Junghans
Kitchen clock (1956), Max BillEducated at the Bauhaus in Dessau by Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee and Oskar Schlemmer, Max Bill (1908-1994) was a Swiss architect, artist, painter, typeface designer, industrial designer and graphic designer. Because of his theoretical writing and progressive work in the 1950s, Max Bill is widely considered the single most decisive influence on Swiss graphic design. As an industrial designer, his work is characterized by a clarity of design and precise proportions.
In 1953 he founded the Ulm School of Design and promoted a totalizing vision of design: the engagement of the artist with industry. Everyday objects (kitchen appliances, audio visual equipment, tools, shelving etc) were a central focus for the work of Ulm designers. This vision led to long-term collaborations with companies such as Junghans, for whom he designed elegant clocks and watches. Among Bill’s most notable product designs is this kitchen clock above, which incorporates a mechanical timer. This clock is one of the earliest and most notable designs by Bill to be put into production and is considered a classic example of postwar ‘good design’ in everyday objects. It is part of the collection of the V&A Museum in London and of MoMA New York.
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