I have the good old Luna-Pro--still running on mercury batteries. Most often, though, I use a Weston Master V and a Weston Euro-master. None of them are the most easily pocketable. For that I had a Leningrad IV. That little dude cost me the equivalent of 14 bucks in Czechoslovakia in 1978 and was still going strong when last summer a gal on our Danube cruise boat found out her Nikon EM was kaput and would only work on the flash synch setting--it was not batteries, btw.
I gave her my funky, trusty, Leningrad IV, showed her how to use it; and she did fine the rest of the trip.
Having cut my teeth on the Weston V, I have a great regard for it. And one of my mentors told me that "if you understand the Weston dial, you have all you need to know about exposure." He was right; but I did not know why at the time--at that juncture, it was actually Zone Five, middle grey, all the way, only I did not know that. All I saw was a big red V. I have learned a little since then.
I've also owned and used a coupla other Gossens; a GE; a Bewi; Norwood Director (still going strong as a Sekonic) two Weston Ranger 9s. I really liked the Ranger 9s, but they kept breaking on me.
Since OP's info request was for first meters, I ASS u ME cost is a factor. For me, at this juncture, if I had to replace all my meters with something new, it would probably be a Pentax Spot meter or similar. Unless i got a good buy on a brace of Weston Vs (vbg)