MeisterSinger Circularis Reverse – Time Displayed in an Unexpected Way

German brand MeisterSinger challenges the tradition that time should be shown by two hands moving in a clockwise direction. This time, it has come up with a miraculous new way, especially for those who read from right to left. An interesting new take on time, made by a company with an exceptional philosophy on displaying time. Meet the MeisterSinger Circularis Reverse.

One could safely say that MeisterSinger doesn’t really make things easy for itself. Where normal watch companies give themselves the possibility to play with two hands, this still relatively young brand restricted its creative spectrum to use only one pointy, white hand. It decided from the beginning  – in 2001 – that MeisterSinger was going to be the “single-hand-watch-brand” and it has stuck to that principle with German dedication.

Time… reversed

But of course, surprise is part of the package and the brand’s watchmakers went to the drawing board asking themselves: how can we still do things differently with just one hand? The answer might seem a bit recalcitrant, but quite logical at the same time: reverse the entire thing. And so the watchmakers came up with the Circularis Reverse, with a hand that turns counterclockwise. And in doing so, the numerals on the dial have reversed: 11, 10, 9, 8, etc. If you count them clockwise, that is.

This might not be the easiest way to read the time, and MeisterSinger is not the first to do it, but it certainly does fit into the philosophy of the brand. Earlier this year, I summarised this rather poetic train of thoughts as: “A MeisterSinger watch tells the time to the nearest five minutes, so it makes the wearer more tolerant in terms of being slightly early or late, and definitely calmer in the knowledge that the really important appointments are not measured in seconds.” Considering this philosophy, a watch that shows the time in reverse isn’t actually such a weird idea. Then there’s a second good reason: the watch was introduced during Dubai Watch Week. And as Arabic is read from right to left, you’ll find that this anti-clockwise direction is actually quite a nice gesture to the Arabic-reading and speaking world.

Inside the MeisterSinger Circularis Reverse

The Circularis is MeisterSinger’s premium line and the watch is powered by the manufacture movement of the brand. It was originally introduced as a hand-wound (MSH01), but later also followed the automatic movement (cal. MSA01) and the power reserve version (cal. MSH02). Although the company is located in the Westphalian city of Münster, Germany, the movements are made in Switzerland. It has a huge, five-day power reserve, coming from two mainspring barrels. All of that technical greatness is visible through the large open caseback, which reveals the polished edges, bevels and engravings lined with gold. Also visible is the bridge, which was actually designed by the founder of the company, Manfred Brassler.

The automatic version of MeisterSinger’s proprietary movement forms the basis on which the MeisterSinger Circularis Reverse was developed. The development of this anti-clockwise principle was, in the words of Meistersinger, actually “far more complex than initially expected”. It became necessary to build eleven new components. The result is not a new but a thoroughly redesigned movement.

One particularly funny thing that shows Meistersinger’s eye for detail is found at six o’clock, where the date window is located. The date also switches “the other way around”. The movement is quite large (mainly because of the twin barrels) and so the piece shows quite a presence on the wrist. The watch has a 43mm case made of steel and the Arabic numerals are gold plated. It is water-resistant to 50m. The dial is bright blue (called ‘sunray blue’ by its makers), and the single hand, shaped in a fine needlepoint, is plain white. The minute indicators are also white. The strap is made of modern, rough, dark brown ‘saddle leather’, and a second (cordovan) strap is included.

Price and availability

As you might have already anticipated, this new MeisterSinger Circularis Reverse is a limited edition piece. Only 25 watches will be made, and all of them are sold by MeisterSinger’s retail partner Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons in Dubai. It will be priced at EUR 4,990.

MeisterSinger has not yet confirmed whether this new complication will be added to the standard collection. But knowing this brand, we can be sure that intriguing ways of telling the time will always be cherished by MeisterSinger. For more information, visit www.meistersinger.com.