====== Junghans ======

{{wst>author|[[Reschke, Gerd-Lothar|Gerd-Lothar Reschke]] ([[https://www.zeitgefuehl.de|ZEITGEFÜHL]])}}

{{wst>menue|Junghans}}

{{wst>image_r|Junghans Fabrik|The Junghans factory in [[Schramberg]] at the 19th Century\\ © [[Junghans]]|340px}}

**Junghans** is a German watch manufacturer, currently part of the [[EganaGoldpfeil]] group.

===== The beginnings =====
{{wst>image_r|Junghans, Erhard|Erhard Junghans (1823-1870)\\ © [[Junghans]]|130px}}

On 15 April [[1861]] [[Junghans, Erhard|Erhard Junghans]] founded, along with his brother-in-law Jakob Zeller-Tobler, in Schramberg the company "Junghans and Tobler". Thanks to modern manufacturing techniques Junghans began at that time in a cost effective way with the production of watch components. In [[1866]] the first watches under the name of Junghans were designed and built by their own master watchmakers.

When Erhard Junghans died in [[1870]], his wife took over the company, then from [[1875]] the two sons [[Junghans, Erhard jun.|Erhard jun.]] and [[Junghans, Arthur|Arthur]]. The second one had thoroughly studied the efficient production facilities of the new technology during his travels to America. Thus many production-related innovations found their way into the company, whose creative director, designer and technical director Arthur Junghans was himself. The high-volume watch production was well received, as the rationally manufactured watches offered more value at a good price.

{{wst>image_cr|Junghans|Anzeige 1933|Junghans ad from 1933}}

The [[1886]] started production of [[pocket watch]]es the company had suffered several setbacks. Only through merger with the company Thomas Haller, [[Schwenningen]], which since the late 1890s had successfully produced simple pocket watches, the production range at Junghans for this kind of watches was expanded. In [[1888]] the company introduced a five-pointed star in the middle of a "J" as trademark. In [[1890]] the star got eight points. In the same year the legendary Calibre 10 was introduced, which as the standard movement with [[alarm]] function was used unchanged for fifty years.

[[1903]] the vision of Arthur Junghans became reality The company was the world's largest watch factory. With over 3,000 employees were produced more than 3 million watches annually. A spatial expansion at the manufacturing plant was soon required. It was the terrace building that by his step-like structure offered daylight to each workplace in the watch manufacturing.

Around [[1912]] Junghans, as one of the first companies, developed a radioactive [[luminous color]] for noctilucent hands of [[pocket watch]]es and alarm clocks.

[[1928]] the production of [[wristwatch]]es was started. Initially purchased movements from [[Ruhla]] were used, but already from [[1930]] an own calibre was produced.

Even after the Second World War, the innovative spirit of the master watchmakers of the house, despite removal of the factory, was unbroken. Already in [[1946]] the first wristwatch [[chronograph]] movement, the legendary J88, was developed. The in-house developed and manufactured [[calibre]]s of the J-series with [[manual winding|manual]] or [[automatic]] winding are counted to be among the best in the 1950s.

===== Innovation by quartz and solar technology and radio control =====
{{wst>image_cr|Junghans|Max Bill|Junghans wristwatch\\ designed by [[Bill, Max|Max Bill (1908-1994)]]}}

On 15 December [[1956]] the company was taken over by the [[http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diehl_Stiftung|Diehl Group]]. From [[1957]] to [[1962]] the Swiss artist [[Bill, Max|Max Bill]] created for the company wall clocks, table clocks and [[wristwatch]]es in a simple, timeless Bauhaus design, which today enjoy extremely popularity and now are re-edited in a series [[Junghans Max Bill|"max bill by junghans"]].

