Rare Important Collectible: Early Junghans Quartz-DeskClock Astro-Chron, Vienna
Junghans Electronic Astro-Chron: EarlyQuartz Desk Clock w/ Sweep Second, Vienna
- Time (Hour, Minute, Central Second)
One of the most beautiful early quartz-clocks, 1967: Die Deutsche Neue Sachlichkeit aus dem Schwarzwald (Junghans, Schramberg).
The cuckoo-clock was a thing from the past and the future started in 1967: clear design, heavy weight rhodium-plated case (serialnumber: 1'6XX, size: 205*115*60mm), super-precise quartz-movement and a valuable appearance made it a beauty in any living-room or office of the late 1960s and 1970s and a characteristic horological artefact and retro-object today and tomorrow.
The clock was initially sold in Vienna, Austria as indicated by the sticker on the case back: Rudolf Hübner Uhrmachermeister, Graben 28, Wien, Austria.
The sweeping seconds-hand over the sunburst dial is a joy to watch. Powered by the Junghans-caliber W610 and running reliable and precise -- historical. And indeed, an important electronic clock and horological history: From a time when the race to quartz was on between Japan, Switzerland and Germany -- and the latter was a hot aspirant of presenting the first quartz-watch. The technology was there, already as indicated by this Junghans living-room quartz-clock. But in clock-format and without IC -- but as you know: watchmaking is foremost about miniaturization and any other complication is derivative to that.