Max Bill was born in Winterthur, Switzerland. After an apprenticeship as a silversmith during 1924–27, he took up studies at the Bauhaus in Dessau under many teachers including Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee and Oskar Schlemmer from 1927 to 1929, after which he moved to Zurich.
After working on graphic designs for the few modern buildings being constructed, Bill built his first work, his own house and studio (1932–3) in Zurich-Höngg. From 1937 onward he was a prime mover behind the Allianz group of Swiss artists.
Bill is widely considered the single most decisive influence on Swiss graphic design beginning in the 1950s with his theoretical writing and progressive work. His connection to the days of modernism gave him special authority. As an industrial designer, his work is characterized by a clarity of design and precise proportions. Examples are the elegant clocks and watches designed for Junghans, a long-term client. Among Bill's most notable product designs is the Ulmer Hocker of 1954, a stool that can also be used as a shelf element, a speaker's desk, a tablet or a side table. Although the stool was a creation of both Bill's and Ulm School designer Hans Gugelot's, it is often called "Bill Hocker" because the first sketch of it on a cocktail napkin was Bill's work.
As a designer and artist, Bill sought to create forms which visually represent the New Physics of the early 20th century. He sought to create objects so that the new science of form could be understood by the senses: that is as a concrete art. Thus Bill is not a rationalist – as is typically thought – but rather a phenomenologist. He made spare geometric paintings, prints and spherical sculptures, some based on the Möbius strip, in stone, wood, metal and plaster. His architectural work included an office building in Germany, a radio studio in Zurich, and a bridge in eastern Switzerland.
Bill continued to produce architectural designs, such as those for a museum of contemporary art (1981) in Florence and for the Bauhaus Archive (1987) in Berlin. In 1982 he also entered a competition for an addition to the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin, built to a design by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Pavillon-Skulptur, a large granite sculpture, was installed adjacent to the Bahnhofstrasse, Zürich in 1983. As is often the case with modern art in public places, the installation generated some controversy. Endlose Treppe, a sculpture made of North American granite, was designed for the philosopher Ernst Bloch.
In 1982 he was awarded the Sir Misha Black award and was added to the College of Medallists.
Bill executed many public sculptures in Europe and exhibited extensively in galleries and museums, including a retrospective at the Kunsthaus Zürich in 1968–69. He was the subject of retrospectives at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in 1974, and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City in 1988.
Find vintage Max Bill stools, lighting, and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Original Max Bill for Junghans Ceramic Kitchen Clock – 1950s Design Icon
By Max Bill
Located in Vienna, AT
Presenting a rare and iconic piece of Mid-Century Modern design: the Max Bill kitchen clock, designed in 1956 for Junghans. This particular model is a true collector's gem, featuring...
Ceramic
c1960s Mid-century Modern Ceramic Wall Clock, Junghans, Germany
Located in Skien, NO
Bring timeless Mid-century Modern design into your home with this stunning ceramic wall clock from renowned Junghans, Germany. The clock features a red and brown patterned ceramic fr...
Metal
Postmodern German Chrome Wall Clock from Junghans, 1980s
By Junghans Uhren GmbH
Located in Hamburg, DE
Postmodern German Chrome Wall Clock from Junghans, 1980s
Metal
Mid-Century Modern Wall Clock in Soft Yellow by Junghans Germany
By Junghans Uhren GmbH
Located in Waddinxveen, ZH
Very much Mid-Century in soft yellow colour wall clock from Junghans Germany. Electric, battery operated.
Ceramic
Mid-Century Wall Clock by Klenoty, Czechoslovakia, 1960s
Located in Praha, CZ
Wall clock made by Klenoty in Czechoslovakia in 1960s. Made of glass and brass. Fully functional.
Metal
$627
H 16.15 in W 9.45 in D 1.78 in
Original 1960s Junghans brass wall clock with a genuine leather strap
By Junghans Uhren GmbH
Located in München, DE
Rare original 1960s Junghans brass wall clock with a genuine leather strap for hanging and glass cover. Made in Germany. Features a beautiful, intricate design; the suspension consis...
Brass
Henry Dreyfuss Wall Clock
By Henry Dreyfuss
Located in BROOKLYN, NY
Highly graphic chrome wall clock with classic 50's details. Sweeping hand movement on this wonderful clock designed by one the greatest industrial designers of this century.
Chrome
Arne Jacobsen 'City Hall' Wall Clock, Blue, Ø 8.3 in
By Arne Jacobsen
Located in New York, NY
Functionalism. Simplicity. Arne Jacobsen. The City Hall wall clock from Arne Jacobsen Clocks is design in its purest form—created to tell the time, and nothing more. Arne Jacobsen be...
Metal
Junghans Wall Clock
By Junghans Uhren GmbH
Located in Vienna, AT
Wood box, clock face with Arabic numbers, restored new battery movement.
Wood
$1,625Sale Price|35% Off
H 11.42 in W 11.42 in D 1.58 in
Danish Midcentury Wall Clock by Arne Jacobsen Model Roman
By Arne Jacobsen
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Danish Mid-Century Modern Wall Clock by Arne Jacobsen model Roma with Quartz clockwork. Arne Jacobsen for Rosendahl. Steel wall clock wi...
Stainless Steel
Max Bill White Wall Clock & Timer Mid-Century Modern, Junghans Germany, 1950s
By Max Bill, Junghans Uhren GmbH
Located in Vienna, AT
An iconic minimalist Bauhaus-inspired wall clock and timer from the 1950s, designed by Max Bill and manufactured by Junghans, Germany. This beautiful and charming wall clock features an oval white ceramic case and the characteristically Max Bill clock...
Metal, Chrome
Junghans Large Pink Max Bill Style Midcentury Wall Clock, Germany, 1950s
By Max Bill, Junghans Uhren GmbH
Located in Vienna, AT
A lovely round mid-century wall clock, crafted by Junghans in Germany during the 1950s. Designed in the characteristic style of the era, it features elegant brass hands, a brass fram...
Brass
Max Bill Junghans Midcentury Square Wall Clock, Wood, Brass, Germany, 1960s
By Junghans Uhren GmbH, Max Bill
Located in Vienna, AT
An elegant Modernist wall clock from the 1960s, designed by Max Bill and made by Junghans in Germany. The square case is finished in warm reddish-brown veneer, paired with slim brass...
Aluminum, Brass
Large Mid-Century Junghans Sunburst Brutalist Brass Wall Clock, Germany, 1950s
By Junghans Uhren GmbH
Located in Vienna, AT
An impressive round Modernist Starburst Brutalist wall clock from the 1950s, crafted by Junghans in Germany. This striking timepiece features a diameter of 17.5 inches, with a frame ...
Metal, Aluminum, Brass, Enamel, Sheet Metal
Huge Bakelite Industrial Train Station Round Wall Clock from the 1940s
Located in Vienna, AT
Up to three big loft or industrial wall clocks from the 1940s. straight and beautiful design, with a domed clocks face, the housing is made of dark brown / black Bakelite. Measures: ...
Glass, Bakelite
Adolf Loos Vienna Modernism Wall Clock by Junghans, Germany, 1920s
By Adolf Loos, Junghans Uhren GmbH
Located in Vienna, AT
A beautiful minimalist wall clock, dating back to around 1920, designed by Adolf Loos (1870–1933), manufactured by Junghans Germany. This clock stands out with its unmistakable octag...
Metal, Brass, Enamel, Sheet Metal