[[1962]] the first electro-mechanical [[table clock]] of the company entered the market. In [[1967]] followed the first big [[quartz]] [[clock]] [[Junghans Astro-Chron|Astro-Chron]] and with the [[Junghans ATO-Chron|ATO-Chron]](([[https://www.uhrwerksarchiv.de/movements/j/junghans/junghans-600-12/|Junghans 600.12]], Das Uhrwerksarchiv ))<ref>[[http://www.hwynen.de/jgh-600.html|Junghans electronic ATO-Chron]]], Hartmut Wynen</ref> the first mass-produced electro-mechanical [[ wristwatch]]. In [[1970]] the first German [[quartz]] wristwatch [[Junghans Astro-Quarz|Astro-Quarz]] was introduced. This pioneering work in modern time measurement yielded international recognition: in [[1972]] the company was the official timekeeper of the Olympic Games in Munich. For the first time colored photo-finish was used, and the precision of the measurements was 1/100 seconds. In [[1976]] the manufacture of mechanical watch movements was ended completely and the focus of all development efforts was now fully set on perfecting the [[quartz]] watch.

[[1985]] the first mass-produced radio-controlled [[table clock]] was presented. It was able to independently synchronize with the [[atomic clock]] of the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt in Braunschweig. Even a year later, in [[1986]], the world's first radio-controlled solar watch RCS1 could be presented. The world's first radio-controlled wristwatch followed with the model [[Junghans MEGA 1|MEGA 1]] in the year [[1990]]. Since then, the brand is known for quartz watches with [[solar watch|solar]] power in conjunction with [[radio controlled watch|radio control]].

For the 15th anniversary of the [[Junghans MEGA 1|MEGA 1]] in [[2005]] Junghans introduced the [[Junghans Mega 1000|Mega 1000]] as a tribute to the classic.

===== Reorientation in the holding company EganaGoldpfeil =====
In [[2000]] the watch division was taken over by the [[EganaGoldpfeil]] Holding, where it was looked after by the well-known watch expert [[Pfeifer, Heinz W.|Heinz W. Pfeifer]]. The defense technology remained at the Diehl Group. Had the former company's management still held in continued distancing from the traditional, but since the 1980s resurgent mechanics, Pfeifer, who had already led the brands [[Glashütte Original]] and [[Union]] to a spectacular new success, strongly engaged for a fundamental reorientation of the Junghans collection towards the mechanical watch. Under the motto "From Tradition to Future", the collection has been radically revised. Clearly structured, it is now based on three pillars and thus reflects the main features of the corresponding brand again, "Tradition, Innovation and Continuity."

Thus, the company unveiled at [[Baselworld]] [[2006]] two first own mechanical watch movements and thus emphasized the former, in the meantime, unfortunately, shamefully neglected [[manufacture]] expertise of the brand. It was the new Calibre J890, a classic [[column wheel]] [[chronograph]] movement with date and [[power reserve]] indication, and also the new calibre J830 with date and [[central seconds]]. Both calibres work with a frequency of 28,800 semi-oscillations per hour and have a power reserve of more than 50 hours. They are also refined with stripes of type "[[Côtes de Genève]]" on [[bridge]] and [[rotor]]. For the decoration of the movement [[blued]] screws are used.

For the first time these fine [[finished]] movements were used in the series "Arthur Junghans 1861". The prices were between 2.390, - € to 3990, - € and were intended as a real challenge to the established manufacturers.

===== Junghans  Meister (collection) and Erhard Junghans (brand) =====
{{wst>image_cl|Junghans|Meister Attaché Agenda 4763}}

The [[2006]]/[[2007]] presented collection //Junghans Meister// consisted solely of watches with mechanical movements that occurred in a tasteful, timeless designed exterior. Ranges such as [[Junghans Meister Attaché Agenda|Attaché Agenda]], [[Junghans Meister Attaché Kalender|Calendar]], [[Junghans Meister Attaché Gangreserve|Power Reserve]], [[Junghans Meister Attaché Automatic|Automatic]] and [[Junghans Meister Attaché Chronoscope|Chronoscope]] sowie [[Junghans Meister Pilot Automatic|Pilot Automatic]] and [[Junghans Meister Pilot Chronoscope|Pilot Chronoscope]] testified the intention of returning to the dance floor of the top-quality classical watch.

