An Iconic Minimalist Watch Just Got a Stealthy Makeover

There are a number of design movements that have influenced the world of watches over the years, but arguably none more prominently than the Bauhaus.

The German design school emphasized that form should follow function, and while the style isn’t strictly minimalist, it’s known for its prioritization of utility in product design and its lack of ornamentation.

The Bauhaus, which only operated for 14 years from 1919 to 1933, had an outsized impact in the fields of architecture, furniture and product design while also helping to form the foundations of modern design in the mid-twentieth century.

Photo by Henry Phillips for Gear Patrol

Bauhaus design reached the world of watches most notably in the mid-twentieth century, with Swiss designer and Bauhaus alum Max Bill creating his eponymous line of watches for German brand Junghans in 1961.

Bill’s designs became renowned for their uncluttered layouts and highly legible displays. The Junghans Max Bill — of which there are chronographs as well as three-handers — is today considered the most emblematic Bauhaus watch ever made while also ranking among the most iconic minimalist watches.

Now, Junghans is honoring the Max Bill’s design origins with a special edition of the Chronoscope that not only adheres to the principles of Bauhaus design but also pays visual tribute to the Bauhaus building itself.

Junghans

Junghans Max Bill Chronoscope Bauhaus

• $2,774 at Junghans

Blacked Out to the Max (Bill)

The Junghans Max Bill Chronoscope Bauhaus may not look like your typical Bauhaus product at first glance. The watch’s blacked-out case and dial and its bright red hands feel more like Darth Vader than Max Bill.

But believe it or not, this new iteration of the iconic Max Bill Chronoscope is very much in line with Bauhaus design principles.

According to Junghans, black, white and gray are “non-colors” that underscore the shape of a design since they don’t distract from its form. It is for this reason that the German brand opted to black out not only the dial and date wheel here but also the entire case of the watch, with the indices in gray and dial text in white. These non-colors all allow the red hands to take center stage more than ever before.

Junghans

Those red hands contrast brilliantly with the dial, and they’re a distinct callout to the old Bauhaus building in Dessau, Germany, which housed the school. That building was gray and largely non-ornamental, but it notably featured a bright red front door.

The idea was that, because the door was functional, it deserved extra visual attention. The same is true of the hands on this watch. They drive the watch’s function, so they get the same red treatment as the Bauhaus building’s door.

Finally, there’s one more deliberate shoutout to the Bauhaus building hidden away on this special-edition Chronoscope. Flip the watch over, and you’ll find an image of the Bauhaus building in gray on the display sapphire caseback with transparent windows that allow you to view the Cal. J880.2 automatic chronograph movement within.

The watch also features a domed sapphire crystal on the front (not always a given with Max Bill watches, which often use Hesalite) and is paired with a black leather strap. Available this November, there’s no U.S. pricing available yet, but Junghans has the watch listed on its website for €2,495 (~$2,774). That price includes VAT, so American customers may be able to pick this one up for a bit less once it becomes available.

Junghans

Junghans Max Bill Chronoscope Bauhaus

Specs

Case Size	40mm
Movement	Junghans Cal. Cal. J880.2 automatic chronograph (ETA base)
Water Resistance	50m

• $2,774 at Junghans

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