Junghans Meister

Located in southwestern Germany, the luxury watch manufacturer Junghans has been labeling their highest-quality timepieces 'Meister' since the 1930s. It's a tradition that continues to this day. ​

With very few exceptions, every watch in this collection features an ETA-based mechanical caliber. The movement in the Meister Chronometer even comes with chronometer certification, meaning it is particularly accurate. Models like the Meister Agenda, Meister Calendar, and Meister Chronoscope boast complications such as a date and moon phase display, chronograph function, and power reserve indicator. If you prefer thinner watches, you may enjoy the Meister Hand-Winding. This timepiece is only 7.3 mm thick and fits comfortably under any sleeve cuff.

The Meister Pilot, Meister Telemeter, and Meister Driver are great options for fans of retro designs. The Meister Pilot is based on pilot's chronographs from the 1950s, and the Meister Telemeter is inspired by racing chronographs from the same period. On the other hand, the speedometers and r.p.m. counters found in classic sports cars from the 1960s helped shape the look of the Meister Driver series.

The Meister MEGA is easily this collection's most precise watch. The state-of-the-art radio-controlled J101.65 movement powers this timepiece. It can receive radio signals on five frequencies across three continents and deviates by a maximum of 0.02 seconds per year.

The Meister collection also has something to offer for women. These timepieces are smaller and outfitted with automatic or quartz calibers. In addition to simple stainless steel models, Junghans also produces gold-plated women's watches as well as versions with diamond embellishments.

Are you looking for a high-quality, no-frills dress watch with an elegant design? Look no further than these three Meister models: the Chronometer, the Classic, and the Hand-Winding. All three watches share a classic, round stainless steel case, dauphine hands, and a tidy dial.

The Meister Hand-Winding is the simplest in its design. Its silvery white, gray, or dark blue dial only features long, delicate line indices to mark the hours. The applied indices at 3, 6, 9, and 12 o'clock lend this watch a subtle three-dimensional effect. A small seconds dial at 6 o'clock rounds off this timepiece's perfect symmetry. At only 7.3 mm thick, the Meister Hand-Winding is this collection's flattest watch. The version with a polished stainless steel case costs around 1,100 USD new. You can find pre-owned examples for as little as 850 USD. The gold-plated edition sells for about 1,300 USD new and 970 USD pre-owned.

The Meister Chronometer and Classic models set themselves apart with their movements. Both watches contain calibers based on the ETA 2892 or Soprod A10; however, they differ in their quality. While the Classic has standard-quality movements, the calibers found in the Chronometer are COSC-certified chronometers and, therefore, extremely accurate.

You can recognize the Classic and Chronometer models by the "Automatic" or "Chronometer" inscription on their dials, as well as by their minute scales. In addition to its long hour indices, the Meister Classic uses short markers to represent the minutes. As if that wasn't enough, the Meister Chronometer even has markers for the quarter seconds. Otherwise, these two models are identical: They are 38.4 mm in diameter, have luminous dauphine hands, and feature a date display at 3 o'clock.

Expect to spend between 1,500 and 1,700 USD for a mint-condition Meister Chronometer depending on whether you choose a stainless steel or gold-plated model. Pre-owned pieces change hands for around 1,200 USD. The stainless steel Meister Classic demands about 1,200 USD new, while the gold-plated version costs some 110 USD more. You can purchase a pre-owned timepiece starting at around 1,100 USD.

The Meister Chronoscope is this collection's chronograph model. The Valjoux 7750-based caliber J880.1 ticks away inside its 40.7-mm stainless steel case. This movement provides the Chronoscope with its day-date display at 3, small seconds dial at 9, hour counter at 6, and minute counter at 12 o'clock. The watch's basic design is the same as that of the Meister Classic. The white, blue, or anthracite dial still manages to feel very tidy and uncluttered despite its numerous subdials. Prices for this timepiece sit around 1,600 USD. That price rises to 1,800 USD for gold-plated models. You'll have to make a much larger investment to purchase the Meister Chronoscope Terrassenbau. This 18-karat gold timepiece is limited to a run of 100 pieces. It's not only the materials that help it stand out from its sister models – its minute scale is also completely different. The unique minute track bears a striking resemblance to the design of the famous Junghans Terrace Building, hence the watch's name. Be sure to have around 8,400 USD on hand to purchase this collector's item.

