The Junghans Max Bill is a minimalist German dress watch designed in 1961 and made almost unchanged since. You choose it in three steps: the size (34 mm hand-wound, 38 mm automatic or quartz, 40 mm chronograph), the movement (hand-wound, automatic, quartz or radio-controlled), and the dial, with slim lines only or with numerals. It is thin, light and elegant, and it is a watch for the desk and the dinner table, not for the pool: most versions resist splashes only.
Few watches offer this much design history for the price. We have 63 Max Bill watches in stock, from $570 to $1,855.
Who was Max Bill?
Max Bill (1908 to 1994) was a Swiss architect, artist and designer who studied at the Bauhaus in Dessau in the late 1920s, under teachers including Wassily Kandinsky and Paul Klee. He believed that everyday objects should be clear, useful and beautiful at once.
In the 1950s he designed a kitchen clock for Junghans, the German clock and watch maker founded in Schramberg, in the Black Forest, in 1861. The wristwatches followed in 1961. Their dials, with fine lines for the minutes and a typeface Bill drew himself, are the reason the watches are still made. The numeral 4 is the detail enthusiasts point to: its shape is unlike any other.
What every Max Bill has in common
- A thin steel case with short, slim lugs and almost no bezel, so the dial fills the watch.
- A strongly domed crystal, which gives the watch its vintage look from the side.
- A dial of great restraint: thin hands, fine markers, small luminous dots on some versions.
- A leather strap or a fine steel mesh bracelet.
Because there is hardly any bezel, a Max Bill wears larger than its diameter suggests. A 38 mm Max Bill looks as large as many 40 mm watches.
The Max Bill models
Max Bill Handaufzug (hand-wound), 34 mm
The purist's Max Bill, and the closest to the original of 1961. It is wound by the crown every day or two, has no date, and is very slim. At 34 mm it suits small and medium wrists and anyone who likes vintage proportions.
Max Bill Automatic, 38 mm
The model most buyers choose. It winds itself, comes with or without a date, and at 38 mm fits most wrists. This is the Max Bill to buy if you want one dress watch for regular wear.
Max Bill Kleine Automatic, 34 mm
The automatic movement in the smaller case, for those who want the 34 mm size without winding by hand.
Max Bill Quartz and Damen
Battery-powered versions in 38 mm and in a smaller ladies' size of about 33 mm. They are the slimmest and least expensive, and they keep better time than any mechanical watch.
Max Bill Mega and Mega Solar
Junghans was a pioneer of radio-controlled watches, which correct themselves from a time signal. The Mega models bring that technology to the Max Bill; the Mega Solar is also powered by light. From the front, they look like any other Max Bill.
Max Bill Chronoscope, 40 mm
The chronograph, with two subdials and pushers, and an automatic movement. It is the sportiest of the family and still slim for a chronograph. It is offered with or without numerals and with a date, or a day and date.
Max Bill Regulator and special editions
A regulator shows hours, minutes and seconds on separate dials. Junghans also issues annual and anniversary editions, including the "Bauhaus" versions with a see-through case back, a contrasting date and details that mark the school's centenary.
Dial: lines or numerals?
Each main model comes in two styles:
- Line dial. Thin baton markers only. It is the most minimal, and the most formal.
- Numeral dial. Arabic numerals in Max Bill's typeface around the edge. It is a little easier to read and shows off the famous 4.
Colors are mostly white, silver, black and anthracite, with occasional editions in other tones. This is purely taste; neither is the "correct" one.
Crystal and water resistance: read this before you buy
Two points catch buyers out.
The crystal. The traditional Max Bill has a domed crystal made of hardened acrylic with a scratch-resistant coating. It gives the warmest, most authentic look, and it scratches more easily than sapphire. Many newer versions have a domed sapphire crystal instead. The Crystal line of the specifications tells you which a watch has. If you are hard on your watches, look for sapphire.
Water. Most Max Bill watches are protected against splashes only. Rain and hand-washing are fine; swimming and showering are not. Some newer versions with sapphire crystals have a higher rating. Check the Water resistance line, and see our guide to water resistance for what the numbers mean.
Which Max Bill should you buy?
| You want | Look at |
|---|---|
| The classic, as designed | Handaufzug, 34 mm |
| One dress watch for regular wear | Automatic, 38 mm |
| The lowest price and no winding | Quartz |
| A watch that sets itself | Mega or Mega Solar |
| Something sportier | Chronoscope, 40 mm |
How it compares
The natural rival is the Nomos Tangente, another German watch in the same spirit. The Nomos has a movement made by the brand in Glashütte and costs more; the Max Bill uses a Swiss or quartz movement and has the older design pedigree. Our comparison of the Nomos Tangente and Club describes the Nomos, and our guide to German watches under $5,000 covers both makers and their neighbors.
Within Junghans, the Meister line is the alternative: classic 1950s styling, a little more substantial, with applied markers.
What to check before you buy
- The size, remembering that it wears large. Our guide to choosing your watch size shows how to measure.
- The movement: hand-wound, automatic, quartz or radio-controlled.
- The crystal: coated acrylic or sapphire.
- Water resistance.
- Strap or mesh bracelet.
- Box and papers, stated on the listing.
If you are choosing your first dress watch, our guide to how to choose a dress watch explains thickness, size and style. You can browse the Max Bill watches and every Junghans we have in stock.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Junghans Max Bill a Bauhaus watch?
It was designed in 1961 by Max Bill, who studied at the Bauhaus, and it follows the school's principles. The Bauhaus itself closed in 1933, so the watch is in its tradition and not a product of it.
What size is the Junghans Max Bill?
34 mm for the hand-wound and Kleine Automatic models, 38 mm for the Automatic and Quartz, about 33 mm for the ladies' model and 40 mm for the Chronoscope.
Can I swim with a Max Bill?
Not with most versions, which are protected against splashes only. Check the water resistance on the listing.
Does the Max Bill have a sapphire crystal?
Some versions do. The traditional ones have a coated acrylic crystal, which scratches more easily. The specifications state which.
Is Junghans a German brand?
Yes. Junghans was founded in 1861 in Schramberg, in the Black Forest, where it is still based.
Is Watchflix NYC an official Junghans retailer?
No. We are an independent retailer and are not affiliated with Junghans. Every watch is checked by our specialist before it ships.
