JUNKERS WATCHES

Junkers Watches

The Junkers Watch company is named for Hugo Junkers, a German engineer who conducted early research on aviation in the early years of the 20th century. All the watchmaker's products make some allusion to Junkers' work by using materials and design motifs reminiscent of early aircraft.

The connection between early aviation and watchmaking is a long-standing tradition. This is not surprising, because in those pre-radar days early aviators needed accurate timepieces to avoid overshooting their targets. The Junkers company made some of these timepieces and is still a leading manufacturer of extremely accurate watches with a reputation for absolute accuracy.

Today Junkers watches are prized for their quality and for their great appearance. The watches have not changed much since the early days of the firm, so their look seems retro by modern standards. Many of them use corrugated metal in imitation of the plating on early planes, a touch that is unique to Junkers. The goal is maximum visibility, so faces are either white or black with markings of the opposite colour to provide the greatest contrast. Numbers are big, clear and undistorted.

Dials all have standard arrangement with central axes. Some have central second hands while others have small second hands, and a few models have both. There are chronograph watches with two or three dials. All the straps are stitched leather. A small nod to modernity is provided by the addition of a date window on some models.

These are all men's watches, a fact shown by every detail of their design. They have an air of confidence and strength tempered by reserve. Narrow bezels of polished or knurled metal emphasize their businesslike aspect, echoed by the severity of the tapered strap lugs.

Those who want decorative museum pieces with unusual colours and styles should look elsewhere. Junkers makes watches in a grand tradition born in a time when "designer" meant something entirely different from its meaning today. For those who want to return to that tradition, Junkers is still here.

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