Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. The MeisterSinger Pangaea 365 Travels Back in Time
An elegant single-handed watch reinterprets the pristine dials of yesteryear pocket watches.
MeisterSinger’s one-hand watches are a refreshing departure from conventional watches and were inspired by the rudimentary single-handed display of medieval clock towers. Founded by Manfred Brassler in 2001, this German brand is characterised by its minimalist, award-winning Bauhaus designs. Tapping into a more historical style associated with early 19th-century pocket watches, the latest Meistersinger Pangaea 365 goes vintage with a warm ivory-coloured dial, an elegant typeface, and the brand’s signature single-hand display for the hours and minutes.
Pangaea Family
The Pangaea 365 belongs to a sub-collection represented by slightly more complicated models fitted with day and day/date functions. The Greek word pangaia means “all the Earth” and the term Pangaea has been used to define the period when all the land of Earth formed one large mass or supercontinent about 300 million years ago. I’m not sure why this particular edition without day or date functions and a far more vintage vibe is catalogued in the Pangaea collection, or for that matter, why the collection got its name, but it certainly doesn’t detract an inch from the attractive dial of the new Pangaea 365.
One thing that the Pangaea models share is case shape, material and size. The Pangaea 365 comes in a 40mm stainless steel case with a height of 10.5mm and a large fluted or onion crown that is easy to manipulate. Like other Pangaea cases, the bezel is extremely slim giving the dial more space and all the surfaces are polished. A sapphire crystal protecting the dial, an exhibition caseback with six screws, and 50m water-resistance complete the external aspects of the watch.
excellent design
As a brand that has accumulated over 34 design accolades – Red Dot, German Design, IF Design, and Good Design awards – since 2001, MeisterSinger’s designers understand the importance of typeface and touches of colour to enhance legibility. In fact, MeisterSinger works with Lukas Schneider, a specialised typeface designer, to customise fonts for the brand. An elegant cursive typeface is used for the inscriptions on the dial, while the numbers are picked out in a typeface that evokes the hand-painted numerals on historical pocket watches.
As our readers know, most MeisterSinger dials display single-digit numerals accompanied by a 0 (01, 02, 03, etc.) to create more balance. The Pangaea sticks to this tradition but with a delightful twist that gives the watch even more personality. Except for the Arabic numeral 12, all the numerals on the warm ivory-coloured dial are placed at an angle, and some are even upside down.
Despite the concern that some may harbour about the precision of a single-handed watch, time readings can be consulted almost to the minute thanks to precision tracks and the restrained but highly effective use of colour. Each hour is set next to a blue index that is thicker and longer than the black markings representing the minutes between one hour and the next. On the periphery of the dial, there is also a 24-hour scale with slender light blue and red markings at 15, 30 and 45-minute intervals. Although it might sound confusing, reading the time becomes intuitive once you understand the dynamics.
The long black central arrow-tipped hand indicates the hours and minutes. The hours are displayed conventionally with a black Arabic numeral highlighted with a light blue marker, while the minutes are colour coded for additional clarity: every five-minute interval is indicated by a short black marker; the quarters by a longer, slightly thicker black marker; and the half-hour by an even longer black marker. The 24-hour scale is also colour coded, marking the quarters with a short red dash and the half-hour with a thicker blue one.
Another delightful detail of the Meistersinger Pangaea 365 is the unusually long arrow-tipped hand of the Pangaea 365. The needle-shaped hand with its extra-long overhang is similar to those found on historical pocket watches, and the black solid circle in the centre is flanked by two counterweights. Matching the colour code used for the time indications, the MeisterSinger logo is black, and the Pangaea 365 inscription is light blue.
A Swiss Sellita SW200 automatic movement modified for MeisterSinger’s single-hand watch display powers the Pangaea 365. Beating at 28,800vph, the movement provides the hours and minutes with a 38h power reserve.
Availability & Price
The Meistersinger Pangaea 365 comes on a brown leather strap with an embossed faux crocodile print and is closed with a steel pin buckle. It is limited to 200 pieces, retails for EUR 1,890 and is available now.
For more information, please consult MeisterSinger.com.
