When it comes to watches, I have – it would seem – a type. Yes, yes, I know, I like GMT complications, and I tend to look at the practicality of a watch (ie, how I’d actually use it in my life). Taking a step back, and it’s become more apparent to me that I tend towards watches with a subtle elegance, particularly if they enable technical complexity to hide in plain sight. Sure, they may not all be pieces I’d buy myself, but they catch my attention for sure. The latest to do this very trick is the Junghans Meister Kalender.
To be fair, it was the deep blue dial, paired with a cognac leather strap, that initially caught my eye with this latest Junghans Meister Kalender. When I started taking a closer look at the watch, the details really jump out. I mean, you’ve got day, month, date, and moonphase displays all tucked away into this dial. And, for all of that, this is a dial design that you could quite easily consider to me minimal. There’s not an extraneous bit on the dial, and things all remain starkly legible.
So, not only is the Junghans Meister Kalender an accomplished (from a technical perspective) watch, its also a good-looking one. I’ve covered off on the dial, but take a gander at just how thin the bezel / case sides are on the 40.4mm case. This keeps all the focus on that lovely dial, and also showcases the domed plexiglass crystal (mineral is used around back). We might scoff at plexiglass today on a watch, but it hearkens back to the 1950s and what the brand was doing with the Meister line then.
Tucked under the dial, and driving all the displays of the Junghans Meister Kalender, we’ve got an automatic-winding J800.3 movement. Along with all the complications, it also offers a 38-hour power reserve. Sure, not earth-shattering, but space is likely at a premium in the 12mm thick case, so it’s not like they’re jamming an extra barrel in there. And you know, for a dressier piece (which, with a 5 ATM WR, it’s a dressier watch), that’s ok. You’re either wearing it every other day, or it’s the sort of watch that cycles in and out, and power reserve is what it is.
While there are plenty of variations of the Junghans Meister Kalender available on the brand’s site, this version in blue and brown will run €1,990, or $2,095 for us in the States. For that money, you want a watch that covers a lot of situations, and I think this watch does that with aplomb. Office? Sure thing. Weekends? A-ok, pal. Dressing up? Keep it as is, or swap in a black leather strap, and you’re good to go. So, yes, while the Junghans Meister Kalender is unlikely to grace my wrist, I’d put myself into the “fan” column for sure. junghans-shop.com
Watch Overview
- Brand & Model: Junghans Meister Kalender
- Price: ~$1,800
- Who we think it might be for: You want dressy – but not stuffy – watch to take you from work to the weekend, while offering all the calendar complications
- Would I buy one for myself based on what I’ve seen? Yes, I could see that happening
- What spoke to me the most about this watch: Just how much functionality is jammed into that clean dial
Tech Specs from Junghans
- Reference: 027/4906.00
- Movement:
- Self-winding movement J800.3 with a power reserve of up to 38 hours, date, weekday, month, moon phase
- Finishing: Rhodium plating, rotor surface with stripe finishing and en- graved logo, diamond cut on barrel, wheel train and balance bridge, blued screws
- Case: Stainless steel Ø 40.4, height 12.0 mm, 5-times screwed case back with mineral crystal, hard plexiglas with coating for enhanced scratch re- sistance
- Dial:
- Blue with sunray brush. Printing of moon phase disc at in-house printing facilities
- Special features: Firmament adorned with a Junghans star
- Hands: Hour and minute hands with environmentally-friendly Superluminova lu- minous substance
- Strap: Horse leather strap with stainless steel buckle
- Water-resistance: Up to 3 bar
