Tags: Review | MeisterSinger | Classic | Traditional
14.12.2023 | 6 MIN
In today's review, I have a seemingly simple task: to introduce the Perigraph by MeisterSinger. An unassuming watch at first glance but you might be surprised at how much extraordinary stuff is behind it. And just like MeisterSinger, I'm going to start by inviting you to pause for a moment and immerse yourself with me in the refined world of MeisterSinger. Will it live up to expectations? We shall see.
One thing you need to know about MeisterSinger from the start. Their watches create a strange addiction. It's like tasting a new, slightly exotic food or a new drink - the basic notes are familiar, but your taste buds are pleasantly confused and refreshed by something new.
That's how a watch with one hand works. It's still a familiar concept for telling the time, yet you can't help but wonder what removing one or two hands can do. This twist is truly masterful. Like a chef's speciality, made with just a few ingredients, without unnecessary spices to overpower the essence of this culinary, I mean watchmaking delight.
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But after the first taste, you may not be sure. Is this the watch for you? You don't even know the one thing you don't know, which is what time it is. And exactly what the approximate time is. Perhaps you'll be seduced by this concern and dismiss the single-hand, intoxicated by the scent of the many other richly spiced models on the daily menu of nearby brands.
Well, nothing against it. I also have a collection of spices blended in different, yet more conventional notes. Yes, I'm still talking about watches.
But the beauty hidden in the simplicity of a MeisterSinger watch is easy to succumb to. It goes to the heart of the essence of time. It may even be able to stop it. For a moment, but that moment means everything.
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Just think about the brand's philosophy and you suddenly feel like sitting on a park bench, as if it were the top of a mountain and you suddenly see your fast-passing life with a different perspective. It can be frustrating, but also very calming when you discover the power of the present moment. Maybe you'll do something differently than usual that day. You'll deviate from the daily habits that have dictated your day from the moment you unclench your eyes until you close them with your head still full of thoughts (or wine, depending).
And maybe - and I'm really getting rather philosophical now - your watch will offer you this escape every day. It will remind you of the importance of time and the moment in it every time you look at it. And with the Perigraph, you can feel it day after day.
The Perigraph collection takes the essence of the MeisterSinger watch, but adds an interestingly designed date display. It's not a window or a sub-dial. MeisterSinger maintains perfect design harmony and the date is displayed by means of a date wreath around the centre of the dial. Hence the Perigraph connection - the prefix "peri" is from the Greek and means "around" or also "near something"; and the graph could be translated as "record". You can figure out the rest.
The current date is highlighted by a coloured arrow below the 12th hour. The days are then marked with Arabic numerals on a daily basis. Very elegant and very clear.
MeisterSinger is surprisingly playful. Even in a concept as simple as the one he uses, he has managed to capitalise on the play of colours and the imagination of his designers.
How else can you explain that you can reach for monochrome models but at the same time less common colour variations from burgundy to petrol. In such cases, the colour elements are always just a smattering, I would say just right.
I personally succumbed to the bright dial with gold indices and blue details. And with really well thought out details at that. The blue is indicated here at the triangle showing the date, but also the hour and date indices. The rest of it is wrapped in white and black.
The result is elegance in the form of minimalism with a precisely pitched degree of originality. The gold element is then also used in the finishing of the movement, for example on the rotor or the brand logo.
The strap or the bracelet also does its part. This beautifully shows that it is possible to get a plethora of style options with one watch. The spacing between the lugs is 20mm, so whatever initial choice you reach for, others will be more than easy to create.
Finally, I must not forget to mention the very unique limited edition Earth with its sculptural depiction of our planet and strong ecological undertones.
However, there was already a detailed review about the watch, so I won't go into it.
The dimensions of the case, which is made of classic steel, are 43 x 11.5 mm. I don't want to oversimplify that the watch fits everyone. After all, the diameter is larger and the lugs, though pleasantly rounded, are quite long. I found the watch to fit very well myself, but my conscience would not allow me not to recommend trying it on first.
(As far as I know, the brand also offers this model in a smaller, 38mm case. So if you're put off by the number 43, all is not lost.)
The craftsmanship, then, is top-notch. The lunette is very thin and gives the dial itself room to stand out, plus it's finished in a high gloss. The sides of the case, on the other hand, are meticulously sanded. The slide is made of sapphire and has a slight curve that creates interesting reflections as the light hits it at different angles.
The crown is proportioned just right to the case itself, it doesn't press into the wrist and the time and date are set flawlessly with it.
It serves the manual winding movement inside just as well. The brand used to use the ETA 2824-2 movement, but has now switched to the competitor Sellit SW-200.
Here, the choice of machines was fairly clear. For it offers a very good price/performance ratio and, above all, a data wreath exactly where the designers needed it to be. At the same time, it is a highly praised movement with a power reserve of a common but sufficient 38 hours (in real life you can see slightly over 40).
And the accuracy? Plus or minus who knows. Without a minute, let alone a second hand, it's more of a guess. It can be anything from 30 seconds per day to chronometer readings.
The movement can be seen through the transparent dial (the transparency is mineral glass), which is screwed to the case with a few screws. The water resistance is thus only 50 meters. But let's face it, none of us are probably planning to measure our time in the water with them.
Some variants even have luminescence. In the photo MeisterSinger AM10Z17S_SG02
The MeisterSinger watch brings many pleasant moments that I am somehow more aware of. Perhaps it's the fact that the watch encourages this before it happens, or perhaps it's the fact that it's truly a masterpiece that stands out for its minimalist message. I haven't figured it out. But that this is a well-crafted watch with a beautiful design, I know for sure.
As an alternative, it is possible to offer practically any model from this German brand. The closest to the Perigraph is the Pangaea, which shows the day of the week in addition to the date. And the yellow and black limited edition, for example, is breathtaking.
But not to offend, one can also delve into similarly priced waters with another German brand, Junghans, which also offers very strong minimalism. For example, the Junghans Meister Gangreserve model can irritate unwary fingers quite nicely. All you have to do is be a little careless and suddenly you find yourself trying them on, already nodding at the salesman's offer and almost walking away with another bag. So easy... when it comes to watches.
