6. Junghans

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S.6 Junghans

Imported American clocks completely dominated the German market during the first half of the nineteenth century. Therefore, a number of German firms came up with the idea of manufacturing 'American clocks' in the second half of the nineteenth century. More than a century later, Junghans has become Germany's most important watch and clock manufacturer.

1861	Foundation of the watch factory: 'Erhard Junghans und Zeller'.
1866	Entry in the Registry of Companies of the Chamber of Commerce: 'Gebr/der Junghans, Uhrenfabrik OHG in Schramberg'.
1955	Together with the French watch producer Vedette, Junghans becomes a part of the Diehl-Gruppe.
1962	The first transistorised clock by Junghans, the 'ATO-MAT'.
1963	The first Junghans solar-powered clock: the 'ATO-LUX'.
1966	The first prototypes of a transistorised wrist watch, the 'J 100'.
1967	The first quartz clock by Junghans, the 'Astro-Chron'. The first commercial transistorised wrist watch by Junghans, the 'Ato Chron' (cal. 600.00).
1970	The Junghans 'Dato-Chron' (cal. 600.12).
1971	Introduction to the press of a prototype of the first quartz wrist watch in Germany takes place on April 14th.
1972	The commercial production of the quartz wrist watch 'Astro-Quartz', also known as the 'QU 1' (cal. W666.00), starts.
1976	Production of the first LED watch, the 'J 613', and the first LCD watch of Junghans, the 'J 616'.
1978	Junghans launches the first European quartz watch with a frequency of 4 MHz, the 'Junghans Megaquarz' (cal. 667.26).
1985	The first prototypes of Junghans radio-controlled clocks are revealed at the Basle Fair.
1986	Junghans starts the production of a radio-controlled clock, the 'RCS-1' with solar cells, and the 'RC-1' with batteries.
1990	Production of the first radio-controlled wrist watch in the world, the 'MEGA 1', with liquid crystal display. Designed by studio 'frogdesign'.
1991	The MEGA with hands.
1992	The first radio-controlled solar-powered wrist watch in the world, the 'MEGA SOLAR'. The only electric chronometer produced in Germany was the Junghans 'Datochron Chronometer 6012' that came with a case of white or yellow gold.

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