or the third consecutive year, Junghans is the Official Timing Partner for the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships – and celebrating the sporting event with two limited edition models.
Breathtaking takeoff and flight speeds in ski jumping, gripping final sprints in cross-country skiing, and exciting versatility in the Nordic combined: from 21 February to 5 March 2023, the 54th edition of the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships will take place in Planica, Slovenia, captivating the hearts of over 500 million winter sports fans around the world on television and on site.
After Seefeld in 2019 and Oberstdorf in 2021, Junghans is accompanying this major event for the third time in a row as the Official Timing Partner and is launching two sporting timepieces with the 1972 Competition FIS Edition Lemon and 1972 Chronoscope Quarz Edition FIS Lemon, each limited to 150 pieces. Both embody the special connection of the Schramberg watch manufacturer to winter sports. At the largest sporting event in Slovenia’s history, Junghans is not only present as a sponsor, but also by brand ambassador Karl Geiger in the ski jumping competitions.
"Whether in cross-country skiing, ski jumping or Nordic combined, the fight for medals in winter sports combines two things that are integral parts of the Junghans DNA: the decisive role played by time, and the firmly anchored tradition of winter sports in our home, the Black Forest”, says Thomas Fiedler, Head of Marketing at Junghans, when speaking of the importance of the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships for the watch manufacturer.
The two special editions presented by Junghans on the occasion of its engagement as the Official Timing Partner stand for the company’s long-standing enthusiasm for top sports. Beginning with the production of handheld stopwatches in the 1920s, the company accompanied numerous ma- jor sporting events – especially in the years between 1960 and 1980 – setting standards in sports timing with the development of several technical innovations, including the alpine disciplines of downhill and slalom. With the introduction of the electronic start control system, “chronometry” in top sports reached its peak through Junghans in 1972, to which both timepieces refer with their names and design.
The exciting sports-style colour design in lemon and black references the extroverted style of the 1970s and underscores its dynamic design. In hands and totalizers ensures ideal readability particular, the contrasting execution of the counting of the indications.
In the style of a handheld stopwatch – and true to its historical predecessor – the con- trols of the 1972 Competition are located on the top of the oval stainless-steel case. Thanks to the tachymeter scale, the chronograph not only allows you to deter- mine the time required for a track section, but also the speed at which it was com- pleted. The perforated bracelet is sup- ported by the ergonomically curved bot- tom and is doubly screwed down. This en- sures that the 1972 Competition sits com- fortably and securely on the wrist during fast and curvy descents.
With the 1972 Chronoscope, winter sports fans can always keep track of run times thanks to its unidirectional turning bezel and the stop function accurate to 1/5th of a second. The leather straps with large cutouts allow for quick release – similar to the ski change on mass start distance races in cross-country skiing – for a time- saving exchange of material.
Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both sides and water resistance of up to 10 bar additionally equip both chronographs for sporting use.
A particular focus will be placed on ski jumping in Planica: in addition to medals, the athletes in the individual competitions for women and men on the large hill can also win another award – the Junghans Award. In its third edition, the prize will go to the female and male jumpers who achieve the best overall combined distance across the two rounds of scoring this year. Long-term brand ambassador of Junghans Karl Geiger is also hoping to win the award. The reigning world champion in the team and mixed team events is returning to a special place in his career: in 2020, Karl Geiger was crowned ski flying world champion in Planica – and will now once again be competing for gold in the team and individual competitions on both the normal and large hills.
“We are very pleased to continue our involvement as the Official Timing Partner at the 54th FIS Nordic World Ski Championships”, says Thomas Fiedler from Junghans. “Whether on the slope or from the jump-off platform: we wish all athletes a successful competition and that extra bit of luck in the chase for perfect timing!”