2021 is a particularly special year for Junghans. Not only does it mark the 160th anniversary of the brand, but it also marks 60 years of the iconic minimalist watch that Swiss designer Max Bill designed for it. To celebrate the occasion, Junghans is releasing a special limited edition three-watch boxset called the Max Bill Edition Set 60.
The Max Bill Edition Set 60 is made up of a Max Bill Automatic watch, a Max Bill Regulator watch, and a Max Bill Mega Kleine Sekunde. All three have similar color schemes that consist of anthracite, beige gray, and orange. They also have solid casebacks that feature special-edition engravings. Case size for all models is just 38mm, and they are between 9mm- and 10.5mm-thick. Water resistance for all three models is just 30 meters, so be sure to keep them away from liquids.
The Max Bill Automatic Edition Set 60 is the closest in terms of design to the original watch that Max Bill designed back in 1961. It has an anthracite stainless steel case, matte-white dial, and orange hands. The dial is most similar to the regular-production Max Bill Automatic, with the only significant difference being the 60 marking at 12 o’clock, which denotes the 60th anniversary of Max Bill’s famous design. Inside the watch is the self-winding movement J800.1 which is really just the ETA-2824. It has a power reserve of 38 hours.
The Max Bill Regulator Edition Set 60 features a movement that is based on the ETA-2824 but called the J.800.5. The movement is modified so that the hours are read off a subdial at 12 o’clock, while the minutes are read off the central minute hand. The power reserve is also slightly longer at 42 hours. The stainless steel case is anthracite, and it has a matte-white dial. It also has the “60” marking at 12 o’clock. The hour and minute hands are orange while the seconds hand is anthracite.
The Max Bill Mega Kleine Sekunde Edition 60 is possibly the most interesting watch of the trio. Because of its subsidiary running seconds dial, it’s arguably the most traditional-looking watch in the set. However, the movement within is one of Junghan’s advanced Mega quartz movement which features radio-controlled time calibration (think Casio’s Multi-band 6). The movement also checks the positions of the hand to ensure perfect alignment. So, despite the watch’s vintage looks, it is decidedly high-tech.
These watches will likely appeal most to Junghans fans who already have a Max Bill or two in their collection. The more casual aesthetics offered by these three watches should make for a nice addition. The three watches are available only as a set. Each watch has a specially-designed individual watch case, and the boxes are housed together in a special edition box. The Junghans Max Bill Edition Set 60 is limited to 1,060 pieces and it costs $4,900. For more information, visit www.junghans.de.