work with my wrist size and skin tone.
I have the Form C on today:
I like its proportions, and the fact that it is quartz makes it very useful as a grab-and-go watch to wear with a suit. The chrono is also nicely executed.
I would have a Max Bill too, but I probably have enough white dialled Bauhaus style watches.
My wife has a nice version though (also quartz):
I have the Form C on today:
I like its proportions, and the fact that it is quartz makes it very useful as a grab-and-go watch to wear with a suit. The chrono is also nicely executed.
I would have a Max Bill too, but I probably have enough white dialled Bauhaus style watches.
My wife has a nice version though (also quartz):
I love the Chronoscope, there is a green version that catches my eye. I’d like to add a Max Bill to my collection, this one with the touches of red floats my boat 👇
I love the Chronoscope, there is a green version that catches my eye. I’d like to add a Max Bill to my collection, this one with the touches of red floats my boat 👇
I love that one too.
There’s currently one just like that at a good price on eBay…just saying! 😉
You raise a good point. This Meister Driver is so thin it does tend to sit somewhat ‘on the wonk’ when on the wrist, this wonkiness isn’t helped by the shape of the back of the case on my wrist. Yes the bund strap does mitigate this completely. I’d like to get the bracelet for it, that or a good leather rally strap. The modern Chronoscope looks fantastic on an Ostrich skin strap 👌
I love that one too.
There’s currently one just like that at a good price on eBay…just saying! 😉
I got this Meister pre owned on eBay for less than half rrp and it was mint. You’re only a click away my friend 😈
I have the Form C on today:
I like its proportions, and the fact that it is quartz makes it very useful as a grab-and-go watch to wear with a suit. The chrono is also nicely executed.
I would have a Max Bill too, but I probably have enough white dialled Bauhaus style watches.
My wife has a nice version though (also quartz):
Haha we have the same taste!! I have the form c as well and I gifted my daughter the silver version of you wife’s watch… off course my daughter hardly wore hers and now sits in my watchbox…
I don't own one but I've always thought they have some interesting designs. I particularly like some of the watches you've highlighted here. I'll have to try one at some point.
Want to get one soon
Haha we have the same taste!! I have the form c as well and I gifted my daughter the silver version of you wife’s watch… off course my daughter hardly wore hers and now sits in my watchbox…
Haha - we’re leading parallel lives on either side of the Atlantic! 😂
Love Junghans! Your watch looks great.
I have the Max Bill Mega quartz.
I do have this nice vintage Junghans from the '60s.
I don't own one but I've always thought they have some interesting designs. I particularly like some of the watches you've highlighted here. I'll have to try one at some point.
I suppose the price point puts them in competition with some other pretty cool watches but I think they hold their own. Worth keeping an eye on the pre owned market 👍
Want to get one soon
Keep an eye on the pre owned market. I love mine but I’m glad I didn’t pay retail for it 👍
The max bill Chronoscope was my first decent watch and the one that got me into watches about 15 years ago. I saw it in the tiny window of a tiny jewellers in Victoria, London (the kind with a doorbell to buzz you in) and kept going back to gaze at it - mesmerising! I never thought for a moment that I'd ever spend that amount on a watch, but one day I happened to be in Frankfurt... I got a great discount and the rest is history... Still have it, still love it.
Here's my boy! First dress watch :)
I love the Chronoscope, there is a green version that catches my eye. I’d like to add a Max Bill to my collection, this one with the touches of red floats my boat 👇
I noticed they recently added a chronoscope version of the bauhaus 👀 best of both?
I love Junghans , but admittedly, don't own any as of yet. I have acquisitions that are ahead of it. I love German watchmakers. I think they are often overlooked.
The max bill Chronoscope was my first decent watch and the one that got me into watches about 15 years ago. I saw it in the tiny window of a tiny jewellers in Victoria, London (the kind with a doorbell to buzz you in) and kept going back to gaze at it - mesmerising! I never thought for a moment that I'd ever spend that amount on a watch, but one day I happened to be in Frankfurt... I got a great discount and the rest is history... Still have it, still love it.
I can genuinely (vaguely) remember a small jewellers around Victoria Station but that was an eon ago. Wonder if it was the same one 👏
Here's my boy! First dress watch :)
I fine piece Sir. I love the font for the numerals, particularly the 4. That’s not weird is it 😅
I noticed they recently added a chronoscope version of the bauhaus 👀 best of both?
I do love the red touch on this but this one I want this as a three hander. The Chronoscope for me has to be green (personal preference) 👍
Beautiful watch! It's not a patek, so it deserves more wrist time!
I can genuinely (vaguely) remember a small jewellers around Victoria Station but that was an eon ago. Wonder if it was the same one 👏
It was the bus station rather than the train station now that I think about it. A blue door and a tiny window featuring about three items, literally (this must have been c.2002 or 2003, so about 20 years ago actually).
It was the bus station rather than the train station now that I think about it. A blue door and a tiny window featuring about three items, literally (this must have been c.2002 or 2003, so about 20 years ago actually).
I was going back further than that (30+ years), feel really old now. May have been the same, bus and train are next to each other 👍(just had to edit that about 3 times, just got in from work 😬)
Junghans Attache with BMW cobranding
Junghans Attache with BMW cobranding
They look like applied arabica too. That’s quite unusual for Junghans. With the BMW logo that must be quite a rare thing 👍
I have a vintage Junghans from the 70s and my wife has a beautiful automatic Max Bill. Looking to get myself a black 38mm Max Bill automatic as well, but haven't pulled the trigger yet.
I have a vintage Junghans from the 70s and my wife has a beautiful automatic Max Bill. Looking to get myself a black 38mm Max Bill automatic as well, but haven't pulled the trigger yet.
Your wife’s Max Bill looks really nice in the gold case 👌I like the Max Bill with the touch of red on the date wheel and hands 👍
The max bill Chronoscope was my first decent watch and the one that got me into watches about 15 years ago. I saw it in the tiny window of a tiny jewellers in Victoria, London (the kind with a doorbell to buzz you in) and kept going back to gaze at it - mesmerising! I never thought for a moment that I'd ever spend that amount on a watch, but one day I happened to be in Frankfurt... I got a great discount and the rest is history... Still have it, still love it.
Beautiful! I got the PVD version recently, but I think I like yours a bit better. Either way, the Max Bill is my favorite watch.