MeisterSinger is a curious company that focuses solely on making single-handed watches — that is, watches that show the time with only one hand. Though it may sound like a contrivance, one must remember that the earliest clocks only had a single hand to tell time, since humans had yet to master the skills required to make timepieces that were accurate enough to show the minutes and seconds. But perhaps more importantly, it also allows for a more relaxed reading of time since a single hand seems to make time pass more slowly. New for 2019, the brand is introducing the new MeisterSinger Urban Day Date. This modern-looking piece is a welcome update to the collection and brings with it loads of everyday functionality.
Specifications
Brand: MeisterSinger
Model: Urban Day Date
Dimensions: 40mm
Water Resistance: 50 meters
Case Material: Stainless steel
Crystal/Lens: Sapphire
Movement: Miyota 8285
Frequency: 3 Hz
Power Reserve: 42 hours
Strap/Bracelet: Fabric strap
Price & Availability: €995
Analysis
The Urban Collection houses MeisterSinger’s most modern and youthful pieces. The brand’s other collections, such as the Perigraph and Circularis, are generally more traditional in style. The new Urban Day Date adds the very useful day and date complication in a way that doesn’t ruin the symmetry and simplistic design of original plain Urban watches.
Four variants are available. All come in 40mm stainless steel cases and differ in dial color. There’s opaline silver, black, blue, and sand-gray. The day is displayed at 12 o’clock in a shaped aperture that follows the curvature of the case, a la Rolex Day-Date, while the date is shown in a simple circular aperture at 6 o’clock. The attention to detail is impressive because, while most brands are content to use generic day and date discs, MeisterSinger’s execution uses day and date discs that are color coordinated to provide a pop of color. For example, the blue and black dial variants have day and date discs in bright red, which contrasts sharply against their darker dials.
The movement within is the Miyota 8285, visible through the sapphire display caseback. It hacks and features hand-winding. The beat rate is 3 Hz, and it will run for about 42 hours if it is fully wound. There isn’t much in the way of decoration, though it features a rotor engraved with the logo of MeisterSinger.
Conclusion
It goes without saying that a MeisterSinger isn’t for anyone who needs to know the precise minutes (let alone seconds). Nevertheless, it can be a fun watch to wear on weekends or holidays, when knowing the exact time is less important. With that in mind, the new Urban Day Date looks like it could be a playful addition to anyone’s collection and is sensibly priced to reflect its role as an occasional watch. The MeisterSinger Day Date is priced at €995. Learn more at meistersinger.com.
