You can recycle mechanical watches by servicing movements clogged up with 30 years of dirt. You can re-purpose a fashion quartz by fitting a new Miyota movement for about £10 from ebay – you will needs tools and skills to pull that off of course. Other planet-saving options include buying a solar powered watch, like the famous Citizen Eco-Drive.
It’s all good stuff and Junghans are all over it, as they launched their new Max Bill MEGA Solar earlier in May. The really clever thing about this one is that you can’r see the solar cells on the dial anywhere – it has that classic super-clean Max Bill dial. That is a neat bit of technology.
The titanium case ensures that the watch is feather-light, (says the press kit info) extremely sturdy and is harmoniously compatible with the skin. Its leather straps are vegetable-tanned and feature velvety soft Alcantara on the inside. The case back arches perfectly against the wrist to complete the extraordinary wear comfort of the timepiece.
A completely new radio-controlled movement from Junghans guarantees maximum precision and is exceptionally energy-efficient: Even when completely drained of power, the watch will become fully functional again after only eight minutes of direct exposure to the sun.
Moreover, the movement has a power reserve of up to three years. A perpetual calendar, automatic conversion from summer time to winter time and automatic adjustment of the time zones using the crown or – on a global scale – via time synchronization with the latest version of the Junghans MEGA App.
Even the design of the watch is sustainable due to Junghans’s collaboration with the artist Max Bill over the years. Junghans designed a convex dial with a solar cell specifically for the Max Bill MEGA Solar, merging into the overall design of the watch.
The Max Bill MEGA Solar timepiece incorporates natural materials, innovative technologies and puristic design. It has a 38mm case width by the way.
This timepiece retails at around $1000, which is a bit pricey compared to an Eco-Drive, let’s be honest.