MeisterSinger Pangaea Lunascope
An astronomical first for the masters of single-hand watches
While plenty of words are spilt on the skill and precision that goes into building mechanical timepieces, not least within these pages, it all amounts to very little if the resulting watch isn’t beautiful to the eye. MeisterSinger has all bases covered with Lunascope, its first foray into astronomical watchmaking.
“We have created a moonphase,” says Stefan Loges, MeisterSinger’s director of press and marketing, referring to the horological complication that shows the current phase of the moon as seen in the sky. “It is so precise you won’t have to reset it for 128 years. We have built a new gear train that delivers real precision compared to standard moonphases that have to be adjusted after three years.” He beams. “You could say that we are really into watchmaking.”
Founded in 2001 in Münster, North Rhine-Westphalia by Manfred Brassler, a self-taught jeweller, MeisterSinger is distinguished by making single-hand watches. In starting the brand, Brassler wanted to “create timepieces that show their wearers only the bare essentials, allowing them to keep track of time without being beleaguered by unnecessary information.”
Each piece, Lunascope included, is still designed by Brassler before going before a panel of company employees from every department, who debate the new watch. “We have very precise Swiss movements and don’t compromise regarding watchmaking, but the display of time is relaxed and different,” says Loges. “We go for lunch at ‘half past’ or meet at ‘quarter to’. Not at ‘12.33’ or ‘9.47’!”
The 40mm steel-cased Lunascope is water-resistant to 50m with leather straps in cognac or dark brown leather. Its lovely face is the star of the show, with a curved case housing a specially-developed moonphase module at 12 o’clock and an option of two dials: a clean opaline silver with a contrasting blue hand, and a brilliant blue where the entire dial represents the night sky.
“We’re all about offering a different perception of time,” says Loges. “And time has always followed the movement of the stars. The first single-hand watch was the sundial, so we thought a moonphase would align perfectly with our brand.”
£2,990; meistersinger.com