The Junghans Meister Chronoscope Gets a Sleek Grey Dial

Despite offering a plethora of well-designed and attractively priced watches, coupled with a rich history, Junghans relishes its somewhat under-the-radar reputation. Integral to Junghans’ contemporary image are the original Meister timepieces dating back to the 1930s and the iconic Max Bill collection, which debuted in the 1960s when the esteemed Bauhaus designer collaborated with the brand. The Meister Chronoscope series, launched in 2011, draws inspiration from these historically significant lines. This tradition continues with this 2024 iteration of the elegant, subtly Bauhaus Junghans Meister Chronoscope with a sleek light grey dial. 

The Junghans Meister Chronoscope showcases a fully polished stainless steel case measuring 40.7mm in diameter and 13.9mm in thickness. Its organic form, characterised by short, sharply downturned lugs seamlessly merging into the middle case, evokes the image of a slender pebble, with the middle case and rear part sloping down from the widest point of the case. Positioned at 2 and 4 o’clock are small, oval-shaped chronograph pushers, while the ribbed crown resides at the conventional 3 o’clock position. Notably, the pushers exhibit a subtle protrusion from the side of the case, a clever ergonomic design element observable when examining the watch from different angles.

The bezel maintains a slim profile, allowing ample space for the dial, and is crowned with a domed sapphire crystal. The dial, adorned with a satin-finished texture in a “subdued grey” hue, features a gentle dome, enhancing the timepiece’s overall elegance and refinement. The Meister Chronoscope exhibits three concave sub-dials, likened to moon craters (or, as the brand describes, bowl-shaped), serving as the 30-minute counter at 12 o’clock, the 12-hour counter at 6 o’clock, and the running seconds at 9 o’clock. These sub-dials showcase concentric circle patterns, creating a clever interplay with the main dial by incorporating a slightly darker grey background for contrast.

The diamond-cut silver-plated dauphine-style hour and minute hands feature white stripes infused with an eco-friendly luminous substance. In contrast, the chronograph hands are painted grey. The central chronograph seconds hand, adorned with a diamond-shaped counterbalance, and the minutes hand, curve downward at the tip to align with the convex shape of the dial. The applied, simplistic in design baton-shaped indices find their place at 3 o’clock, 6 o’clock, and 9 o’clock, with a broader index gracing the 12 o’clock position. The applied indices are also thoughtfully curved to maintain harmony with the dial’s curvature. Finer printed hour indices and short minute markers are positioned in between.

Positioned at three o’clock, the double-stepped day and date window displays the date in black on a white background. Above the date display, the Junghans star and logo are printed, while the ‘Chronoscope’ series name sits below. The inscription ‘Made in Germany’ is discreetly located by the six o’clock marker.

The Meister Chronoscope runs on the robust calibre J880.1, derived from the ETA Valjoux 7750. Operating at 28,800 vibrations/hour frequency, it boasts a power reserve of up to 48 hours. The movement’s finishing includes rhodium-plated components, perlage on the base plates, Côtes de Genève stripes on the rotor and cover plate, and blued screws, all showcased through the mineral crystal case back secured by five screws.

With a modest water resistance of up to 50 meters, the Meister Chronoscope leans more towards the realm of a dress watch despite its sporty chronograph function. Paired with a grey ostrich leather strap and fastened with a stainless steel pin buckle, the new Junghans Meister Chronoscope is priced at EUR 2,240; two references are available, distinguished by either the German or English weekday display. For more details, please www.junghans.de.