A pointer instrument comprising: a stepping motor; a pointer driven by rotations of the stepping motor via a speed-reduction mechanism including a plurality of gears (3P, 3S); a display board having an index section to be pointed by the pointer; control means configured to drive and control the stepping motor; and pointer reference-position setting means (7a, 7b) configured to determine a reference position of the pointer; wherein the control means is configured to perform, when the stepping motor is powered on or off: a first drive process in which the pointer is rotated in a direction of the reference position, and in which the rotation of the pointer is stopped in response to an input of a pointer reference-position arrival signal from the pointer reference-position setting means (7a, 7b); a second drive process in which the pointer is moved from the reference position by a first angle in a direction opposite to the reference position direction, and in which a position at which the pointer is stopped is set at a zero pointing scale on the display board; and a third drive process in which a gear at a side of the stepping motor of the speed-reduction mechanism is moved by an angle corresponding to a backlash existing between the plurality of gears (3S, 3P) of the speed-reduction mechanism. a stepping motor; a pointer driven by rotations of the stepping motor via a speed-reduction mechanism including a plurality of gears (3P, 3S); a display board having an index section to be pointed by the pointer; control means configured to drive and control the stepping motor; and pointer reference-position setting means (7a, 7b) configured to determine a reference position of the pointer; wherein the control means is configured to perform, when the stepping motor is powered on or off: a first drive process in which the pointer is rotated in a direction of the reference position, and in which the rotation of the pointer is stopped in response to an input of a pointer reference-position arrival signal from the pointer reference-position setting means (7a, 7b); a second drive process in which the pointer is moved from the reference position by a first angle in a direction opposite to the reference position direction, and in which a position at which the pointer is stopped is set at a zero pointing scale on the display board; and a third drive process in which a gear at a side of the stepping motor of the speed-reduction mechanism is moved by an angle corresponding to a backlash existing between the plurality of gears (3S, 3P) of the speed-reduction mechanism. a first drive process in which the pointer is rotated in a direction of the reference position, and in which the rotation of the pointer is stopped in response to an input of a pointer reference-position arrival signal from the pointer reference-position setting means (7a, 7b); a second drive process in which the pointer is moved from the reference position by a first angle in a direction opposite to the reference position direction, and in which a position at which the pointer is stopped is set at a zero pointing scale on the display board; and a third drive process in which a gear at a side of the stepping motor of the speed-reduction mechanism is moved by an angle corresponding to a backlash existing between the plurality of gears (3S, 3P) of the speed-reduction mechanism.