Alongside Parisian jeweler Ocarat Lab, German watchmaker MeisterSinger unveils the new limited edition of its Bell Hora collection: the Notre-Dame edition. This reinterpretation of this model with a sound complication which illustrates its dial with a Gothic stained glass motif emblematic of the most famous cathedral in Paris, coincides with the reopening to the public of the monument dear to Victor Hugo, scheduled for December 8.
“Great buildings, like great mountains, are the work of centuries […] time is the architect, the people are the mason” wrote Victor Hugo in one of his literary masterpieces, Notre-Dame de Paris, published in 1831.
L’German watchmaker MeisterSinger and the French jeweler Ocarat Lab have understood this well, creating a limited edition of 70 copies and dedicated to the famous Gothic style building built between the 12th and 14th centuries.
Saved from destruction by the literary success of Victor Hugo and the renovation work of 19th-century historicist architect Eugène Viollet-le-ducthe monument saw part of its framework as well as its famous spire culminating at 96 m high, ravaged by a terrible fire on April 15 and 16, 2019.
Five years after the tragedythe monument is returned “to worship and visitation”. It is on the occasion of his reopening on December 8 that the Bell Hora collection by MeisterSinger welcomes a Notre-Dame edition featuring, among other things, a dial featuring one of its immense stained glass windows in the shape of a rosette.
The model is exclusively available for sale in the Parisian boutique Ochrono and on the website of the Parisian jeweler Ocarat Labpriced at 4,590 euros.
A nostalgic chime
Founded in 2001 by Manfred Messlera true enthusiast of historical measuring instruments, MeisterSinger has stood out in the competitive world of watchmaking by a bold decision: opt for a single-needle. This involved abandoning the stressful marking of minutes and seconds to only indicate the passage of hours.
By his sound complicationthe Collection Bell Horawhich includes the Notre Dame edition, is inspired by the municipal clocks of yesteryear and bell towers which punctuated the daily life of the inhabitants in marking the time with chimes. This striking complication system means thatat each new hour; a discreet ringtone rings to remind the wearer of the passage of time without needing to look at their watch. Better still, the wearer does not need to perform any action to trigger the ringtone.
It is by using an MS Bell automatic movement based on the famous Sellita SW200 caliberon which a unique module has been grafted, that MeisterSinger achieves this technical feat. Offeror a power reserve of 38 hourssaid movement appears as reliable as it is effective. The wearer can, however, if he wishes, activate or deactivate the ringtone thanks to a discreet pusher located at 2 o'clock.
The sound complication – especially on the Notre-Dame edition – fits perfectly with the refined aesthetic of his creations.
A fragment of French history
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Featured photo: © MeisterSinger
