How two German aviation icons inspired a series of classic watch designs.
- Prashant Kavi (PK)
- Jan 1, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Feb 26
Junkers and Zeppelin are perhaps two of the most iconic aviation brands to have come out of Germany in the late 19th century.
Named after their founder, Hugo Junkers, Junkers Flugzeug- und Motorenwerke AG or simply Junkers, was famous for its pioneering all-metal, fixed wing airplanes starting with the J1 and also included one of their most famous, corrugated metal designs, the trimotor JU52/3m. The company and its operations were taken over by the Nazis in 1934, after Hugo Junkers was deposed following his refusal to aid the Nazi war effort.
Zeppelin was a line of 'rigid airships', produced by Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH among others, the design of which was pioneered by German inventor and retired German military officer, Ferdinand, Graf von Zeppelin. LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin and LZ 129 Hindenburg were some of the most popular airships to have taken to the skies, featuring a cigar-shaped, trussed, and covered frame supported by internal Hydrogen gas cells. These airships served both commercial revenue passenger flights as well as being used by the military as bombers.
And while the existence of these industrial giants may have been short-lived, the legacy of their achievements as aviation pioneers and the historic brands they created, are enduring.
A line of 'Made in Germany' watches named after these two brands (but marketed by different entities) features some classic designs that celebrates the spirit of achievement in aviation.
Junkers Watches (marketed by Junkers Uhren GmbH)
"Junkers aeroplanes have been around for over 100-years. Junkers watches embody a spirit of adventure, great visions and boundless freedom. We don't just build watches, we build a feeling. The feeling of adventure, of inventiveness, of taking off and flying"
Zeppelin Watches (Marketed by POINT TEC Products Electronic GmbH)
"A tour with the Zeppelin has always been the most elegant way of traveling and has lost none of its fascination to this day. Like the Zeppelin airships, the watches in this collection impress with their technical sophistication and timeless beauty. The Zeppelin watches offer a sophisticated, distinctive design with an excellent price-performance ratio and a high product quality. All watches are made by highly qualified watch maker in Germany."
PointTec also produces a few watches inspired form the Junkers aircraft models, using the 'Iron Annie' branding:
Incidentally both brands also feature watches with their own interpretations of the legendary German Bauhaus design style. Bauhaus design is rational, simple, functional and is characterized by a lack of ornament with focus on clean lines that reduce forms to their essential elements.
Its remarkable for the Junkers and Zeppelin brands to have endured their aviation legacy over a 100-years after their inception. And to have been given form in these exquisitely designed classic watch styles - a nod to 'German Flieger' watches, much sought after even in this era of digital smartwatches, is also a nostalgic ode to the eternal appeal of vintage aviation and its intrinsic connection with watches of the time to serve as a backup!
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