Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. It’s Raining Meteorites on the New Louis Moinet Cosmopolis
Marking a world record, the Cosmopolis brings you a slice of outer space with not one but twelve cosmic rocks on your wrist.
If you thought meteorite dials were all the rage, wait until you see Louis Moinet’s latest unique piece, the Cosmopolis. Renowned for its Baroque-staged complications, Louis Moinet’s approach to horology is nothing short of spectacular. In exuberant Louis Moinet style, the Cosmopolis blasts all existing meteorite dials out of the water. Not one but twelve slivers of meteorite that crashed to Earth weigh down this watch and bring a touch of the cosmos to the wrist. Recognised by Guinness World Records as the watch with “the most meteorite inserts”, the Cosmopolis counters the forces of Earth’s gravity with a tourbillon complication.
Ateliers Louis Moinet, founded and run by Jean-Marie Schaller in 2004, is no stranger to Guinness World Records. In a surprising turn of events that rewrote horological history, a “compteur de tièrces” developed by the historical watchmaker Louis Moinet in 1816 surfaced at auction in 2013. Not only was it awarded a Guinness World Record in 2016 for being the “world’s first chronograph”, it also received a second award as the world’s “first high-frequency stopwatch” in 2020.
Jean-Marie Schaller’s fascination with meteorites was the creative spark behind the Cosmopolis. Hurtling through outer space before crashing to Earth, some of these cosmic rocks are older than Earth itself and witnessed the shaping of our solar system. The twelve meteorites used on the dial represent rare specimens, some originating on the Moon and Mars and others from meteorite showers and asteroids sourced from all around the world.
Ten gold-framed circles with different meteorite specimens are applied to the dark grey dial, leaving a large area for the flying tourbillon at 6 o’clock. Gracing the centre of the dial is an extremely rare example of white-speckled lunar meteorite found near Dhofar, Oman. This large circle is intersected by the tourbillon, which also features an exceptional slice of black chondrite. This particular space rock, resulting from a gigantic impact between two asteroids, is placed behind the tourbillon cage. The faceted hands have an openworked area, and the tips are treated with luminescent material. With no bezel and a pronounced domed sapphire crystal, the viewing pleasure is magnified.
While the aperture for the tourbillon is centred, forming a figure eight with the central insert of lunar meteorite, the flying tourbillon is slightly off-centred. The Cosmopolis is powered by a manual-winding movement with double barrels providing a robust 96-hour power reserve. Using a “volte-face” arrangement, the barrels are stacked upside down in series, releasing their energy simultaneously. Visible from the sapphire caseback, the base plate is decorated with circular Côtes de Genève and features cut-out areas to reveal parts of the movement.
The 18k rose gold case is similar to the case of the Tempograph Spirit, redesigned in 2022. The 40.7mm case has hollowed and bevelled lugs, a large crown and is decorated with polished and satin-brushed accents.
Availability & Price
The Louis Moinet Cosmopolis is a unique piece and retails for CHF 225,000 (excl. tax). The Guinness World Record title for the “most meteorite inserts in a watch” was awarded on 21 September 2023 in Geneva.
For more information, please consult louismoinet.com.
