Hands-on review of the MeisterSinger Stratoscope Edition Best Friends, a watch created in collaboration with WWF. Glowing moon. Earth. Price €4250
In 2021, MeisterSinger, the specialist of single-hand watches, released the Edition Planet Earth, a project developed in collaboration with WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature), one of the world’s leading nature conservation organizations. More recently, the German brand presented a second cooperation with WWF that led to the creation of the Stratoscope Edition Best Friends, a special edition watch based on the successful Stratoscope series that features a large, precise moon phase display hovering above a realistic representation of our planet Earth.
With this limited edition of 250 watches, MeisterSinger wants to support the worldwide work of WWF. For every edition watch sold, MeisterSinger and its retailers will each donate half of a total of 250 euros to directly support WWF projects.
We had the opportunity to spend a few days with this fun and eye-catching timepiece and we are now delighted to share our pictures and impressions.
The Edition Best Friends comes in a robust 43 mm x 12.4 mm stainless steel case with alternating satin-brushed and polished surfaces. The large crown is adorned with an embossed MeisterSinger logo, the musical notation for a pause. Water resistance is guaranteed up to 5 bar (approximately 50 metres / 165 feet).
Thanks to curved lugs, the watch sits comfortably on the wrist, well secured by a dark brown vegan strap (width 20 mm) that is indistinguishable from genuine leather in terms of quality, appearance, and wearing comfort.
Protected by a domed sapphire crystal, the deep black dial makes makes our home planet and its satellite take central stage with the numerals 04 and 08 enclosing the Earth.
The moon disc realistically depicts the surface of the earth’s satellite offering a truly eye-catching spectacle, especially when the lights dim in the environment and the moon glows in the dark together with the needle-shaped hand and the hour markers.
The moon phases are represented with accuracy. While the moon takes 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes, and 2.9 seconds to circumnavigate the Earth, most watches round this figure down to 29.5 days via the movement, which means they deviate by eight hours per year and need to be corrected by one complete day every three years. Differently, the Stratoscope — once correctly set and assuming that the watch runs continuously — only needs to be corrected by one day every 128 years.
Reading the time is easy with the single hand of the Stratoscope sweeping over the 12 hours divided by 144 markers, each representing 5 minutes. A small date aperture at 3 o'clock completes the dial indications.
Visible through a sixfold screwed glass exhibition back adorned by the world-famous logo of the collaboration partner, the panda with the WWF lettering, the MS Luna calibre beats at the frequency of 4 Hz (28,800 vibrations per hour) with a power reserve of 38 hours.
Based on a self-winding Sellita SW220, this movement has been specially modified for the single-hand watches from MeisterSinger and equipped with a proprietary moon phase module which integrates two additional gear systems incorporating four wheels to drive the moon disc and a further two wheels for the setting mechanism.
All functions can be easily controlled via the crown: in position 1 it winds the movement, in position 2 it sets the moon and the date depending on the direction of rotation, and in position 3 it adjusts the time.
Reinforcing the inspiring concept of sustainability, the watch is delivered in an FSC-certified cardboard box, covered with FSC-certified paper both inside and outside. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an international, non-governmental organisation dedicated to promoting responsible management of the world's forests and has become the world's most respected and widespread forest certification system. The cover cushion is covered with recycled velour fabric.
A watch that stands out for its unique look and that is also fun to interact with, the MeisterSinger Stratoscope Edition Best Friends (ref. ED-STBF902) is executed with great attention to details in line with the high standards of the German watchmaker. Its retail price is Euro 4,250.
Due to contractual agreements, the Stratoscope Best Friends edition is commercially only available in the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates (UAE), United Kingdom. meistersinger.com
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