Bauhaus design has long been a favorite style in the watch space, cherished for its focus on clean lines, minimalism, and above all else, form following function. It’s a philosophy that seems simple, yet like most things centered around simplicity, it can be challenging to execute successfully. Some watch brands hold Bauhaus as their core tenet, exclusively making timepieces that fall squarely into the German doctrine of functionalism. Others, like Junghans, play within the space with dedicated Bauhaus-driven collections that sit comfortably alongside other styles of watches. This brings us to the new Junghans Max Bill Regulator Bauhaus watch, which joins the company’s popular line dedicated to Max Bill, the late Swiss architect, designer, and artist whose studies at the Bauhaus in Dessau formed his approach to creation.
Max Bill and Junghans first joined forces in the 1950s when the designer conceptualized several clocks and watches for the watch brand including a now-famous teardrop-shaped kitchen clock with a timer. Fast-forward to today and the Max Bill collection remains a mainstay for Junghans with a vast assortment of iterations. One of the newer iterations is the Max Bill Bauhaus sub-collection, unveiled in 2022 and characterized by dramatic dashes of crimson red and a depiction of the Bauhaus-Building Dessau (complete with a red door) on the caseback. Following the launch of the Max Bill Automatic Bauhaus in 2022 and the Max Bill Chronoscope Bauhaus in 2023, the freshly released Max Bill Regulator Bauhaus joins the lineup in 2024.
Like the other two models that share its design blueprint, the Max Bill Regulator Bauhaus watch features a matte stainless steel case. That curvy case, which Junghans refers to as “lentil-shaped,” measures 40mm in diameter, 10.9mm thick, and includes short lugs for optimal comfort. The back of the case is partially transparent, displaying the movement peeking through an illustration of the Bauhaus building printed underneath the crystal. The case back is bolted down via four screws and the watch is water-resistant to 50 meters. The dial side of the case is topped with a domed sapphire crystal, which when coupled with the ultra-thin steel bezels, offers an expansive view of the stark white dial.
The matte-white dial is a pure expression of Bauhaus execution, inspired by Max Bill’s own words penned in his son’s book, max bill am Bauhaus: “I remember that morning vividly as the front of the Bauhaus building suddenly faced the front driveway of the Dessau train station. It was something that had never been seen before: white walls and large dark glass facades, and in the foreground was the students’ dormitory with balcony doors like minium-red accents.”
Given that this is a regulator watch, the hours, minutes, and seconds hands are separated, placed at the upper subdial, center, and lower subdial, respectively. The hands are swathed in red, as are the date numerals at 3 o’clock. The slim hour and minute hands aren’t just coated in red pigment — it’s actually a red-tinted luminous material, which according to Junghans, is “environmentally friendly;” however, there’s no further explanation on how the lume is more friendly to the environment than standard ones. There is also a smattering of lume plots at the dials’ four cardinal points, two at 12 and one at the remaining three spots.
Powering the Junghans Max Bill Regulator Bauhaus watch is the Caliber J800.5 automatic movement (based on the ETA 2824) with centrally located minutes, off-center hour and second displays, a date window, and 38 hours of power reserve. To match the understated dial and case designs, the watch is paired with a straightforward black leather strap, fitted with a stainless steel buckle.
The Junghans Max Bill Regulator Bauhaus (ref. 41/4493.02) will be available from July 2024 and the watch will retail for £2,375. For more information, please visit the brand’s website.
