New MeisterSinger Unitas 1Z Edition pays tribute to the brand’s beginnings

MeisterSinger Unitas 1Z Edition: 25th-anniversary limited edition with a Grand Feu enamel dial and a manual Unitas 6497 movement. Price:€6,990

As part of the ongoing celebrations marking its 25th anniversary, MeisterSinger presents the new Unitas 1Z Edition, a limited series that looks back to the brand’s early years while reaffirming the principles that have defined it since the beginning: clear displays, mechanical watchmaking, and a more measured approach to time.

The anniversary programme began earlier this year with the launch of the Panthero Jumping Hour, and now continues with a model that pays tribute to the Edition 1Z, introduced in 2004 as MeisterSinger’s first special edition featuring an enamel dial. 

Produced in 222 pieces, that watch also stood out for its use of the Unitas 6497 pocket-watch movement and helped establish a tradition of annual enamel editions within the collection.

The 2004 Edition 1Z

For 2026, the concept returns in a more exclusive form. 

The Unitas 1Z Edition is limited to 25 pieces and presented in a newly developed 40 mm stainless steel case, proportioned to showcase the large manually wound calibre within. 

Water resistance is rated to 5 bar (50 metres / 165 feet), while sapphire crystals front and back allow a clear view of both dial and movement.

The white dial is crafted in genuine enamel, using a traditional multi-stage process in which finely ground enamel powder is applied to a copper base and repeatedly fired at around 800°C. 

As with all Grand Feu enamel work, even slight variations in temperature or timing can affect the result, making each successful dial the product of considerable skill and experience.

Its design takes inspiration from historical pocket watches. MeisterSinger’s signature single-hand display is retained, with flowing numerals in the brand’s “365” style, slender hour markers and dots marking each five-minute interval. 

An inner ring of numerals highlights the passing minutes within each hour, while the elongated hand is crafted in heat-blued steel, adding a subtle contrast against the bright enamel surface.

Turning the watch over reveals one of its main attractions: the ETA/Unitas 6497 hand-wound movement. 

Originally conceived for pocket watches, this calibre is now rarely seen in contemporary wristwatches, yet remains appreciated for its generous dimensions, robust construction and clear architecture.

For this edition, the movement is finished with Geneva stripes, blued screws and a swan-neck fine regulator. 

MeisterSinger specifies a frequency of 3 Hz (21,600 vibrations per hour), higher than the slower beat traditionally associated with the calibre, helping improve rate stability. Power reserve is approximately 46 hours.

The large movement nearly fills the caseback opening, reinforcing the watch’s mechanical character and historical inspiration.

The watch is paired with an ice-blue bovine leather strap with croco embossing, secured by a double folding clasp.

Produced in just 25 examples, the new MeisterSinger Unitas 1Z Edition (ref. ED-Unitas-01E) is priced at €6,990 and is available from Q2 2026. meistersinger.com

Suggested reading:

• Single-hand timepieces in watchmaking history