Junghans

Founded on April 15, 1861, by Erhard Junghans and his brother-in-law Jakob Zeller-Tobler in Schramberg, Germany. After Erhard's death in 1866, his widow took over, later succeeded by sons Erhard Jr. and Arthur. Arthur's time in America introduced innovative production techniques that enabled affordable timepieces for the German market. By 1903, Junghans was the world's largest watch factory with over 3,000 employees. The company began producing wristwatches in 1927 and later supplied the German Luftwaffe. In the 1950s, Bauhaus-trained artist Max Bill began designing for Junghans, creating the iconic kitchen clock and a series of minimalist watches that remain bestsellers today. The company served as official timekeeper for the 1972 Munich Olympics. In the late 1980s, Junghans introduced the world's first radio-controlled table clock, followed by the MEGA 1—the first radio-controlled wristwatch—in 1990. After ownership by Hong Kong's Egana Goldpfeil ended in bankruptcy in 2008, local businessman Hans-Jochem Stein acquired the company, preserving its heritage and continuing production in Schramberg.