he Telemeter watch is traditional: it was in 1951 that Junghans first presented a chronograph combining telemeter and tachymeter displays. And today, Junghans presents a new interpretation of this historical timepiece recalling the elegant yet sporty look of the classical chronograph of its time: a gold-coloured case combined with a black dial lend this timepiece a modern retro character.

Watches outfitted with these two additional functions are rare; Junghans belongs to the handful of manufacturers to offer the combination. The new Telemeter Edition JF is modelled on one of the rare gold models of that time, a watch that Hannes Steim purchased from the family of a deceased friend. The managing director of Junghans was so impressed by this special watch that he wished for a new interpretation of the sporty elegant model. “Originally it was only supposed to be a single watch for me, but it was so popular inside the company that we decided to make a small series,” Hannes Steim reports. It is now available in a limited edition of 150 pieces.

The new Telemeter Edition JF comes in a stainless-steel case PVD-coated in yellow gold and a black dial that is loyal to the design of the original, while the eponymous telemeter scale is printed in red against a grey background.

The idea behind the telemeter is to measure the distance from an event that emits light and sound, like a thunderstorm. This scale is based on the natural phenomenon that light and sound travel at different speeds. Light only needs an incredibly short amount of time to travel one kilometre – the negligible quantity of three milliseconds – while sound needs three seconds. Measuring this is practical: as soon as the wearer sees lightning in the sky, the chronograph is started; when thunder becomes audible, the wearer stops the chronograph. The ensuing measurement on the telemeter scale is the distance between the thunderstorm and the wearer.

The tachymeter scale, on the other hand, encircles the outer perimeter of the dial and serves to measure average speeds – a car’s speed on the highway for example. Using route markers, the wearer can stop the time needed to travel one kilometre. The average speed can then be read in km/h on the scale.

The new Telemeter Edition JF arrives with sophisticated features like an antireflective sapphire crystal protecting a high-quality dial with luminous numerals, ensuring excellent readability. The chronograph is powered by automatic Caliber J880.3, whose surfaces have been refined with a coating of rhodium. Polishing on various movement parts and the rotor as well as blue screws make a feast for the eyes of the observer looking through the window in the case back. The watch is worn on a black leather strap with a saddle stitch seam in grey that matches the background color of the telemeter scale.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Calibre:
self-winding movement J880.3 with a power reserve of up to 42 hours, small second

Chronoscope:
stop second and 30-minute counter, tachymeter and telemeter scales

Finishing:
rhodium plating, rotor surface with stripe finishing and engraved logo, diamond cut on barrel, wheel train and balance bridge, blue screws

Case:
stainless steel yellow gold coloured PVD coated, Ø 40.8 mm, height 12.6 mm, 4-times screwed case back with mineral crystal

Glass:
domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflection coating

Dial:
black with circular brush, luminous numerals, tachymeter in silver printing, telemeter scale in red

Hands:
sword hands, hour and minute hands with beige environmentally friendly luminous substance, stop second hand with counterweight in red

Strap:
leather strap with seam in grey, stainless steel buckle PVD coated

Water-resistance:
up to 5 bar

Limitation:
150 watches