An externally excited electric synchronous machine may include a machine rotor, a machine stator, and a signal transmission device for contactless transmission of an operating signal corresponding to a DC voltage to the machine stator. The machine rotor may include a rotor shaft and a machine rotor coil. The machine rotor coil may be supplied with DC voltage and may provide a magnetic rotor field. The machine stator may include a machine stator coil that is fixed relative to the machine stator. The machine stator coil may provide a magnetic stator field, which may interact with the magnetic rotor field such that the machine rotor rotates. The signal transmission device may include (i) on the machine rotor, a signal coil connected in series with the machine rotor coil and (ii) on the machine stator, a magnetic field sensor that detects a magnetic field provided via the signal coil.