Junghans is a German watch brand that is well known for its Max Bill line of watches. These watches are based on Bauhaus design, which basically serves as an inspiration for the creation of numerous other Bauhaus-inspired designed watches. However, another collection line of Junghans, i.e. Meister, should not be neglected as mechanical watches of the Meister collection were first produced in the 1930s, with their heyday in the 1950s and 1960s. Junghans produced wristwatch movements of chronometer quality from 1950s; by 1956 the company was already the third-largest producer of chronometers in the world. 1957 saw the appearance of the first automatic chronometer calibre J83, one of the finest of its kind anywhere.
Below is a 1960s Junghans Meister as part of my collection. At first glance, the watch is very slim that sits at almost 10mm and the case diameter is 35mm, a classic diameter for men’s wrist in the older days and maybe nowadays. The watch has a sunburst finish dial and it gives you different feelings towards it depending on how it reacts to the light. As a result, this watch is mesmerizing to look at as also partly because of the high dome acrylic crystal.
The movement under the hood of the watch is an Junghans in-house movement, i.e. Junghans 684. As far as I know, it is a more or less a very little simplified caliber 685, which was the last Junghans chronometer movement. Please refer to following link for more information about the movement: https://17jewels.info/movements/j/junghans/junghans-684-12/. Honestly speaking, I am fascinated by the movement as this watch keep impeccable time accuracy after service and I foresee that it only requires service in next few years.
I hope that this mini review will bring more watch enthusiasts to appreciate this German brand that I feel that is underrated. Thanks for reading!
NB: Refer to following German blog watch video for comparison between vintage and modern Junghans Meister https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-DT-oShlc4
Dinding corner 