Known for its minimalist Bauhaus designs, German-based watchmaker Junghans may not have been the obvious pick to be one of two official timekeepers for the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich (the other being Longines), but nevertheless, the bullhead chronograph created for the event became a memorable, if not legendary, timepiece used for events such as rowing, archery, and the 100m sprint. But until now, this iconic watch hasn’t been made available to the public.
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of its involvement in the Munich Games, Junghans has re-released a near-perfect replica of the original watch from 1972, along with a higher-end edition in 18K white gold with a different movement and layout. Both chronographs sport anthracite-colored dials with orange registers and tachymeters, and both of the new 1972 Competition Editions come with pushers and crowns on top of their slightly ovular 45.5mm cases, hence the “bullhead” moniker.
For the historically accurate version in stainless steel, it’s powered by a J880.5 calibre movement with two vertically-stacked subdials depicting chronograph minutes and running seconds, with the date window at 3 o’clock. However, the 18K version is powered by the J880.1 calibre and features a tri-compax layout with totalizers for chronograph hours, chronograph minutes, and running seconds, with the date window sitting at 4:30(ish). Both editions are self-winding with 48 hours of power reserve and are sold on leather rallye straps with orange accents.
Available this month on Junghans’ website, the stainless steel version of the 1972 Competition Edition chronograph is limited to 1,972 pieces and sells for €2,390 (~$2,451), while the 18K white gold edition, numbered out of 50 and available today, is going for €16,972 (~$17,402).
