Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. The New and Extraterrestrial Louis Moinet Starman
Come and meet the Starman; it will blow your mind.
Every timepiece crafted by Jean-Marie Schaller and his watchmaking team at Louis Moinet promises one sure thing – it will captivate, invite a closer look, and often spark curiosity about the stories behind it. The latest creation, the Starman, exemplifies this spirit; it is a luxurious, quintessentially Louis Moinet piece made with fragments from two meteorites – one is said to contain amino acids and declared a witness to “the first sparks of life spread throughout the cosmos.” Intrigued? Let’s explore the fascinating details of the Louis Moinet Starman.
The Louis Moinet Starman’s 47.4mm red gold case commands attention with regal authority. Its stepped bezel, designed as a six-tooth gear – or, if you’re feeling poetic, the rim of a ship’s wheel – is secured with six visible screws. Elegant hollow lugs have a nice curve, and the fluted crown is adorned with the fleur-de-lis brand’s emblem. Opposite the crown, the midcase is engraved with “Louis Moinet” in decorative script, adding a refined touch. Polished and satin-brushed finishes complement the overall luxurious and exquisite look, while the exhibition-style caseback bears engravings of hallmarks, the model, and the limited edition number.
Under the domed sapphire crystal, the Starman’s cosmic dial captivates with its elaborate details. It draws attention to the aperture at 6 o’clock, encircled by a railroad-track frame, where a 60-second tourbillon with an off-centred cage animates the dial. Above, near 12 o’clock, a circle framed in gold houses a fragment of the Jbilet Winselwan meteorite – a dark stone flecked with tiny brown inclusions and traces of amino acids. As “Britannica” notes, scientists suggest that early Earth’s organic compounds, which paved the way for amino acids – and perhaps some amino acids themselves – may have been derived from comet and meteorite impacts. Thus, with the Starman, you may be wearing a piece of life’s origin on Earth.
The dial has a complex, layered design, starting with a base crafted from Gibeon meteorite, tinted to a rich blue through a special “secret” process. Above this coloured meteorite base with its distinctive Widmanstätten pattern lies a sapphire crystal disc with a stellar map’s longitude and latitude lines and hand-drawn constellations in luminescent paint. This disc is topped by a stainless steel flange bearing a minute chapter ring, with a black sapphire ring with double-digit markings at 5-minute intervals positioned above. Along with the lume-treated, rose-gold faceted and skeletonized hour and minute hands, these markings emit a blue glow in the dark, adding to the dial’s celestial allure.
The cosmic journey continues on the reverse of the Louis Moinet Starman. Against a grey grid with a golden Sun at the centre, eight hand-painted miniature globes represent the planets of our solar system, as if drifting through space – and time. Notably, the planets are positioned as they appeared on March 21, 2013, the day Jean-Marie Schaller – owner and creative director of Louis Moinet – presented the historic compteur de tierces watch at the Neuchâtel observatory – a remarkable timepiece, one of the world’s first chronographs, crafted in 1816 by master watchmaker Louis Moinet. For those who wish, the planets can be custom-arranged to reflect their positions on the date of personal significance, making such Starman truly… personal.
The slightly tinted sapphire crystal on the caseback offers a view of the Starman’s inner workings, note the “tourbillon volant” and “double barrel” designations. The dual barrels, arranged in a “volte-face” configuration with one barrel inverted, work in tandem to provide a 96-hour power reserve. The manually wound LM 139 proprietary movement operates at 28,800 vibrations per hour frequency and is crafted with 26 jewels.
The Louis Moinet Starman in red gold is paired with the black alligator leather strap, secured with the rose gold folding clasp. The watch is also available in white gold; both versions are limited to 12 pieces each. The reg gold Starman costs CHF 160,000 excl. taxes, customization of the solar map will add another CHF 6,000 to the standard version’s price. For more, visit louismoinet.com.
