At the end of the 19th century motoring was no banal activity, it was an adventure in its own right. An adventure that Arthur Junghans plunged into with passion: in 1892 he bought one of the first Daimler test cars, delivered to him by Wilhelm Maybach in person. A close friendship existed between the technically-minded Swabians Arthur Junghans, Wilhelm Maybach and Gottlieb Daimler.
Their meetings at the villa of Arthur Junghans served to generate ideas, with these in turn producing numerous significant inventions, such as worm gear steering and the idea for electrical ignition. Today, cars have long become everyday objects, but the early models continue to radiate a strong aura of fascination – just like the first Schramberg-produced car clocks.
As predecessors to the modern tachometer, car clocks not only displayed the time – they also enabled speed to be determined by measuring the time taken to travel known distances. With the patented "speed measuring device" from 1905 Arthur Junghans’ son Oskar succeeded in setting a milestone in this field. The measuring method was based on measuring the rotation speed of an automobiles wheel with the uniformly turns of a gear wheel.
The new Meister Driver models display a colour scheme that reflects the colour gradients of particular classic Maybachs from the 1930s and Mercedes models from the 1950s.
A distinctive lacquer scheme underscores the three-dimensional aspect of the domed dial and the nostalgic charm of the timepiece, whilst contrastingly-coloured zones and totalisers evoke the lovingly-detailed flair of automobile dashboards.
The dial resembles a speedometer, evoking the charm of the instruments found in vehicles of times gone by. Large minute and hour markers are based on the speed indicators of cars, lending the timepiece a distinctive character, further accentuated by a nostalgically-styled minute track. The classic car flair is also underscored by colour-contrast zones and the two totalisers in Bicompax arrangement for the Driver Chronoscope, set into the dial in the bowl-shaped form typical of the Meister range.
A love of cars has always been evident at Junghans, whether in the person of Arthur Junghans or today, with the Steim family, owners of Uhrenfabrik Junghans, who have realised their passion in a collection that reflects an impressive cross section of 110 years of automobile history. The designers at Junghans have utilised this passion to create a watch series that combines the unique charm of these automobiles with our passion for mechanical timepieces.
Not only does the Meister Driver display the time, it also evokes an entire era: the early years of modern motoring, a time of great technological pioneers. Like no other watch, the Meister Driver combines the distinctive charm of these automobiles with our passion for mechanical timepieces.
The Meister Driver models are equipped with precisely-refined mechanical movements with rhodium plating. In the automatic movements the rotor is refined stripe finishing and an engraved logo.
The aesthetically-formed and polished stainless steel case provides a view of the fine mechanical movement via the screwed sapphire crystal case back.
Large minute and hour markers are based on the speed indicators of cars, lending the timepiece a distinctive character, further accentuated by a nostalgically-styled minute track. The classic flair is underscored by areas of offset colours with a polished finish. The subdials of the Driver Chronoscope are arranged in Bicompax form, set into the dial in the bowl-shaped form typical of the Meister range.
The Meister Driver models are tested on the basis of DIN standard 8310 and have a water resistance of 3 bar.
As with the historic Meister watches of the 1930s - 1960s, the Meister Driver is equipped with domed hard plexiglas. This not only has a historic background, but also offers the aesthetic advantage of optimal legibility due to minimised refraction. In addition, the glasses are also equipped with a coating for enhanced scratch resistance.
The natural calfskin leather straps with contrasting seam and stainless steel buckle hold the Meister Driver watches securely on the wrist. The perforation on the back is a design element reminiscent of the leather seating of classic cars.
The intricacy and folding clasp of the solid stainless steel bracelet are designed to hug the arm pleasantly.
© 2016 UHRENFABRIK JUNGHANS GMBH & CO.KG. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.