The Bell Hora by MeisterSinger is a contemporary single-hand watch with a sounding “Sonnerie au passage” feature at every full hour.
Winner of the renowned Red Dot award, the Bell Hora watch is now reviving a practically forgotten complication – the “Sonnerie au passage”. Exactly on the hour, the watch produces a friendly chime, alerting the wearer to the passing of time without having to look at the dial.
However, it is not pre-counted in small increments, the hourly chime is not an alarm or a countdown. It does not interrupt the flow of time, but gives it a broad, melodious backdrop. The concept is fully in line with the MeisterSinger ideal that a watch should keep time in a highly intuitive manner as its hand passes across a fine line – or by regularly triggering a sound on its way around the dial.
Church tower clocks, which relate to the “Sonnerie au passage”, also count the passing of time with their ringing mechanisms. But they also compel the listener to count: “It is now eleven o’clock.” The Bell Hora only strikes once and tells its wearer that a new hour has just begun.
Over a period of 60 minutes, the movement’s module gathers the energy for a precise, carefully measured chime. The ingenious device strikes the sound fork located behind the dial exactly on the hour.
This innovative timekeeper offers a pleasant sound when the chiming is activated. Moreover, the pusher above the crown ensures that the hour does not ring if it is not desired, as the chime of the Bell Hora can be simply switched off. A black marking shows at a glance whether the watch is going to chime on the hour or remain silent.
The Bell Hora dial features needle-shaped hand, the double-digit numerals, and the fine line index structure. Despite the spiral-shaped geometry of the dial, it provides an intuitive overview of the entire day at the same time.
Technical details
Model: MeisterSinger Bell Hora
Movement
MS Bell, base Sellita SW 200, Automatic
Power reserve: 38 h
Hourly chime
Case
Stainless steel case
Diameter: 43 mm
Sapphire glass
4 screws exhibition back
Water resistance: 5 bar
Dial
Blue sunburst, natural ivory
Special function
Hourly chime, „Sonnerie au Passage“
Recommended retail price
3,490 Euros
