Description
MeisterSinger Salthora Jumping Hour – SH907
MeisterSinger’s single-hand watch with jumping hour
The Salthora from MeisterSinger features a round window at 12 o’clock that shows the current hour while the hand that circles the dial indicates each passing minute. This complication is known as a jumping hour which gives rise to the collection name of Salthora (salto – jump, ora – hour). When 60 minutes have passed, the single hand reaches the middle of the window and the next number appears in the window in a flash.
The jumping hour display principle stems from the tradition of precision watchmaking. Unlike classic disc watches, where, instead of a hand, a disc inscribed with numbers slowly rotates in a cutaway section of the dial, the jumping hour indicator changes in a flash at the start of each new hour. It was in the 1920s that wristwatches were first equipped with this complex mechanism and showed the hour more prominently than the more minor details such as minutes and seconds.
When developing the Salthora, MeisterSinger had particular requirements to fulfil:
- The jump should take place precisely on the hour, with a maximum tolerance of ten seconds.
- The hour number should not creep or stagger into the window, but leap into the exact centre of the window in the blink of an eye.
- The force required for this to happen, which is supplied by the same barrel as the rest of the watch movement, could not be permitted to interfere with the smooth running of the movement.
MeisterSinger developed a special module to be built for the tried-and-tested Swiss automatic ETA-2824-2 movement, which successfully fulfils these requirements. The resulting, finely balanced mechanism ensures a punctual and precise jump. The tension for the switching arm of the hour disc is provided over the course of the 60 minutes by a screw attached to the minute wheel; power is therefore withdrawn from the barrel continuously rather than abruptly, and the impact on the movement is only very slight.
The rewards for precision work are both visual and acoustic: the wearer hears a soft but rich tick that tells him a new hour has begun.
Visually, the Salthora bears many signature features of MeisterSinger watches: the hour numbers in the window at 12 noon appear in the same fine serif font as the minute markers and – naturally – always double-digit. The Salthora has a stainless steel casing with a diameter of 40 millimeters. The hour window is white for all versions and contrasts well against the dark matt black/anthracite grey dials, in order to clearly emphasize the critical elements of the time.
Technical Data
Movement: ETA 2824-2 or Sellita SW 200-1 with jumping hour construction, 38-hour power reserve
Case size: 40 mm
Band: Choose below
Case: stainless steel, open casing back, water resistance 5 bar, sapphire glass
Dial Colour: anthracite (dark grey) with sunburst finish
