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Round-UpMeisterSinger For The Win: Their 10 Most Decorated Watches

Since their foundation in 2001, MeisterSinger have won 34 renowned design awards for their unique yet accessible timepieces. Here’s a look at some of these award-winning novelties by the young German brand

Alind Chauhan January 18, 2022

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Founded in 2001, MeisterSinger are best recognised for their relaxed way of telling time and unorthodox yet relatively accessible daily-wear timepieces. Staying true to their most basic DNA of creating single-hand displays, the German watch manufacturer have, over the years, built a strong clientele of fervent admirers of their philosophy of pared-down designs. Therefore, it’s not at all surprising to see that MeisterSinger’s timepieces are constant favourites at major design competitions from across the world. In just over two decades since their inception, they have won 34 renowned design awards such as the Red Dot Design Award, the German Design Award, the iF Design Award and the Good Design Award. Here’s a look at some of these award-winning timepieces which have not only earned acclaim from critics but also from watch aficionados.

Astroscope

The Astroscope might appear a lot busier than its siblings, but it’s far from being cluttered. Introduced in 2020, the model presents a seamless combination of the brand’s single-hand display and an astronomical complication. Crafted from high-quality steel, the watch is sized at 40mm and features a distinctive dial that is punctuated with dots and astronomical signs. What the designers at MeisterSinger have done is arrange the seven days of a week in a semi-circular scale, each one paired up with an aperture and a zodiac symbol. However, the weekdays are not arranged linearly or radially but in the pattern of a constellation that only occurs every 10 to 12 years (last seen in July 2020) in the southern night sky of the Northern Hemisphere. In this rare occurrence, the five planets—Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn—appear simultaneously and are visible in the night sky. In a bid for better readability, a white dot appears through the day apertures on the dial, indicating the current day of the week. Powering the fascinating display is the modified version of the Sellita SW220-1, which beats at a frequency of 28,800vph, and holds a power reserve of a fairly standard 38 hours. The movement is visible through an exhibition caseback and features a rotor decorated with Côtes de Genève.

Awards: Red Dot Design Award 2020 and the German Design Award 2021

Bell Hora

The Bell Hora is a fascinating device. It is equipped with the age-old complication, the ‘sonnerie au passage’—found in older mechanical clocks that didn’t have dials and time-telling hands and, in recent times, it has been seen in a few high-end watches. This timekeeper by MeisterSinger makes a single yet enjoyable chime with the passing of each hour. To build it, the watchmaker tweaked their jumping-hour mechanism, which was released with the Salthora model back in 2016, to trigger the strike of a hammer every passing hour, instead of the jump of an hour disc. In case the wearer wants to silence the sonnerie au passage, there’s a pusher located just above the crown that can be pulled out to disengage the chiming mechanism. The timepiece is presented in a neatly polished 43mm case, along with an ivory-coloured dial, which sports a circular and radial line structure. While the two outer circular lines house the 12- and 24-hour numerals, the radial lines divide the dial into hourly sectors. On turning the watch over, we get acquainted with the Sellita SW200 movement that’s visible through a transparent caseback. Beating at the frequency of 28,800vph, the calibre can store a minimum power reserve of 38 hours and flaunts traditional decorations, including Geneva strips and perlage.

Award: Red Dot Design Award 2020

Circularis Power Reserve

Part of MeisterSinger’s Black Line, this Circularis Power Reserve iteration offers a bold and sophisticated aesthetic. The timepiece is presented in a 43mm stainless steel case in black, coated with diamond-like carbon (DLC)—a coating process that is much more resistant to daily wear and tear and is far superior to the standard PVD coating. Meanwhile, the matt dial perfectly matches with the case and features numerals, indices and hands that stand in contrast with the overall black tone of the watch. In addition to the single time-telling hand with a red-coloured tip, there is also a power reserve indicator and a date aperture located at the three o’clock position. However, the Circularis Power Reserve is more than its majestic looks. The timepiece is nothing short of a powerhouse and has the capacity of running autonomously for a whopping five days, thanks to its twin-barrel movement, the MSH02. Beating at the frequency of 28,800vph, the calibre features 31 jewels and is a delight to look at through the exhibition caseback. The timepiece is paired with a brown leather strap that feels super comfortable to wear on the wrist.

