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JUNGHANS FORM A LICENSE
In 1986, Mondaine obtained the license from the Swiss Federal Railways to produce "official" consumer versions in wristwatch form. The original clocks were made by the Swiss company Moser-Baer which continues to make them today under the name Mobatime. Hilfiker took the color and shape for the seconds hand from the handheld red paddles used by train dispatch staff for signaling.
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Until this time it lacked the distinctive red "lollypop" seconds hand that takes it from something monochrome and solemn to a truly striking design. It wasn't until 1953, however, that a splash of color made the clock into an international design icon. You can see that pragmatic origin in Hilfiker's design. Schedules and timing are everything for railroads, of course, so employees and passengers alike are dependent on clocks that need to be as visible, legible and accurate as possible. The design you're looking at was created in 1944 by Hans Hilfiker, an engineer then working for the Swiss Federal Railways - but this was a clock meant to outfit train stations around the country. If you like that pragmatic, legibility-first approach, try Defakto's Transit Standard (~$925) - or even a tool watch from Italian microbrand Unimatic (~$500). If you generally like the Bauhaus aesthetic, there are a lot of options - but most, from affordable Braun watches (~$100+) to the iconic Junghans Max Bill (~$600+) range (also a wristwatch adaptation of a clock design) offer thin lines, svelte hands and a dressy aesthetic that contrasts with the bold, blocky elements of Mondaine's Official Swiss Railways watches. This is true of most Mondaine watches, as all are some interpretation of the station clock, but the EVO2 Automatic (the brand's highest-end offering) represents the latest upgrades and technical refinements, like a Swiss automatic movement, a sapphire crystal and 50m of water resistance.
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If you knew nothing about this watch's origin, it might simply strike you as a fresh-looking, extremely legible design - but this is one of those times where learning an object's backstory makes you see it in a whole new light. The Swiss Federal Railways' station clock is a Bauhaus icon and national symbol of Switzerland, of which Mondaine makes the "official" wristwatch. That's what you get in the Mondaine EVO2 Automatic, with a tried-and-true formula updated and refined for 2021 - but how does a clock design from 1944 fare on a modern wrist? And is it worth paying more for a Swiss automatic movement to power it? It's a design that feels like Swissness condensed, and it feels even more so in the form of a wristwatch powered by an automatic movement. These have helped railways run smoothly for decades, and have even come to symbolize the country famous for its punctual trains and watchmaking industry (among other things), but you'll no doubt be struck first by their design: A bright red seconds hand stands out against a snow-white dial, seeming almost chromatically matched to the Swiss flag, and the stark black lines of its hands and indices appear crisp like Alpine air. If you arrive in a Swiss train station today, you'll be greeted by bright, highly legible clocks.