Renowned as a Swiss luminary, Max Bill left an indelible mark on 20th-century design as an artist, designer, and architect. His hallmark clarity, shaped during his time as a student at the prestigious Staatliches Bauhaus in Dessau, resonated through every medium he embraced. A paragon of precision, Bill’s legacy extended to horology through a remarkable partnership with German watchmaker Junghans.
In the early 1950s, Junghans embarked on a visionary venture, aiming to collaborate with an artist to craft a kitchen clock. The discerning choice of Max Bill for this endeavour swiftly bore fruit. Bill’s immediate involvement and subsequent presentation revealed a creation far from ordinary. Junghans recognised the timeless essence of Bill’s design, perceiving its potential to intricately intertwine with its watchmaking aspirations.
In 1961, Junghans and Max Bill presented the first wristwatches to be birthed from their outstanding partnership. These timepieces were so well received that to this day, Junghans still maintains the collection and has named it after the brilliant designer and educator. An excellent example of a timepiece from this collection that chronicles the legacy of Max Bill and the impact he had on Junghans’ design philosophy is the max bill Chronoscope Bauhaus.
A testament to Bill’s design ethos, the watch harmonises form and function seamlessly. The dial’s simplicity, with its vertically aligned totalisers and matte white surface, exemplify clarity. Borrowing hues from the Bauhaus building in Dessau, the timepiece’s sleek hands, refined case, and inconspicuous crown frame the spacious dial, enclosed by a comfortable 40mm matte steel case. Powered by the self-winding mechanical calibre J880.2 (ETA 7750), the max bill Chronoscope Bauhaus balances time, date, and chronograph with a 48-hour power reserve.
Lastly, as a final nod to the famed design school that inspired Max Bill so deeply, the max bill Chronoscope Bauhaus bears not only the institution’s name but also a partially transparent motif of the Bauhaus building on the timepiece’s glass caseback. Upon closer examination, one can discern that the building motif’s windows playfully offer a glimpse of the mechanical movement beating within.
Undoubtedly, the enduring collaboration between Max Bill and Junghans has indelibly shaped their watchmaking legacy. This influence resonates not just within the max bill Chronoscope Bauhaus, but across the entire max bill range. Even the max bill Wanduhr 22cm wall clock, a tribute to the modest kitchen timepiece that ignited the journey, remains a testament to their shared vision, persisting through time.
The max bill Chronoscope Bauhaus is available at all Watches of Switzerland Singapore boutiques.