As a further indication of this was the creation of a new daughter brand named [[Erhard Junghans]] in [[2007]]. It was named in honor of the Junghans founder and feels avowedly committed to the demands of [[Haute Horlogerie]]. (The range „Arthur Junghans 1861" mentioned above was continued under the name "Creator"; the mentioned movements were exclusively reserved for Erhard Junghans. For details on this brand and offer see [[Erhard Junghans]].)

Also the Junghans collection was revised The model //Avantgarde Worldtimer// combined conventional, but now decentrally placed display on the dial with digital display. //Mega 1000// was redesigned, //Anytime// gathered the quartz, radio and quartz chronograph models and //Anytime Lady// consisted entirely of a women's collection with [[quartz watch]]es.

===== New beginning with local owner family =====
After the much-discussed breakup of the [[EganaGoldpfeil]] holding the future of Junghans was on a knife edge. Due to the good reputation of the brand and tradition, not least because of the decisions already taken towards a new orientation, the value of the company was not in question. Therefore, many applicants came forward who were interested in the continuation of the company. The generally accepted choice in [[2009]] fell on the local entrepreneur Dr. Hans-Jochem Steim, who along with his son Hannes Steim took over the company. Dr. Steim, a freeman of the city Schramberg had received an e-mail by the Mayor on 22 September [[2008]], where it was asked whether he could imagine to save Junghans.

In January [[2009]] Steim father and son decided, to jump on board with two-third (the father) plus one-third (the son). Both have a close affinity to watch themselves - and so are continuing a family tradition. Over a hundred years ago the //Carl Haas GmbH//, owned by the Kern-Liebers group and today led by Hannes Steim, had supplied Junghans with precision springs. And from the year [[1930]] the company, also based at Schramberg, had produced [[Nivarox]] [[hairspring]]s for mechanical movements.

The former Junghans Board, consisting of Werner Wicklein and Matthias Stotz, has been retained. In the meantime the brand "Erhard Junghans" has been reintegrated into Junghans and now plays the role of a collection, similar to the "Max Bill" collection. Werner Wicklein died in May [[2010]].

===== 150th Anniversary in 2011 =====
{{wst>image_cr|Junghans|Meister Chronometer Jubilee Model 2011}}

In the year [[2011]] Junghans is celebrating its 150th Anniversary. On this occasion, two limited edition models of the Meister range are re-edited the "Meister Chronometer" is launched with 150 copies, while the "Meister Chronoscope" is produced in a limited edition of 1,500 pieces. Both anniversary models with their movement J820.1 and automatic calibre J880.1 remember of the 1950s, as Junghans was one of the largest [[chronometer]] manufacturers in the world.

Also to the jubilee appears in the series "Max Bill" the design classic "max bill Chronoscope" in solid [[gold]] and in a limited edition of 150 pieces.

===== Address =====
Junghans Uhren GmbH\\ Geißhaldenstrasse 49\\ D-78713 Schramberg

Phone +49 (0) 74 22 / 18-0\\ Telefax +49 (0) 74 22 / 18-665

===== Weblinks =====
  *[[http://www.junghans.de/html/pages/index.htm|Junghans]]
  *[[http://www.erhardjunghans.de/|Erhard Junghans]]
  *[[http://www.uhren-hieber.de/journal/20070307101255.shtml|Reorientation of the brand under Heinz W. Pfeifer]] - Hieber Journal 07.3.2007 (German)
  * [[http://www.ftd.de/unternehmen/industrie/:agenda-die-retter-von-junghans/490789.html|The saviors of Junghans]] - ftd, 22.3.2009 (German)


{{tag>Watch_brands Watch_brands_Germany}}