An Overview Of Junghans Novelties Launched At Inhorgenta Munich 2023

Junghans is known for its clean aesthetic. The Bauhaus design that inspires most of the models in the brand’s lineup is typically best executed in stark black and white. This is not to say that color cannot add to the execution. This is clearly the theme of Junghans’s spring novelties. The use of color, subtly in some applications and boldly in others, offers a fresh take on some of the German watchmaker’s most classic designs.

The Junghans Max Bill

Most think of the Max Bill line when it comes to Bauhaus design in watches. This classic look is instantly recognizable. For this year, Junghans has added a new Chronoscope Bauhaus model and two new MEGA Solar models. While color may be the theme for Junghans in 2023, the specific color for the Max Bill is red.

Legibility has always been a strength of the Chronoscope Bauhaus. The layout with sub-dials at 12 o’clock and 6 o’clock keeps the dial symmetrical, and the Junghans logo at 9 o’clock offsets the date at 3 o’clock. Adding a splash of red to the date wheel would have still been an excellent touch if it had been the only addition of color. Adding red to the hour and minute hand as well increases legibility while bringing some fun to an otherwise stark dial. A tiny bit of red has also been added to the case back, echoing the subtle use of it on the dial. This model retails for €2,295.

The Max Bill MEGA Solar (€1,075) is also getting the red treatment. The connected solar-powered watch — with an impressive power reserve of three years in the dark — features a red date wheel and red numerals. An additional model in gold PVD (€1,175) is also new to the lineup. Both of these watches feature a vegan apple-fiber strap and an environmentally friendly luminous substance. This radio-controlled model also packs a perpetual calendar and automatic adjustment to all time zones. It’s an impressive feature set in a 38mm package.

Junghans Meister Damen

The newest Meister Damen model (€1,340) features a sunburst green dial. The dauphine hands are diamond cut, contrasting sharply with the dial’s deep green color. A macchiato ostrich strap further allows the dial to take the spotlight. The Meister Damen collection looks more modern than the classic Max Bill. A vertically oriented Junghans logo at 6 o’clock complements the cardinal markers.

While this piece is on the smaller side at 33mm, the watch is nearly all dial, making it wear larger and work on more wrists than the diameter might suggest. Standing at only 9.8mm tall, the slim case sports 50m water resistance and houses an automatic movement with a 38-hour power reserve. The movement is also time only, keeping the minimalist spirit and superb dial symmetry.

Junghans Meister fein

The Meister fein collection additions are the most varied in style. Ranging from the dressy Signatur to the eye-catching Automatic and the function-packed Chronoscope MEGA Solar, these novelties are colorful and functional. The most traditional of the new offerings is the Signatur (€1,690). At just under 40mm, the classic dress-style watch features a light gray brushed dial with diamond-cut hour markers. Making the watch more functional but less symmetrical is the presence of the date at 3 o’clock. Similar to the Meister Damen, the Signatur offers 38 hours of power reserve and 50m water resistance.

The latest additions to the Meister fein Automatic collection (€1,390) are much more playful. Three new colorways — Arctic Blue, Moss Green, and Blackberry — are offered with a diamond-set hour marker at 12 o’clock that offsets the vertically oriented Junghans wordmark at 6 o’clock. The numerals on the black date wheels match the color of the other indices, tying the design together. The strap colors are not matching but are complementary. These are a more exuberant take on an elegant piece and could be a bold use of color in a more formal setting, or dressed more casually.

The final additions to the Meister fein collection feature a perpetual calendar, chronograph, and connected solar movement. The Meister fein Chronoscope MEGA Solar packs all of this into a 39.5mm case that is under 10mm thick. Obviously, the connected RC solar J110 movement allows for this feature set at under €1.5K. When connected to the Junghans MEGA app, the watch will automatically update all time zones to the second. Offered in both stainless steel (€1,390) and a rose gold PVD version (€1,490) on leather straps, these two offer the benefits of a connected watch (accuracy and automatic syncing to time zones) without adding a screen.

Junghans Meister Pilot and Pilot Chronoscope

On the sportier side, Junghans brings three models to the new Meister Pilot line — the Meister Pilot in navy blue and a new Meister Pilot Chronoscope in navy blue and “desert” colorways. Red accents and riveted leather straps across the board identify their sporting intentions. These watches are more capable, offering 100m water resistance, DLC-treated cases, and lacquer dials. Each watch also comes in at 43.3mm in diameter, leaning into the tool-watch sizing.

The Meister Pilot Automatic in navy blue (€1,990) is the German brand’s take on a pilot watch. Its dial is balanced, featuring a wide date aperture at 12 o’clock and running small seconds at 6 o’clock. Additionally, the sword hands are filled with the same environmentally friendly luminous material. The bidirectional bezel allows for elapsed timing to the minute and has a scalloped edge for easier gripping. Coming in at 12.3mm thick, the three-hand version is the thinnest of the three new releases.

The two new Chronoscope models in the Pilot line (€2,590) have the same 43.3mm diameter but are slightly thicker (14.4mm) to accommodate the chronograph function. In addition to the bezel functionality, the chronograph times up to 30 minutes using the totalizer at 9 o’clock. The central chronograph seconds hand, 30-minute hand, and running seconds hand all feature red accents. While the Desert colorway is a standard production model, the Meister Pilot Chronoscope Navy Blue is limited to 300 pieces.

The Meister Chronoscope

The final release, the Meister Chronoscope, should prove to be a popular one with its size and eye-catching aesthetic. The sapphire-gray dial features a circular sunray finish and the brand’s beloved “dimple” sub-dials in an anthracite hue. All of the sub-dials play home to orange hands for a tasteful but vivid flash of color. A smaller running-seconds sub-dial at 9 o’clock is offset by the day and date at 3 o’clock. With its minimalist indices, the dial is legible, clean, and very well executed.

This Meister Chronoscope sits in a nice middle ground when it comes to size. Measuring 40.7mm in diameter and 13.9mm thick, it is larger than the Meister fein pieces but smaller than the Pilot chronographs. While the thickness may put some people off, keep in mind that a portion of it is due to the domed and double-AR-coated sapphire crystal. The Meister Chronoscope offers a 50m water resistance rating and a longer power reserve of 48 hours if the chronograph isn’t running. Offered on a brown ostrich strap for €2,140, the Meister Chronoscope would feel right at home in a business-casual environment.

Final thoughts

Embracing color and integrating it into classic designs often provides a fresh take on a tried-and-true model. Adding truly new models to a collection, however, proves to be quite a challenging task. With these spring novelties, Junghans has balanced new versions of fan favorites while enhancing functionality and adding complementary new models to existing collections. For a brand that recently celebrated the 200th birthday of its founder, continuing to explore new ways to express the Bauhaus design that it is famous for is a challenge that Junghans is embracing.

Which of the new models is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below! And to see the full range of Junghans models, visit the brand’s official website.