Award: German Design Award 2019

MeisterSinger-Circularis-Power-Reserve — Part of MeisterSinger’s Black Line, this Circularis Power Reserve iteration offers a bold and sophisticated aesthetic. The timepiece is presented in a 43mm stainless steel case in black, coated with diamond-like carbon (DLC)—a coating process that is much more resistant to daily wear and tear and is far superior to the standard PVD coating

Lunascope

If you are looking for a timepiece that can instantly grab your attention, then your answer lies in the Lunascope—MeisterSinger’s first astronomical watch, offering an oversized moon phase display that occupies the entire upper half of the dial. Seen here is the ‘Golden Moon’ edition of the watch, which features a golden-coloured moon that looks almost as realistic as it does in a planetarium and is set against a dark blue, starry background. The sunburst display also consists of gold-plated applied hour markers and a date window with a golden metallic ring around it. Speaking of the technical aspects, the German brand claim that the moon phase complication is designed to be accurate for the next 128 years—a milestone rarely achieved by other watchmakers who offer entry-level moon phase watches. The timepiece is equipped with the ETA 2836-2 movement, which provides a power reserve of 38 hours. Paired with an elegant cognac-coloured calfskin strap, the 40mm Lunascope ‘Golden Moon’ edition is a poetic yet technically sound offering by MeisterSinger.

Award: iF Design Award 2019

Neo Pointer Date

Last year, MeisterSinger decided to revamp their minimalist Neo collection and introduced the all-new Neo Pointer Date with a massive update. Unlike its previous avatar that came with a date window at six, this 36mm timepiece features a pointer date—a classical complication, which used to widely appear on calendar watches before the advent of date windows in the mid-1940s. Neatly placed in the centre of the dial, the complication offers the benefit of providing an overview of the monthly progress and consists of a thin needle-like hand to point the date. Despite the presence of a seconds hand, the timepiece doesn’t break away from the brand’s dedication towards telling time in a simple and relaxed manner. Behind the blue sunburst dial, there is the tried and tested Sellita SW200-1 that can store a power reserve of 38 hours. What’s more, the solid caseback of the timepiece features a flawlessly engraved pattern of ‘fermata’ symbols—an indication for a pause in musical notation, which is also MeisterSinger’s emblem. The Neo Pointer Date is secured to the wrist with a finely meshed Milanese bracelet.

Award: iF Design Award 2021

Unlike its previous avatar that came with a date window at six, the 36mm Neo Pointer Date features a pointer date—a classical complication, which used to widely appear on calendar watches before the advent of date windows in the mid-1940s

N°01

A simple, clean and no-nonsense watch—the N°01 is undoubtedly the most pared-down timepiece by MeisterSinger. Sized at 43mm, it comes with a big, ivory-coloured dial that is eye-catching and aesthetically pleasing to look at. Bereft of any over-the-top decorations and unnecessary complications, the display features the single, needle-like hour hand in addition to the double-digit hour numerals and the circumferential five-minute divisions. The watch is presented in a stainless steel case that comes with a combination of polished and satin-finished surfaces. Despite its fairly reasonable price point, MeisterSinger haven’t compromised on anything regarding the watch and every detail seems to be perfectly executed. Under the hood, there is the reliable and manual-winding Sellita SW210 that beats with a frequency of 28,800vph and is capable of storing a power reserve of 42 hours. The movement is hidden behind a solid caseback that features ‘fermata’ symbols. Worn with an alligator leather strap, the timepiece offers water resistance up to 50m.

