Q&AUnderstanding The True Value Of Time With The Founder Of Meistersinger

What was your idea behind Meistersinger’s one-hand watches?

It’s about going back to the beginnings of watchmaking, to make a very simple watch that has the feeling of an instrument of measurement, which is what it used to be. Till 1750, timekeeping instruments—tower clocks and even pocket watches—actually had only one hand. This is actually the basic idea to have a very simple character. With all the technology that we have today, some of the dials have become so complex. Our products appeal to those who like watches that are clean and pure. Besides the single hand, we always use double digits with a zero before the single digit numbers, which makes the dial more even. Not using Roman numerals is intentional.

What does the presentation of time in this manner mean to you?

Why do people wear watches? Is it because they need super-precise time? All the big watch guys say that it is an emotional thing. Every quartz watch that costs EUR 19 is more precise because it has an electronic movement. [For our watches] some people will say that you cannot read the time well. But for some people, it’s the luxury to be generous with their time that they enjoy. People don’t want to function like a machine, but rather live to your own feeling of time. And this idea of the single-hand watch encourages you to remember that you have the human time; not just the cultural time or the industrial time.

Could you explain how Meistersinger is a German brand with Swiss-made watches?

The watches are made in Switzerland, even though we are a German company. Besides using the movements from Sellita and ETA for many of the products, we also established our own movement, which was a big surprise three years ago because no one trusted that a small company like us could do this. The calibre is the hand-wound MSH01. The automatic movement that we developed after that is the MSA01. This has a skeleton rotor for a better view of the movement. It won the German design prize as an extraordinary movement. Last year, we started a version of this with a power reserve indicator called the MSH02. All of these watches are Swiss-made. There’s only one exception that we recently started, which works with the Miyota movement because some of our customers asked for a price range below EUR 1,000. Other than that, we prefer to have the Swiss quality. The watches are designed in Germany and produced in collaboration with partners in Switzerland.

What can you tell us about the 2018 novelties?

We have the Black Line with DLC treatment, including the movements used. There’s the Circularis Power Reserve. And then there’s the Salthora, and the N^o1, the first watch we did, which now has a DLC version. It’s a basic design that’s been well accepted and is recognised. The biggest thing that a brand can have is if you can recognise their product with one look at it. You see it with Rolex and Panerai. With a small company like ours, it’s a very big advantage and a strength. After that, we have the Lunascope, with a very big moon phase indicator. Theoretically, this watch works for 160 years without necessarily adjusting it. Of course, that’s theoretical, because sometimes it stops if you forget to wind it. And we have the Metris, a completely new line, with a new dial, a loop date and a nylon strap. It’s targeted at younger people—the more sportive and urban types.

Smaller sizes have been a strong trend recently. Is this true this year as well?

Sizes are going smaller. Though the 43mm is still our strongest line. But we have also added 40mm to our bestsellers from the collection, and a 38mm. We understand that people might want watches to be a little smaller. Also, the Neo is a line we’re selling in great quantities, especially in 36 and 40mm. There’s the Pangaea as well, which is, in a way, a very slim watch. It has a two-part case, but half the thickness is the dome of the glass.