All Eyes On The Moonphase With These Five Mechanical Marvels

The moon has fascinated mankind for millennia, and our neighbouring satellite has had a monumental impact on life. It has been detrimental in the early days of telling time, serving as a reference beacon in the sky for people around the globe. It’s no wonder then, that plenty of brands feature a miniature representation of the moon prominently on the dial of a watch. We’ve looked at the topic before, but this time around we pay homage to our Moon with five marvellous mechanical watches featuring the most classical of representations.

Trilobe Les Matinaux L’Heure Exquise

French independent watchmaking brand Trilobe serenades the moon with the wonderful Les Matinaux L’Heure Exquise. Not only does it feature the brand’s signature continuously revolving display of time, but it incorporates it with a detailed double moonphase where the running seconds indications used to be. Available in two sizes, with titanium or gold cases, and deep blue or dune beige dials, it’s a very enchanting watch altogether. The movement is developed by Le Cercle des Horlogers and is wound by a tungsten micro-rotor. Fitted to an alligator leather strap, it costs EUR 14,500 in titanium or EUR 26,500 in gold.

For more information, please visit Trilobe.com.

Quick Facts – 40.5mm or 38mm x 9.2mm – titanium or rose gold case – sapphire crystal front & back – 50m water-resistant – sandblasted blue or dune beige dial – revolving hour & minute rings – double moonphase display coaxially linked to the seconds wheel – Calibre X-centric, proprietary – automatic micro-rotor movement – 28,800vph – 48h power reserve – blue or brown alligator leather strap with case-matching pin buckle – EUR 14,500 (titanium) or EUR 26,500 (rose gold)

Christiaan van der Klaauw Ariadne Burgundy

There has always been a very strong focus on astronomical watchmaking with Christiaan van der Klaauw, and the revamped Ariadne is no exception. One of the latest iterations to win us over yet again is this burgundy dial specimen. Its chronograph functionality is paired with a complete calendar display that includes a moonphase indication. And for a refreshing pop of colour, the display is finished in bright blue! The Calibre CVDK7758 (a Valjoux 7750 at heart) is neatly finished with blued screws, circular graining, Côtes de Genève and the brand’s signature rotor design. It’s priced at EUR 8,450 and comes on a matching leather strap.

For more information, please visit Klaauw.com.

Quick Facts – 40mm diameter – stainless steel case, polished – sapphire crystal front & back – onion-style crown – 30m water-resistant – burgundy dial with grained texture – complete calendar display with hours, minutes, small seconds, date, day, month, day/night, moonphase & chronograph – Calibre CVDK7758, automatic – 28,800vph – 48h power reserve – brown alligator leather strap with stainless steel folding clasp – EUR 8,450

Patek Philippe 5236P-010 Salmon

The Patek Philippe 5236P with salmon dial is a genuine showstopper for us. Its fully polished platinum case of 41.3mm wide and 11.07mm tall is the perfect vessel for that exquisite duo of dial and movement. Up front, your attention is first drawn to the linear day/date/month display before it drops down to a neatly proportioned moon phase display with integrated small seconds. On either side, a small aperture for the leap year and day/night indications complete it. All this is courtesy of Calibre 31-260 PS QL, driven by a micro-rotor. Worn on a brown alligator leather strap with a foldover clasp, this beauty is priced at CHF 120,000.

For more information, please visit Patek.com.

Quick Facts – 41.3mm x 11.07mm – 950 platinum case, fully polished – sapphire crystal front & back – 30m water-resistant – opaline rose-gilt dial – charcoal grey indices & hands –  day-date-month aperture – moon phase display with running seconds – leap-year – day/night indicator – calibre 31-260 PS QL, in-house – micro-rotor automatic – Patek Philippe seal – 28,800vph – 55h power reserve – alligator leather strap with platinum fold-over clasp – CHF 120,000

Laurent Ferrier Classic Moon Annual Calendar

Leave it to Laurent Ferrier to present one of the most stylish and refined annual calendar watches of the year, with the Classic Moon Annual Calendar. Set in a 40mm wide stainless steel case (a rose gold version is also an option), it comes with a grey-blue opaline dial. Pastel blue details for the date, elongated Roman numerals and baton hour markers and displays for the day of the week and month are paired with a wonderful double moon phase display. This neatly incorporates the small seconds indication as well, courtesy of the manually wound Calibre LF 126.02. Worn on a dark grey nubuck strap, it retails for CHF 70,000.

For more information, please visit LaurentFerrier.ch.

Quick Facts – 40mm x 12.90mm – stainless steel case, polished – sapphire crystal front & back – 30m water-resistant – grey-blue opaline dial – pastel blue date numbers & hand – Assegai hour & minute hands – Roman & baton hour markers – double moon phase with small seconds hand – annual calendar display – Calibre LF126.02, in-house – manual winding – 21,600vph – 80h power reserve – dark grey nubuck strap with pin buckle – permanent collection – CHF 70,000

Glashütte Original Senator Excellence Panorama Date Moonphase

Coming from Saxony, Germany, the Glashütte Original Senator Excellence Panorama Date Moonphase pairs the brand’s signature double-disc big date display with a classical display for the phases of the moon between 10′ and 11′. The blue disc is finished with a couple of stars and a gold-coloured moon, tying in nicely with the applied gold Roman numerals and blued hands and markings. The in-house Calibre 36 keeps the moonphase accurate for 122 years if kept running correctly of course. The price in stainless steel on a blue leather strap is EUR 12,700, but you can also have a synthetic strap or even a rose gold case.

For more information, please visit Glashuette-Original.com.

Quick Facts – 40mm x 12.2mm – stainless steel, brushed and polished – sapphire crystals on both sides – 50m water-resistant – galvanic grey dial, fine-grained, applied indexes in solid gold with blue coating, blued steel hands – automatic calibre 36-24, in-house, 28,800vph frequency, 100h power reserve, hours, minutes, seconds, moon phase and Panorama date – blue alligator or blue fabric strap – EUR 12,700