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Unchanged minimalism since 1961: The Junghans Max Bill stands as one of the most famous and timeless watch designs of all time. Now the Schramberg-based manufacturer is expanding its classic with four striking editions that stand out for their bold black-and-white contrast and feature a PVD-coated stainless steel case. The choice includes a chronograph, two further automatic watches, and a quartz model.
Pure Bauhaus: A Design That Never Ages
When the first Max Bill saw the light of day almost 60 years ago, its pared-back design caused a stir: domed crystal, rounded numerals, a purist dial – the new timepiece presented itself as the perfect embodiment of the Bauhaus style. No wonder, since its look came straight from the hands of Swiss artist Max Bill, who studied at the Bauhaus in Dessau from 1927 to 1928 and later rose to fame as a painter, sculptor, and architect. Together with his students, he turned the watch designs common at the time on their head and ushered in the most successful chapter in Junghans' company history.
Almost unchanged to this day, the timepiece still looks modern and regularly appears in fresh color variations.
Maximum Contrast in Black and White
Rarely, however, has a version of the collection looked as successful as the new Junghans Max Bill in black and white. Its restriction to these two tones takes the reduced Bauhaus design to the extreme: on the one hand, the contours within the dial are strengthened; on the other, a contrast is created between the white face and the black case. The latter retains its familiar understatement and slim profile, yet compared with the silver- or gold-toned sister models it adds a distinctly more modern, even almost sporty touch. It's a feature shared by all four newcomers to the Max Bill black-and-white line.
The differences show on the dial, where the 40 mm Chronoscope has two unique features within the black-and-white collection: first, the two vertically arranged chronograph registers, and second, the upgrade of the standard date to a day-date complication. This sits exactly opposite the "Junghans Chronoscope" lettering, creating a harmonious symmetry together with the parallel subdials.
The chronograph shares the rest of its aesthetic with the other new releases: black hands provide excellent legibility and a crisp look alike, while the outer minute track appears in a subtle gray. This lets it recede into the background and gives the Arabic numerals the priority they deserve.
Classic Automatic in Two Sizes
If you prefer things simpler, choose the new Junghans Max Bill in its purest form: the Automatic. Without subdials and with a simple date at 3 o'clock, it looks even more reduced than the chronograph, yet still accommodates the same luminous material in its slender hands and likewise covers the dial with domed hardened Plexiglas. Despite its scratch-resistant coating, the latter is unlikely to match the robustness of sapphire crystal, so a little extra care is called for.
Buyers can choose between two sizes: the Automatic measures 38 mm in diameter, while the "Kleine Automatic" (its official name) comes in at 34 mm – a nod to slimmer wrists that is rare in today's watch world. Those opting for the larger version face a second choice, as both Arabic numerals and the signature hairline indices are available on the black-and-white model.
Rounding out the new Junghans Max Bill is a 38 mm quartz model that looks exactly like the larger Automatic with Arabic numerals and undercuts its (already low) height of 10 mm – 7.9 mm is a real statement. At the same time, with a manufacturer's price of €595, the electronic Junghans offers the most affordable entry into the black-and-white universe, sitting noticeably below the mechanical timepieces. The Kleine Automatic will set you back €955, while the larger Automatic costs €1,055 and the Chronoscope €1,895.
Solid ETA-Based Automatic Movements
It stands to reason that in-house movements wouldn't be viable in this price range. Instead, the Max Bill black-and-white models – like their sister models – rely on solid movements from the major Swiss producer ETA. The Chronoscope draws its power from the J880.2, a derivative of the ETA Valjoux 7750 with up to 48 hours of power reserve. Slightly less enduring but just as precise is the J800.1 in the remaining editions: based on the ETA 2824-2, it keeps running for around 38 hours when fully wound.
Hardly anyone will wear the black-and-white wristwatch for that long at a stretch. But even if you do, the ergonomic case of the Junghans Max Bill ensures excellent wearing comfort, and it comes on either a calfskin or textile strap (both with a PVD-coated pin buckle). The latter proves particularly eco-friendly, as it is made from recycled PET bottles – fitting for the deliberately ecological luminous material on the dial. But even without these details, the black-and-white collection is a forward-looking line that consistently carries on the minimalism of its predecessors.
Verdict in Black and White
The new Junghans Max Bill in black and white strikes an interesting balance: it brings a breath of fresh air to a prominent collection while reinforcing the core aesthetic values of the Bauhaus classic. At a fair price, it scores in everyday wear with the familiar great legibility, high quality, and proven precision of its model family. If you want to stand out from the crowd with ultimate timelessness and a modern touch, these editions are exactly the right choice.