With that said, let’s take a closer look at the most elemental of Junghans’ Max Bill line—the Ref. 027/3700.00. The case design is a perfect application of “concrete art.” Viewed from the side, the domed acrylic crystal merges with the inward curve of the case to create a nearly perfect, continuous ovoid. This oval is punctuated only briefly by the narrow, downward-angled lugs and a small, unsigned pillbox crown at 9. From above, there is zero extraneous detail, nothing but dial, a thin polished ring, and short straight lugs. The case back is the only place where any additional decoration is permitted, and even that is limited to a minimal etching of Max Bill’s signature. Just from description, this may sound dull, or too austere, but like so much of Bill’s work the magic lies in proportion. Every element is perfectly sized to those around them, creating a visual harmony that all minimalists strive for but so few achieve.

The dial is similarly fundamental. No numerals are present anywhere, and almost nothing but printed elements exist on the face. A light, airy minutes track sits well inboard from the edge of the dial, cut through by long lines extending from the edge to just over halfway to the center. The only other markers of note are modest, eminently functional lume dots at 3, 6, 9, and two at 12. Turning our attention to the handset, the hands are thin lume-filled sticks, ending in sharp points, supplemented by a minimal polished seconds hand. And really, that’s about it.