Lunar artifacts The cutting-edge instrument

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• Lunar artifacts The cutting-edge instrument

Lunar artifacts The cutting-edge instrument: a two-minute review

Lunar Artifacts The Pointing Instrument is, without exaggeration, one of the most pretentious devices I have ever seen. It's an absurd combination of leather and metal designed to evoke the lines of high-end cars, to be luxuriously comfortable and to last a lifetime.

It will even develop a true patina, beyond that slightly foamy halo of the skin on your fingers that develops if you don't clean a regular mouse regularly enough. It's unabashedly high society, and that's pretty special.

It may be special, but The Pointer Instrument is not cheap. It costs €268 (€200, about AU$360) for the 7,05 oz (200g) Solar Shadow and Classic Brown premium leather and brass models, €248 (€180, about AU$330) for the 4,2 oz (120 g) models. ) Lunar Shadow and the Modernist Brown aluminum version we tested here, and $208 (£155, around AU$280) for the optical edition that replaces the leather with a clear plastic top layer.

Pointer instrument lines fit a larger palm well, but aren't compatible with claws (Image credit: Future)

The only real direct comparison we could make would be with Azio's classic retro mouse, a similar leather-covered pointer with what appears to be the same optical sensor - it's half the price at $100 (about $76 / AU$135). ), although it does lack some of the bells and whistles of The Pointer Instrument.

Still just about the best executive mouse around (although here it lacks the ambidextrous shape and fancy finish), the Logitech MX Master 3 retails for $99 / £99 / AU$169.

There is no doubt that The Pointer Instrument is a quality product. It just feels on the plus side of weight - we imagine the brass version, at 80g heavier than this aluminum version, may be too heavy, with a metal wheel that feels smooth.

The seams aren't just there for effect. Attach the leather layer to the plastic bottom (Image credit: Future)

Stitched leather top plate is soft and comfortable; Out of the box, its plastic plate is stiffer than some and resists accidental clicks. It is however adjustable by adjusting a pair of set screws under the base to alter the distance between the plate and the switch.

We feel the heavier setting works: the Pointer Instrument isn't a jittery mouse, it's a mouse that's balanced for a luxurious, long, syrupy glide across the mouse surface.

It's not that it's not sensitive: the sensor tops out at 3000 DPI, which is enough to navigate multiple screens at a glance, and you could play around with it, but you probably won't.

Lift the lid and the truth will come out: everything from the plastic lid to the easily removable main unit (Image credit: Future)

The feature set is pretty high when it comes to mice, but that doesn't necessarily make it the best mouse you can buy. The Pixart PAW 3805 sensor is designed to work on anything, including glass, for example, which we can imagine will come in very handy if you're carrying it around meeting rooms and haven't hit $94 (£70, around AU €125) matching leather Podium mouse pad.

It can run at 2,4GHz via a dongle that plugs into the cradle when not in use, or use Bluetooth 5.0, making it easy to switch between a laptop and desktop, or control a tablet or the like, via a physical switch on the base.

There's a Qi or USB charging option, or you can run it wired without having to flip the entire mouse over, something Apple has yet to learn. Omron's switches are solder-free for easy replacement or upgrading, and Lunar Artefacts will work with you on lifetime repair service, a level of customer service that, at least in part, justifies the rather extreme price tag.

Features like the DPI switch underneath make perfect sense, and there's a cavern for the USB dongle (Image credit: Future)

Everything works, not that there are many things that can go wrong. Connection is easy, there are no dedicated controllers and little complexity beyond two main buttons and a dial.

The design of the pointing instrument is something stellar. This padded box is actually molded cardboard. (Image credit: Future)

But as ambidextrous, luxurious, and easy as The Pointer Instrument may be, it's not the most comfortable mouse out there. Its winged design means that while one end caresses your thumb, the other (at least if you have larger hands) somehow digs into the first knuckle of your ring finger if you're using anything other than a strict palm grip.

In this case, you can get away with resting your finger on the top edge. Lunar Artefacts sells accessory grips that allow you to clip onto a wider base, although we weren't able to test them, and they seem to affect the clean lines.

Should I buy the Lunar Artefacts The Pointer instrument?

Buy it if...

Aluminum is not just skin deep; it's a solid, polished casing on the outside (Image credit: Future)

Don't buy if...

Also consider

• First review April 2022