New Junghans Mega Futura.

[holly35]

i just wondered,regarding the contrast adjustment,could it be that it is adjustable in that it makes the display more or less sensitive to its surrounding lighting conditions? like an sensitive controlled photo cell?

[Huertecilla]

It is a unique selling point in mý eyes.

That it is. I know no other digital watch with this feature. The seconds bother me much less than the minutes. There's quite a large space between hours and minutes from 0...9. That looks a bit odd, especially when the hours are 2 digits which is true for half of the day (in 24h mode that I prefer).
Oops, had forgotten to mention above: 12/24h mode selectable. Updated

Yes, I can imagine it looking a bot odd in 24h mode especially, but as the minutes and seconds are displayed at half size of the hours, it still is design ´logic´.
A workaround untill you get more accustomed is to leave it in 12h mode.

Thank you for the observation relative to the Venturas btw.
That is of real added value in a review.
That is why I like your putting various watches on the scale for comparison too.

On a side line; remember the thread I started about SLoP? You are most qualified to do a series like that too; all taken ceterus paribus of display, metal surface, clasp.

If you would put the dissected photoshoots you have made of the watches that passed you bench on a website, that would at least as informative about contemporary digital watches as the exemplary efforts by Piotr ´crazywatch´ about vitage ones.
I cannot think of any other source where the details and innards of contemporay digitals can be encountered like you make those availeable.

[Fergus]

Hello!
I have acquired a Junghans Futura 026-4100-00 (steel case, black leather strap, conventional black numbers on white "positive" display).
I love the beautifully engineered finish; single digit time display (17: 4: 8 not 17:04:08); clean buttons; and the strap. I can never get a steel bracelet to fit comfortably.
I live in Scotland where the overnight placement of the watch can be very critical to the successful receipt of the synchronisation from DCF77.
(Even in the "best" placement -- on a particular shelf in a particular room upstairs -- I put up with maybe 1 failure in 7; I have no idea how this compares with your experience in other regions of EU.)
Language set is En (English).
I have one question:
On querying the watch in the morning I have seen 3 different responses:
1 EU (((|))) KW
2 EU (((|))) W
3 EU BLANK W
where (((|))) represents the radio-mast symbol.
Responses 1 and 2 (radio-mast) mean a signal was received; response 3 (blank) indicates a failure. Can anybody interpret KW and W (I'm guessing ... German? ... a minor oversight in the language change)? I'm guessing they relate to the strength of the signal (though I might be wrong) and am not too bothered with a weak signal, as long as some kind of signal occurs "most of the time".
Can anybody confirm this or tell me the true interpretation, please?
PS1 By the way I also have 5 x Mega 1 and 2 x Mega 1000 (all in boxes and looking pristine, though all in regular use). The Mega 1 is the best by far, though I love the looks, huge digit size and sheer engineering perfection of the Futura. But the Mega 1 almost never fails to pick up a signal; it is a masterpiece of simplicity; no backlight is just fine; and also it shows the time and day-date immediately and together as the single default display. Pressing the button on the Futura to get day-date is somewhat annoying (though a necessary compromise with digit size, of course). I have had to replace the strap on one of the Mega 1s.
PS2 I consider the Mega 1000 just a big horrible boy's toy with all its silly features.
PS3 My Mega bedside alarm clock synchronises 24 times a day and has been working faultlessly with obviously many uses of the backlight for what seems like 20 years on 3 batteries (from memory). Why don't the watches do this (synch 24 times a day)?
PS4 I greatly dislike the analogue-digital hybrid Junghans of all types and styles. A friend has one. The minute hand is not quite perfectly located on the face batons at hh:mm:00. I would find this made me mad with rage.
Best wishes and thank you.
Fergus

[Huertecilla]

I live in Scotland where the overnight placement of the watch can be very critical to the successful receipt of the synchronisation from DCF77.
(Even in the "best" placement -- on a particular shelf in a particular room upstairs -- I put up with maybe 1 failure in 7; I have no idea how this compares with your experience in other regions of EU.)

Just get yourself the Citizen Wave receiver and it will sync as far away as the Canary Isles.
Just do a search for the thing on here and you will find.

