5. Max Bill

Homepage - Contents - C. The Designers, 5. Max Bill

C.5 Max Bill

Bill is the last exponent in theory and in practice of the ideas of the Bauhaus . He worked as an architect, painter, sculptor as well as an industrial, graphic and stage designer, writer, art theorist and politician. Throughout his entire work the characteristic Bauhaus abstract geometrical forms are recognizable. Every design museum in the world holds examples of Bill's work. He won a whole range of prizes. Hundreds of books and publications have been written by Max Bill and about Max Bill.

1908	Born in Winterthur, Switzerland, December 22nd.
1924-27	Attends the Kunstgewerbe Schule in Zurich, Switzerland. Studies to become a silversmith.
1927-29	Studies at the Bauhaus in Dessau, Germany. His teachers were, amongst others, Piet Mondriaan, Paul Klee, Walter Gropius, Moholy-Nagy and Joseph Aalbers.
1929	Becomes an independent artist, graphics designer and architect.
1944	Issues his first industrial designs.
1953-55	Architect, co-founder and rector of the famous 'Hochschule f/r Gestaltung' in Ulm, Germany.
1958-1960	Designs six different office and wall clocks 'Electora' for Junghans.
1962	Designs six very bland watches without any decoration, for Junghans, Germany.

What makes these watches very interesting is the fact that Max Bill and Nathan Horwitt were the first artists who worked on design for wrist watches. The watches designed by Max Bill have the pretention of being a watch in its purest form: simple and functional. Later on, Junghans made many variations on these watches which resemble eachother in many ways.

The six watches are:

The first five are edited in the Junghans Design series. The word 'Design' is written on the dial. The sixth design belongs to the 'Meister' series. Only the word 'Junghans' is printed on the dial.

1	Polished black metal dial with luminous digits and hands, flat stainless steel case. (Ref.no. 84/3961)
2	The same watch with silver dial and black digits. (Ref.no. 84/3962)
3	The same as no. 2 with a goldplated case. (Ref.no. 84/6962)
4	Silver dial with black strokes, no digits and a stainless steel case. (Ref.no. 84/3963)
5	The same as no. 4. Black polished metal dial with sunken signs, flat goldplated case with stainless steel back. (Ref.no. 84/6964)
6	The same as no. 4. Gilt dial sunray satin-finished with black strokes, flat goldplated case with stainless steel back. (Ref.no. 84/6965)

< Previous page | Top | Next page >

Related Photos: 1

email: doensen@xs4all.nl

All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or used in any forms or by any means - graphic, electronic or mechanical, including (but not limited to) photocopying or information storage and retrieval systems - without written permission from the copyright holder.