MeisterSinger is presenting a special version of the Astrocope limited to 100 pieces. Price of the Astroscope Edition ref. AS902O is Euro 1,990
Following the successful launch of the Astroscope at the beginning of 2020 (you can read our hands-on review here), German brand MeisterSinger - which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year - is now presenting a special version of this model that will be limited to just 100 pieces.
Just like most MeisterSinger creations, the Astroscope Edition shows the time by means of just one hand that sweeps over the 12 hours divided by 144 markers, each representing 5 minutes. Additionally, this model also displays the day of the week in a totally new way: it associates each day to the heavenly body that gives it its name since ancient times.
In fact, the names of the days of the week in most languages are derived from the names of the classical planets in Hellenistic astrology, which were in turn brought from Mesopotomia.
In the 4th century, the Emperor Constantine the Great grafted this astrological system onto the Roman calendar, imposing the following sequence and names to the days of the week:
Dies Solis (Sun) ☉
Dies Lunae (Moon) ☽
Dies Martis (Mars) ♂
Dies Mercurii (Mercury) ☿
Dies Jovis (Jupiter) ♃
Dies Veneris (Venus) ♀
Dies Saturni (Saturn) ♄
This system spread throughout the Roman Empire and was adopted, with some modifications, throughout most of western Europe: in the Germanic languages, such as Old English, the names of four of the Roman gods were converted into those of the corresponding Germanic gods.
The Astroscope stylizes this formation on its dial; a bright dot appears on Monday at about 12 o’clock at the Moon symbol and the next day to the right at the Mars symbol. On Wednesday it appears next to Mercury at about 9 o’clock; on Thursday next to Jupiter at 3 o’clock, and so on.
When the small indicator placed above the centre of the dial is filled with yellow, it provides a confirmation that the day of the week has been correctly set.
The new Astroscope Edition is characterised by a black dial on which the numerals, depicted in a fine serif typeface, and the astronomical symbols stand out with their luminous orange colour.
The dial is not flat but alternates convex and concave surfaces that add depth to the ensemble. Just above the circular date window and the MeisterSinger logo there is an intimated horizon, enhancing the impression of looking up at the sky.
The hand, the indices and the days of the week are treated with a luminescent coating that emits a blue glow if the dial was previously exposed to artificial or natural light.
The 40 mm x 10.5 mm stainless steel case features a polished finish and is water resistant to 5 bar (approximately 50 metres / 165 feet). The large crown is adorned with an embossed MeisterSinger logo - the musical notation for a pause.
Visible through the sixfold screwed glass exhibition back, the self-winding movement is based on the extensively tested Sellita SW 220-1, customized with MeisterSinger finishes that include the engraving of the company's logo on the rotor. Beating a frequency of 4 Hz (28,800 vibrations per hour) and equipped with an Incabloc antishock system, it has an autonomy of 38 hours.
Completed by an orange leather strap that is perfectly in tone with the orange accents of the dial, the MeisterSinger Astroscope Edition ref. AS902O has a retail price of Euro 1,990. meistersinger.com
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