Junghans Max Bill Kitchen Clock

Max Bill was one of the principals of the Bauhaus design movement as an artist, architect, painter, sculptor, and a product designer. At the age of 16, he began his training as a silversmith at the School of Applied Arts in Zurich and had two of his student works selected for exhibition at the “Exposition internationale des arts décoratifs” in Paris. His personality as a growing artist and independent spirit had him expelled after only three years. He took his winnings from a poster contest with the Suchard chocolate manufacturer and moved to Dessau to join up with the work of the Bauhaus school. He studied for two years under the likes of Albers, Kandinsky, Klee, Moholy-Nagy and Schlemmer and carried the theory of minimalist design and principles of ethical art that he gained throughout his career.

In the 1950s Max Bill was invited to collaborate with German watchmaker Junghans, on a number of timepieces including wall clocks and watches. Max Bill and his students at Ulm designed the now famous ceramic “Max Bill Kitchen Clock” in 1956 that exemplified the clear philosophy of form follows function. The clock was bright and cheerful, but also highly functional with a built-in timer and a clean, minimalist design that prized legibility and quality.