[Fergus]

On querying the watch in the morning I have seen 3 different responses:
1 EU (((|))) KW
2 EU (((|))) W
3 EU BLANK W
where (((|))) represents the radio-mast symbol.
Fergus

Sorry - I misremembered the chronology of events. When I got the watch it was set up in German. It showed
1 EU (((|))) KW
After changing the language to English I have only seen two outputs:
2 EU (((|))) W
3 EU BLANK W
The item (((|))) or BLANK says that either there was, or was not, a successful overnight synchronisation. The KW means Kalendar Woche (German) or Week (English) and refers to the number shown immediately above it (currently 32). Nothing at all to do with strength of signal.
Whoops. Sorry, guys. However, the merchant from whom I acquired the watch took the query right back to Junghans DE, because they didn't know either. Hence the good answer.
(An amazing shop incidentally http://www.corner-shop.de/junghans/ from whom I have bought straps and other accessories as well as watches. Pay by Visa, no daft import taxes or anything. Rapid response. Excellent packaging.)
Fergus

[holly35]

I live in Scotland where the overnight placement of the watch can be very critical to the successful receipt of the synchronisation from DCF77.
(Even in the "best" placement -- on a particular shelf in a particular room upstairs -- I put up with maybe 1 failure in 7; I have no idea how this compares with your experience in other regions of EU.)

Just get yourself the Citizen Wave receiver and it will sync as far away as the Canary Isles.
Just do a search for the thing on here and you will find.

IMO the Futura is miles ahead of the citizen in terms of desirability,quality and styling, even if the Futura misses the odd sync , its no big deal.Exactly what difference in time accuracy would it miss over a few days? 1/10 sec,1/4 sec , if that.I would gladly trade this for the desirability of the Futura.

[Huertecilla]

IMO the Futura is miles ahead of the citizen in terms of desirability,quality and styling,

Yes, but.... what does that have to do with the Wave Receiver

The Wave Reciever is just that; a wave receiver, an amplifier
It will work with ány rc watch; extending it´s range of reception.
Living in a mountain valley at 2500 km. from Mainflingen and a few hundred more from Anthorn my Seiko receives both like a dream with the help of this batteryless gadget.
Just do that search and you will find the explanation.

[Huertecilla]

[Exactly what difference in time accuracy would it miss over a few days? 1/10 sec,1/4 sec , if that.I would gladly trade this for the desirability of the Futura.

My Seiko EPD is well under a second fast in 30 days.
The three owners who reported on performance over an extended period of intentional non synchronising reported about the same; between half a second slow to one second fast per month.
It indicates that Seiko designed a good quality module and regulates the quartz oscilator. They did not take the cheap way out by producing a basic module reset to appearant accuracy by the rc sync.

[holly35]

Has anyone bought the PVD version of the Futura yet?Perhaps a few "live" pics would be great!

[rewolf]

.... even if the Futura misses the odd sync , its no big deal.Exactly what difference in time accuracy would it miss over a few days? 1/10 sec,1/4 sec , if that.I would gladly trade this for the desirability of the Futura.

I tried to test this. The Futura allows to switch off the receiver - theoretically, because next morning it's always in "EU" mode (i.e DCF 77) again...

[holly35]

I am happy to report my new Mega 1000 and Futura both synced perfectly on their first night ,i hope it continues.Fantastic quality and beautifully assembled. They are excellent value compared with the Ventura,although it raises the game to very high standards,which are at the top of the tree.
Now ,who has the pvd coated 1000 or Futura?, i would love to see some real life wrist shots.

[holly35]

Spoke too soon, while surprisingly the mega 1000 has continued to sync (not 100 % though) the futura has failed for the last few days.
I have a question,since it has failed to sync i have done a full reset (push the main button for over 10 sec ,junghans info).it still failed a full sync and showed - - - - - in the display,which will continue to try every 6 hours,although this may not correspond with the optimum 2 am sync.
However by manually resetting all the time and date info ,the watch now displays the time etc but with "rc off" also displayed in the corner. I am hoping this is a temporary display until it tries (i hope ) to sync on the next evening.Anyone else tried a few button pushes,and whats the result?
I was fully prepared for the 1000 to be hit or miss,but is performing better than the futura so far. Once the futura finally picks up the signal (on the first two nights it synced inside all its boxes in a closed upstairs cupboard.) I will leave it upto its own devices
The manual is a bit confusing ,and sort of tells you things in a round about sort of way.
The quality seams very good and the bracelet looks to be a very comfortable fit,oh yes and are the links pins easy to remove and does it require any special procedure?

[rewolf]

The link pins are easy to remove with a standard link pin removal tool. I use the one that comes with the Ventura watches.

Can't comment on the rest.

[holly35]

New ceramic cased version coming.............................

[rewolf]

Can't find anything about it.
Do you have a link or such?

[holly35]

This information was supplied to me from a junghans retailer,they are being made,no release date so far.