Junghans Watches USA

The success story of the watch with the star

The history of Junghans, founded in the Black Forest in 1861, is one of the most dynamic and fascinating success stories within the German watch-making industry.

Junghans — the German watch

For more than 150 years, the Junghans brand has been standing for a clear identification with Germany. Shaped by its long traditions, innovations and values, the name Junghans has always been associated with quality, reliabil-ity, passion and precision. During its extensive history, the Schramberg-based long-established company has successfully shaped the history of the watch industry and preserved its philosophy through new and ongoing developments in technology and through combining forward-thinking ideas with a drive for precision. Modern national and international business structures enable Uhrenfabrik Junghans to continue presenting innovative 'Made in Germany' products in the future and to further developing the unique success story of the watch with the star.

Tradition and modernity go hand-in-hand

The Junghans company was founded by Erhard Junghans and his brother-in-law Jakob Zeller-Tobler in Schramberg in 1861. Until today, the original site remained the company's headquarters. Since the very beginning, Junghans has always been standing for precision and top- quality manufacturing. While the company initially specialised in the production of individual components for clock-making, Junghans began constructing and producing its own clocks in 1866. The registration of the Junghans trademark, the 8-point star, in 1890 marked the start of an era of patents and procedures which provided the company with significant advantages regarding quality and manufacturing: Junghans clocks became globally popular timepieces which were accessible to all. Junghans was already employing 3,000 workers in 1903 and selling 3 million clocks per year, making it the biggest clock factory in the world. When it comes to mechanical watches, the 1930s were of great significance. The first models from the legendary 'Meister' range were produced during this time and were deemed to be the finest watches the company had ever made. The 1950s also played a key role in the company's long history. It was during this time that Junghans established itself as Germany's biggest manufacturer of chronometers. 'Uhrenfabriken Gebrüder Junghans A.G.' set new standards in watch-making when it marked the company's 100 year anniversary in 1961: Each day, 6,000 employees produced 5,000 wrist watches, more than 10,000 alarm clocks and 5,000 kitchen and living room clocks which were exported from Schramberg to a total of 100 countries.

The highest standards of technology and design

Beside ongoing technological developments, Junghans attaches particular importance to an independent design culture. With the production of Jung-hans clocks designed by Max Bill from 1956 on, this notion was developed further. The collaboration gave rise to a legendary watch collection which went on to become a modern design classic. Innovative design features were also launched in the form of the world's first radio-controlled watch, Mega 1, in 1990, a fruitful cooperation project with Frog Design. The years before were also very exciting and saw the company presenting the first German quartz wrist watch, the 'Astro-Quartz', in 1970. Additional milestones occurred in the trend-setting 1990s with the first radio-controlled solar watch in 1993 and the use of high-tech materials such as ceramics, the first multi-frequency radio-controlled watch in 2004 and the expansion of the mechanical collec-tion. In 2011, Junghans celebrated its 150 year success story with the launch of three limited edition mechanical models and a fresh interpretation of his-toric series such as the 'Meister' range. For the first time, Junghans combined in its 'Force' model the Junghans-own multi-frequency radio-controlled technology with solar technology within a ceramic case. The strikingly flat movement is fitted with the patented Junghans Autoscan technology which enables automatic identification of the current signal transmitter and synchronizes the time during travel.

Time for sportive peak performance

In 2012, Junghans enters into an exciting collaboration with Bogner. The me-chanical Bogner line from Junghans was created in close cooperation with the successful skier, film-maker and fashion designer Willy Bogner who was the inspiration for this range. A second new line named '1972' also reflects this year's motto of 'time for sportive peak performance'. The models are based on product concepts from that time and include a striking case and fresh colour accents in the 1970's style. Equipped with the latest technology, they reflect the company's sporting successes as the official timekeeper at the Olympic Games in Munich in 1972. Thanks to Junghans' new measuring methods, including measuring time accurate a 100th of a second using the first colour photographs of the finish line, this event saw the revolution of sports time keeping. The design classic max bill by junghans now incorpo-rates a women's line with enhanced wearing comfort. The re-design of a table clock, based on original Max Bill design drawings from 1958, perfectly com-pletes the max bill by junghans range.

Timeline

1861 A quest for excellence - from the very beginning

The Junghans watch factory came into being in 1861. Businessman Erhard Junghans founded the company in Schramberg, a small town in the Black Forest, together with his brother-in-law Jakob Zeller-Tobler. At first, they specialized in manufacturing individual parts for watch production.

