INTERVIEW: Manfred Brassler About Meistersinger’s Unique and Recognizable Single-Handed Watches

19/10/2015 | By Frank Geelen | 4 min read |

Next year (in 2016) Meistersinger, the brand that is known for their unique single-handed watches, celebrate their 15th anniversary. In these fifteen years Meistersinger has become a success story of an independent watch brand that had a clear vision right from the start. In design, philosophy and style, Meistersinger has become very recognizable and now it’s time to sit down with Manfred Brassler, managing director and founder of the brand, to talk about these feats.

MeisterSinger’s Founder Manfred Brassler about his watches: “Simple, Balanced and Distinctive”

Since the very start when Meistersinger was founded, back in 2001, the brand’s ‘signature’ has been unique: watches with a single, long, needle-like hand. This is more than just a design for Manfred Brassler, who based his designs on the desire to ‘create an alternative to wristwatches that showed time as something constantly racing along’. An interesting goal, especially when you know that it is based on his ideas about humans and time, as you can read in the interview below. Add to that the consistent and very legible designs based on classical gauges and measuring instruments, and you have Meistersinger’s most important ingredients.

Why did you choose to locate yourselves in the German city Münster?

Good question. Especially to someone who comes from Bavaria. Bavarians need special reasons to move north. For me, the reason was the selling of my previous company to a buyer near Münster. And why I stayed there? Because Münster is a wonderful city.

Since Meistersinger’s inception in 2001, in your mind, what have been your greatest achievements?

The strongest brands to my opinion are those, who follow a kind of mono product strategy. The greatest achievement surly was to develop the design features that make each MeisterSinger unmistakably to a MeisterSinger: The needle hand, preceding zeros for single digits, a stroke hierarchy of 144 indexes and the domed sapphire glass. We are good in simplicity. One can hardly make a watch simpler than a MeisterSinger. This statement is powerful, and so are the watches.

How did the sundial influence your designs we see today? What are the most important design influences or inspirations for the Meistersinger watches?

I wanted to go back to the beginnings of watchmaking. Doing so, you inevitably come across the first mechanical clocks with only one hand. And of course the sundials.

What three words would you use to describe a Meistersinger timepiece?

Simple. Balanced. Distinctive.

Do you find there are a handful of common objections to purchasing Meistersinger watches and if so what is your counter argument?

Why objections? Each purchaser of a mechanical watch knows that a quartz watch for €39 Euros will go more precise than any luxury watch. Easy to understand when one learns that a mechanical watch is working on 2 to 4 Herz and a quartz clock on more than 30,000.

The reason to buy a mechanical watch lies somewhere else. They connect us to the past, they are durable and wonderful to look at; especially their movements, the little engines within. MeisterSinger just goes one step further and leaves out the second and minute hand. And by doing that allows us to find a very personal and human relation to time. We are not made for seconds and minutes anyway.

Which reference do you find on your wrist most often?

I always wear the first prototypes of the new models. But since the Circularis with our self-developed movement is on the market, it has the highest time shares.

Currently, what are your observations of the watch market as a whole?

Honestly? I do not care so much about it. Despite the difficult market we are growing stronger than ever. And we are 100% convinced of our concept. It fits into our time. 10,000 buyers a year can hardly be mistaken. Especially the young people seem to change their attitude these days. I know many people – even my kids and their friends – that do not appreciate products that stand for highest speed, cars and fighters. They favor slowing down, finding themselves and a relaxed relationship with time. And to be cautious in dealing with the one next to us and our environment. I find it very satisfying to stand for those values.

Looking to the future, where is the focus for Meistersinger, is it predominantly in case design and aesthetic or movements?

Both are important parts for us and by the way both aspects are our passion. Our movement MSH01 is designed in a way, so that varieties of complications are possible. In the coming years, we want to show our fans beautiful versions and complications.

What does 2015/16 have in store for Meistersinger?

At the moment we are delivering the Dualtimer Adhaesio to our customers. A wonderful interpretation of the theme and the novelty of the autumn 2015.

In addition, there are all 24 watches of Circularis 18 KT Gold Edition ready for delivery. They were sold out at Baselworld 2015 on the 2nd day. 2016 we want to surprise our customers with a highly differentiated small watch with 35 mm diameter.

Large highlight! Circularis Automatic with an astonishing new rotor design. And like last year with Neo, we will have revisions on some series for 2016.