At an Oktoberfest event to celebrate its origins, Junghans presented its latest watches at Joalharia Ferreira Marques in Lisbon. Before tasting the beers, we spoke to the company’s CEO, Hannes Steim, to learn about the history and essence of the renowned German brand, which is present in more than 40 countries.

Is this your first time in Lisbon?

Yes, I’ve never been here before, although I’ve been to Porto many times on business. We have two companies in Porto and Famalicão, but here I am in Lisbon, for the first time at Joalharia Ferreira Marques.

Is this the only point of sale in Lisbon?

No. We have several points of sale and we visited some yesterday. This team is doing an excellent job of distributing our products in Portugal.

I’d like you to tell us a bit about the history of Junghans.

The brand was founded in 1861 by Earhart Younghans and his brother-in-law Erhard Enhance. He died in 1870, but it only took nine years for the company to grow. At that time, his wife and one of their sons took over Junghans, while another of the brothers went to live in America to get a slightly more outside view of the world. When he returned, he joined the company. Arthur Hans was the brains behind the development of the company and also the construction of machines.

Full interview in the next issue of JoiaPro LUXURY WATCHES.