Based in the Black Forest city of Schramberg, Junghans is a success story of the German clock and watchmaking industry. The company was founded in 1861 by Erhard Junghans, and by 1903 it was the largest clock manufacturer in the world. Post-WWII, Junghans built the legendary chronograph caliber J-88 for the German pilots.

In 1961, Junghans celebrated its 100th anniversary, and at the time was manufacturing 20,000 clocks and watches of all kinds each day by 6,000 employees. However, 1961 turned out to more consequential when Junghans approached Max Bill, a Swiss designer and artist, to design a wristwatch. The brand had already collaborated successfully with the designer in 1956 on a kitchen clock. Max Bill’s modern and functional designs quickly became essential to Junghans’ collection.