Six Watches Connected to our Neighbouring Satellite, the Moon

The Moon, our beloved neighbouring satellite, has a huge influence on life on Earth; it slows down the rotational speed of our planet, affects the tides of our oceans and forms the foundation of our convention of time. As the Moon is an ever-present celestial body, completing one cycle around our planet in approximately 29.5 days, it’s not surprising that it turns up in many watches, whether in the shape of a moon phase indication or a more aesthetical form. The fact of the matter is that the six watches in this week’s Buying Guide all gaze up at the Moon and beyond for inspiration. 

Louis Moinet cosmopolis

Louis Moinet is no stranger to lunar or cosmic inspiration and often plays with the topic in its watches, most recently this Cosmopolis. Set in a rose gold Tempograph case with a domed sapphire crystal, the Cosmopolis has 12 different types of meteorites on its dial, including a piece of Moon rock. Ten meteorite specimens are spread around the dial, with an eleventh one in the centre of the dial and the twelfth one found behind the one-minute flying tourbillon escapement. The manual wound calibre LM135 has a double-barrel system for 96 hours of power reserve. This unique piece is priced at CHF 225,000.

For more information, please visit LouisMoinet.com.

Quick Facts – 40.7mm diameter – rose gold case, brushed & polished – domed sapphire crystal – sapphire crystal caseback – 30m water-resistant – dark grey brushed dial with 12 meteorite inserts – faceted & openworked hands with luminous tips – exposed flying tourbillon escapement – calibre LM135, manually wound – 28,800vph – 96h power reserve – hours, minutes – Guinness World Record for most meteorite inserts in a watch – unique piece – CHF 225,000

Omega Speedmaster Dark side of the moon apollo 8

Omega recently unveiled the new Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon Apollo 8, which received some incremental updates compared to the previous one, most notably the Saturn V-shaped running seconds hand. But, keeping in theme with this list, the lunar surface on the dial is better defined thanks to a more advanced laser ablating technique. The whole watch is, of course, closely related to the Moon and, more specifically, the Apollo 8 crew that first observed the dark side of the Moon. It also has a new movement, the calibre 3869, and comes on a black & yellow rubber strap. The price is set at EUR 15,700, and it’s not limited by number.

For more information, please visit OmegaWatches.com.

Quick Facts – 44.25mm x 13mm – black ceramic case, brushed & polished – ceramic bezel with tachymeter scale – sapphire crystal front & back – 50m water-resistant – black dial with laser-ablated Moon texture – blackened hour & minute hands – yellow chronograph hands – Saturn V seconds hand – calibre 3869, in-house automatic – MASTER Chronometer certified – 21,600vph – 50h power reserve – hours, minutes, small seconds, chronograph – black & yellow rubber strap – EUR 15,700

bovet recital 26 brainstorm chapter two

A link to the Moon of a very different kind can be found in the fascinating Bovet Recital 26 Brainstorm Chapter Two. Its unconventional sloping case is entirely made in sapphire crystal and shows a complex openworked movement with purple details throughout. The colour can be found on the off-centred dial, the secondary time zone display, and, more importantly, the three-dimensional moon phase indication. Finished with a deeply etched lunar surface, it shows you the position of the Moon in both the northern and southern hemispheres. Just seven will be made by Bovet at an eye-watering price of CHF 390,000 each.

For more information, please visit Bovet.com.

Quick Facts – 47.80mm x 15.50mm – sloping sapphire crystal ‘writing desk’ case – cabochon crown – 30m water-resistant – 3 domed purple dials for the time, double moon phase and second time zone – calibre 17DM06-DT, in-house – manual winding – 21,600vph – 5-day power reserve – double-sided flying tourbillon escapement – power reserve indicator – alligator leather strap with pin buckle – limited to 7 pieces – CHF 390,000

vicenterra astroluna t1 aventurine

The Astroluna T1 Aventurine by Vicenterra, the brand of indie watchmaker Vincent Plomb, neatly combines a spherical Earth and Moon display into a single watch. With time indicated on an offset dark blue aventurine dial, the stars of the show can be seen just below that. On the left, there’s a hand-painted spherical moon with a light and dark side, with a hand-painted spherical Earth on the right. All this is powered by a movement based on the Vaucher Fleurier Seed 3000 automatic, which can be seen from the back. This also shows the other side of the spheres, which is pretty cool. Limited to 99 pieces, it costs CHF 18,250 before taxes.

For more information, please visit Vicenterra.ch.

Quick Facts – 43.50mm x 13.50mm – polished grade 5 titanium case – sapphire crystal front & back – offset crown – 50m water-resistant – dark blue aventurine dial – hand-painted titanium earth and moon spheres – Vaucher-based movement, calibre Fleurier Seed 3000 – automatic winding – 28,800vph – 50h power reserve – dark blue leather strap – titanium folding buckle – limited edition of 99 pieces – CHF 18,250 (excl. VAT)

meistersinger stratoscope golden moon

Next up is a watch that, simply put, has one of the largest moon phase indications ever found in a watch. The Stratoscope Golden Moon is MeisterSinger’s take on this very classical complication to accompany the brand’s signature single-handed indication of time. This oversized display is set into a dial that goes from deep black at noon to dark blue at the bottom. The Moon itself is a photorealistic print, finished in a gold tone and will light up at night. All this comes in a 43mm wide stainless steel case and is powered by the Sellita SW220 base movement with an in-house module on top. Worn on a leather strap, it will set you back EUR 4,390.

For more information, please visit MeisterSinger.com.

Quick Facts – 43mm x 11.7mm – stainless steel case, brushed & polished – sapphire crystal front & back – 50m water-resistant – gradient black to blue dial – luminous hour digits – needle-like central hand for the time – oversized golden moon phase display, luminous – date window at 6′ – calibre MS Luna, Sellita SW220 base with in-house module – vintage style leather strap with butterfly clasp (bracelet also available) – permanent collection – EUR 4,390

lang & heyne moritz

The Lang & Heyne Moritz is a complete calendar watch with a twist; it not only shows you the time and complete calendar indications but also the phases of the Moon and the tilt-angle of the Earth. Our Moon is believed to influence the angle of tilt our Earth has, which in turn impacts our ocean tides and our climate. The disc at noon rotates from a vertical alignment, which occurs in our spring and fall equinoxes, to the Earth’s maximum declination angle of 23.5 degrees in either direction. The moon phase at the bottom is very classical in style and balances out the rest of the dial. The Moritz also has a very fine level of hand-applied finishing and comes in precious metal only, starting at USD 56,000.

For more information, please visit Lang-und-Heyne.de.

Quick Facts – 44mm x 12.5mm – polished white gold case (rose gold & platinum also available) – triple lug design – sapphire crystal front & back – onion-style crown – 30m water-resistant – solid silver dial finished in light champagne – heat-blued hands – calibre III, made in-house – manual winding – complete calendar display with Moon Phase & Earth’s declination indicator – 18,000vph – 46h power reserve – alligator leather strap with pin buckle – from USD 56,000 (excl. VAT)