The Pointer Instrument Redefines Mice
The Pointer Instrument by Lunar Artefacts is a hand-assembled, full-grain leather and gold-plated aluminum computer mouse that treats a utilitarian desktop peripheral as a precision object worthy of 18 months of research, design, and prototyping. Built to develop a patina over years of use, repairable to the component level without adhesives, and designed to evoke the surface language of a high-end automobile, the Pointer Instrument sits in a category entirely its own.
What Is the Pointer Instrument?
Lunar Artefacts took a deliberate decision to ignore the conventions of the consumer electronics market when designing the Pointer Instrument. No plastic shells, no planned obsolescence, no ergonomic geometry borrowed from mass-market competitors. Instead: a metal base that will age and develop a patina over years of daily use, topped with supple full-grain calf leather stitched in an equestrian style, and finished with gold-plated solid aluminum. The result is a mouse you rest on rather than grip, moving under your hand with the ease of a well-weighted tool rather than the plasticky lightness of a standard peripheral.
Materials, Craftsmanship, and Longevity
The Pointer Instrument is hand-assembled using precision screws rather than glue or adhesives, meaning every component is individually replaceable when it eventually wears. This repairability is central to Lunar Artefacts' philosophy: a product built to last a lifetime cannot be glued together and discarded when one part fails. The leather is full-grain calf leather that will develop a unique patina with use, behaving more like a well-worn wallet or a quality briefcase handle than any mass-market mouse. Multiple metal finishes are available, and the wireless connectivity options cover 2.4GHz dongle, Bluetooth 5.0, and USB-C cable, with a replaceable and rechargeable Li-ion battery and a Track on Glass sensor for surface compatibility.
Design Thinking: Why a Mouse?
The question Lunar Artefacts asks is not why they built a luxury mouse, but why no one had done it seriously before. The computer mouse is one of the most-touched objects in a professional's daily life, yet the design vocabulary of the category has barely changed since its introduction. The Pointer Instrument applies the same logic that premium watchmakers, pen makers, and leather goods manufacturers have always used: daily use objects deserve the best materials and the most considered design. The 18-month development timeline reflects that commitment. Lunar Artefacts was not iterating on an existing product; it was establishing a category.
Discover the full Pointer Instrument range on the Lunar Artefacts website, and read the original Dezeen feature on the design process for context on the materials and manufacturing philosophy.
Premium Design Objects at TheArsenale
The Pointer Instrument shares its design DNA with the precision audio objects in TheArsenale's technology collection. The iXOOST Esavox Luxury Hi-Fi Speaker and the iXOOST XiLO Scuderia Hi-Fi Speaker apply the same thinking to audio: exceptional materials, motorsport-derived references, and objects built to be owned for a lifetime. Browse the complete TheArsenale tech collection for premium design objects across audio, navigation, and accessories.