Awards: iF Design Award and Red Dot Design Award

Pangaea Day Date

One of MeisterSinger’s best-selling models in the market, the Pangaea Day Date was first unveiled almost a decade ago and has been widely admired for its technical prowess and balanced aesthetics. As its name suggests, the timepiece comes with date and day complications but instead of showcasing them in a traditional way, the brand have used two corresponding rings that can rotate openly and are carefully placed in the centre of the dial. Each day at midnight they move one step further and group themselves to form the current date below the 12 o’clock position. At first glance, the display might look a little text-heavy but once you are used to the design, reading time becomes incredibly easy. The timepiece is offered in a 40mm sun-brushed stainless steel case along with a slender bezel. On the reverse, there is an exhibition caseback that’s closed by six screws. It gives us a glimpse of the automatic movement inside, which can be either ETA 2836-2 or Sellita SW220-1—both are essentially the same movements and provide a power reserve of 38 hours. The Pangaea Day Date is fashioned with a cognac-coloured alligator leather strap that elevates the overall charm of the watch.

Awards: Red Dot Design Award 2013, GOOD Design Award 2013, and the German Design Award 2014

Perigraph

In case you desire a simpler version of the Pangea Day Date, then the Perigraph might be a perfect fit for you. Offering just the date complication, the timepiece is more or less the same as the aforementioned model. The 43mm Perigraph comes with a circular ‘trench’ in the central part of the dial, which reveals a rotating disc that features odd-numbered date values on it. A red triangle, located below the 12 o’clock position, points to the prevailing date. The uncluttered blue dial is protected by a slightly domed sapphire crystal glass that gives quite interesting reflections when hit by the light at a low angle. Crafted from stainless steel, the timepiece offers nicely polished surfaces along with short lugs which make it a pleasure to wear. Inside, we have the Sellita SW200-1 that can be admired through the exhibition caseback. Mounted on the cognac-coloured alligator leather strap, this Perigraph is a perfect embodiment of sophistication and outstanding performance.

Awards: Red Dot Design Award 2009 and GOOD Design Award 2009

The 43mm Perigraph comes with a circular ‘trench’ in the central part of the dial, which reveals a rotating disc that features odd-numbered date values on it. A red triangle, located below the 12 o’clock position, points to the prevailing date

Unomat

Owing to its antimagnetic properties, water resistance of up to 300m, extra-strong screwed steel back, and screwed crown, the Unomat is a formidable everyday timepiece. Sized at 43mm, the watch is presented in a robust stainless steel case and has a well-built design to perfectly absorb knocks and shocks. Speaking of the display, the delightfully attractive blue-steel dial features double-digit hour markers in white and the indices are treated with a luminous material, evincing a green hue in low-light conditions. The central single-hand also features a luminescent fill. In daylight, the hand appears slightly orange but in dim light, it emits a green tone similar to the previously mentioned strokes. There is also a date window, positioned at six o’clock. The watch is equipped with the new Sellita SW400-1 movement, which can run autonomously for 38 hours. Unlike most of the other models by MeisterSinger that are offered with leather straps, the Unomat comes with an exquisite steel bracelet, which easily snuggles on the wrist.

Award: Red Dot Design Award 2021

Owing to its antimagnetic properties, water resistance of up to 300m, extra-strong screwed steel back, and screwed crown, the Unomat is a formidable everyday timepiece
Sized at 43mm, the watch is presented in a robust stainless steel case and has a well-built design to perfectly absorb knocks and shocks
Speaking of the display, the delightfully attractive blue-steel dial features double-digit hour markers in white and the indices are treated with a luminous material
In daylight, the hand appears slightly orange but in dim light, it emits a green tone similar to the previously mentioned strokes. There is also a date window, positioned at six o’clock
The watch is equipped with the new Sellita SW400-1 movement, which can run autonomously for 38 hours

Vintago

Exuding a retro-vibe, the Vintago takes its design cues from the bygone era of the 1960s, which saw the prominence of austere yet sublime aesthetics. At the very first glance of the watch, the viewer is transported back to simpler times when the advent of mobile phones was far away and no one had even dreamt about the internet. Protected by a domed sapphire crystal glass, the clean, multi-level dial adds depth to the monochromatic look of the watch and features a neat date aperture that sits between two and four o’clock. The watch is sized at 38mm—ideal for those with petite wrists—and presented in a stainless steel case with brushed surfaces and a crown that is knurled for a better grip. Inside is the Sellita SW200-1 movement that can be viewed through the transparent caseback. Coupled with a grey calfskin strap, the Vintago is an ideal amalgamation of vintage looks and 21st-century technology.

Award: iF Design Award 2020