Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. Heritage and Modernity Converge with Three New Louis Moinet Speed of Sound
A blend of old and new, the Speed of Sound is back with contemporary colours, extraterrestrial materials, hand-guilloché, and a beautifully restored Valjoux 88 movement.
Louis Moinet’s universe is populated with exuberant timepieces that often merge steampunk aesthetics with elaborate mechanical movements and exotic materials. As the brand whose founding father invented one of the very first chronographs in 1815 – the Compteur de Tierces – a fact that the brand discovered in 2013, chronographs have resumed their place in the brand’s repertoire. While its looks are firmly anchored in the 21st century, the Speed of Sound honours the past with an exceptional Valjoux 88 calibre from the late 1940s. Lovingly restored, the Valjoux 88 powered the first Speed of Sound reference of 2024. Three new Speed of Sound models, limited to three pieces each, up the contemporary tempo with bolder colours and rubber straps.
Available with a more traditional black dial and punchy green or orange dials, the new Speed of Sound references are an engaging mix of old and new. While hand-guilloché dial decoration is an old-school technique, the intricate, contemporary mesh-like pattern achieved here produces mesmerising effects when struck by light. Reflecting Louis Moinet’s fascination with meteorites, the silver-framed counter at 3 o’clock for 30-minute elapsed times and the one at 9 for small seconds reveal a grey Aletai iron meteorite inlay.
The realistic, hand-drawn moon phase indicator with luminescent accents at 6 o’clock also features an extraterrestrial rock with an embedded fragment of Dhofar 457, a rare lunar meteorite. When the circular fragment of meteorite aligns with either of the two pointers, the Moon is full. Time is indicated by openworked hour and minute hands with luminescent tips and applied Arabic numerals with triangular markers at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock.
A manual-winding triple-calendar chronograph movement with moon phases, the Valjoux 88 has been extensively modified by Louis Moinet’s watchmakers, who have removed the calendar complications and 12-hour totaliser. Replacing the original pointer date function, the periphery of the dial hosts a telemeter scale to measure distances using the speed of sound, and the position occupied by the 12-hour chronograph counter is home to the moon phase complication.
The 40.7mm titanium case with a height of around 18.7mm has piston-style pushers, angular bevelled lugs and polished and satin-brushed finishes. Part of the height can be attributed to the pronounced domed sapphire crystal over the dial.
Powered by the restored Valjoux 88 calibre, of which only 13,218 examples were produced between 1947 and 1974, this classic column-wheel chronograph with a horizontal clutch and swan-neck regulator is displayed on the reverse side. Hand-engraved with floral and scrolling motifs on the gold bridges, it reveals many components of the manual-winding movement, including the nine columns of the column wheel, the chronograph wheels and levers, and the escapement beneath the ornately decorated balance cock, beating at 18,000 vibrations per hour.
The matching-coloured rubber straps and triple-blade folding clasps underscore the more contemporary mood of these Speed of Sound Models. Limited to three pieces per colour; price is upon request only (expect around CHF 50,000). More information at louismoinet.com.