The precision of Junghans work quickly became synonymous with outstanding quality of manufacturing, and the foundation was laid for a complete watchmaking enterprise. The first watches bearing the Junghans brand were designed and constructed by the company's own master watchmakers in 1866.

1875 Arthur Junghans

Arthur Junghans took over managing the company in 1875, following his father's premature death. Arthur was a watchmaker by trade and training and had traveled to America, where he studied the latest technological possibilities provided by rational production. Arthur Junghans introduced many new production techniques at the company, providing the ideas, serving as designer, and playing the role of technical leader.

Even before the turn of the century, numerous machines and processes were developed that gave Junghans outstanding advantages in terms of quality and manufacturing. Arthur Junghans focused primarily on innovations in watchmaking, and no less than 300 inventions were patented under his management.

1890 The star over Junghans

The 8-point star that is still the Junghans trademark today was first registered in 1890. Junghans watches came to be known as affordable, high-quality products from Germany and sold well around the world. In 1903, Arthur Junghans' vision became a reality - Junghans was the world's largest watch factory.

More than 3,000 employees produced more than 3 million watches each year. The manufacturing facility soon had to be expanded. And so the terrace building came into being, with a step-like construction that delivered natural daylight to each and every watchmaker's work station. The building is now protected as a historic monument.

1946 A precious legacy in difficult times

After Arthur Junghans' death, his sons Erwin and Oscar took over management of the company in 1920. Continuing the company's legacy and maintaining its high standards was no easy task, but the brothers mastered it successfully. At the start of the 1930s, the first wristwatches were produced and would quickly replace pocket watches as the most popular style of watch on the market.

Even after the Second World War and the dismantling of the factory, the innovative spirit of Junghans' master watchmakers remained undaunted. Junghans developed the first wristwatch chronograph movement, the legendary J88, as early as 1946. Junghans was also able to assert itself as a company with a long tradition in the new market environment of post-war reconstruction.

1970 The time of quartz

Following the successful consolidation of the company after 1945, Junghans began to focus on new, more precise methods for measuring time. The first result of these efforts was the electric movement. But it was the newly invented quartz technology that Junghans really took up and developed further.

The first German quartz clock was built at the end of the 1960s and Germany's first quartz wristwatch was built in 1970. As a pioneer of chronographic development, Junghans made history once again as the official timekeeper of the 1972 Olympic Games.

1985 Junghans and the radio-controlled timepiece

Junghans created yet another revolution on the clock and watchmaking market when they developed the first radio-controlled table clock. The world's first radio-controlled wristwatch, the Mega 1, followed the first radio-controlled solar clock in 1990.

To celebrate the Mega 1's 15-year birthday in 2005 and to pay tribute to the classic, Junghans launched the Mega 1000, a new interpretation of the world's first radio-controlled wristwatch that combines contemporary design and ultra-modern technology.

2012 Site expansion: Technical prospects and economic growth in historic buildings

Schramberg, 26 September 2012: Following a strong increase in sales in 2011, Uhrenfabrik Junghans GmbH & Co. KG also achieved excellent results in the first half of 2012. Now the Steim family is acquiring key buildings on the Junghans site in the Geißhalde. As a consequence, not only the Junghans brand but also the premises of the watch and clock factory are now owned once again by the Schramberg-based family.

The purchase has set a central strategic course for the future. A total of over 19,000 m2 is changing hands to the Steim family, including buildings 45 and 46. These house production as well as all relevant product realisation departments, such as design, development, construction, quality assurance and administration for Junghans. The newlyacquired area also includes building 92, the so-called "Fischer-Kantine", as well as the heritage-listed Terrassenbau building. The step-like architecture of the Terrassenbau, designed by architect Philipp Jakob Manz, is considered to be a monument of German industrial architecture. From 1918 onwards the building provided employees with ample daylight and a pleasant working atmosphere for the manufacture of watches and clocks.

On its own premises the company is set to expand the depth of manufacturing at the Schramberg site to include a new assembly line for radio- controlled movements as well as investing in the development of a new generation of movements for wristwatches. With this, the venerable company is making a further major contribution to increasing added value, following on from the strong development of recent years: last year alone saw sales increase by almost 40 percent, with the number of employees in the workforce since the takeover by the Steim family rising from 86 to 115.

Click here for a picture of the Junghans Factory Site: Junghans Site