The Meister Agenda and Meister Calendar are the last of this collection's classic models. These harmonious timepieces both feature symmetrical dials. For example, the Meister Calendar has windows at 2 and 10 o'clock for the day and month, respectively. The date is displayed via a hand on a subdial at 6 o'clock. This subdial is also home to a moon phase display. You can choose from a white or black dial and a stainless steel or gold-plated case. Never-worn timepieces cost around 1,900 USD, while pre-owned pieces sell for about 450 USD less.

The Meister Agenda offers even more features: The date sits in a window at 3 o'clock, across from the day window at 9. There's also a subdial for the calendar week at 12 and a power reserve indicator at 6 o'clock. This timepiece is available in stainless steel with a white silver-plated or reverse panda dial or as a gold-plated model with a silvery-white dial. At around 1,900 USD, the gold-plated model only costs about 110 USD more than its sister models.

The Meister Pilot takes its inspiration from a 1955 pilot's chronograph produced by Junghans for the newly-formed West German Air Force. Other than the current model's larger, 43.3-mm case, these two watches are practically identical. The twelve-sided bidirectional bezel is especially eye-catching. Its unique shape means it is particularly easy to operate. The hands and numerals are coated in luminous material, helping them stand out against the black, brown, or blue dial both during the day and at night. The stopwatch function is comprised of a central second hand and a 30-minute counter at 9 o'clock. A small seconds occupies the other subdial at 3. Expect to pay about 2,200 USD for a Meister Pilot in mint condition. Prices for pre-owned pieces come in at around 1,800 USD.

The Meister Driver is its own small series within the larger Meister collection. Junghans based their designs for these automatic watches on speedometers and r.p.m. counters found in classic sports cars from the 50s and 60s. Most of the dials have a two-tone design in pastel colors like cream, beige, turquoise, blue, green, and red.

The Meister Driver Automatic serves as the entry-level model. These three-hand watches are powered by the automatic caliber J800.1, based on the ETA 2824, and feature a date display at 6 o'clock. Depending on its condition, expect to pay anywhere from 900 to 1,000 USD for one of these timepieces. The Meister Driver Handaufzug (manual winding) costs about 110 USD more. Its movement, the J815.1, is based on the ETA-Peseux 7001 and boasts a 42-hour power reserve. What this watch lacks in terms of a date display it makes up for in a small seconds dial at 6 o'clock.

The next watch in this series is the Meister Driver Day Date. As its name implies, this timepiece has displays for the day and date. These displays sit at 12 and 6 o'clock, respectively, and resemble odometers. Plan to spend around 1,300 USD for this timepiece.

The Meister Driver Chronoscope is a proper racing chronograph. It can measure periods of time of up to 30 minutes thanks to the caliber J880.3, based on the ETA 2892-2 with a Dubois-Dépraz module. The minute counter is located on a subdial at 9 o'clock, while the small seconds is on a subdial at 3 o'clock. This 41-mm stainless steel watch costs between 1,400 and 1,700 USD depending on its condition.

The Meister Telemeter is technologically identical to the Meister Driver Chronoscope. However, the matte silver-plated dial with telemeter and tachymeter scales and large luminous numerals feels much less playful. This is further underscored by the wide sword hands, which also glow in the dark. Prices for this stylish retro watch range from 1,400 USD pre-owned to 1,900 USD new.

The Meister MEGA has more than earned the "Meister" name. Beneath its classically simple exterior, you'll find the most modern and precise watch in Junghans' entire catalog. The in-house radio-controlled caliber J101.65 is able to receive time signals on five frequencies in Asia, Europe, and North America. When receiving signals, it will only deviate by a maximum of 0.02 seconds per year . Even without a time signal, its annual maximum deviation will never exceed eight seconds. What's more, the date at 3 o'clock instantly jumps forward at midnight and the quartz-powered movement takes months with under 31 days into account. This impressive timepiece sells for around 850 USD with a white or blue dial. The gold-plated model only costs slightly more at about 900 USD. The most expensive edition features a black dial with a printed world map and comes on a stainless steel bracelet. It requires an investment of around 1,100 USD.