Junkers F13

Spitzbergen Expedition homage

Purchased in good used condition in the fall of 2013, this piece has quickly turned into one of my favourites as you can wear it anywhere and blends well with most clothing. Most online images do not do it justice, and in my opinion it is comparable to, or even better than, many of the Zeppelin cal. 3133 chronos in design and quality. The case, dial, hand set, (sapphire) glass, (decorated) movement, and even the strap, are all top notch in my opinion.

The watch is a homage to the expedition to the arctic Norwegian island of Spitzbergen where numerous flights and aerial photographs were taken by a team flying a Junkers F13(Fw D260) float plane. I wonder if the people of Spitzbergen realize that a Junkers chronograph was named after their island?

Unique features

For this watch a side view is necessary to show off the very unique and detailed case, crown and push buttons. There is a mix of brushed and polished steel on the case along with a Junkers logo stamped on the crown. Like many other PoinTec models, the dial/movement loads from the front.

Glow-in-the-dark dial

Perhaps the coolest feature of this watch is the dial, which of all the chronographs in my collection is by far the most readable when temporarily into the darkness.

MakTime decorated movement

Pointec ordered thousands of these movements and fitted them to many of their higher-end Junkers and Zeppelin models.

Junkers F13 float plane