The VicenTerra AstroLUNA T2 & AstroLUNA Classic T2 Black Aventurine

Vincent Plomb and his VicenTerra brand are not names on everyone’s mind, but the independent watchmaker is definitely not to be overlooked. Much in the vein of Abraham-Louis Breguet, Vincent offers complex, astronomical-inspired watches via a montres-de-souscription programme. The AstroLUNA collection features both a 3D rotating Moon and Earth, something rarely seen in watchmaking. And now, hailing from the farthest and darkest corners of our cosmos, VicenTerra presents the AstroLUNA T2 Black Aventurine & AstroLUNA Classic T2 Black Aventurine.

Vincent Plomb has been creating watches under the VicenTerra name for over a decade now. A journey that started with the GMT 3 in 2010, which was followed by the Tycho Brahe, and this year’s novelty, the AstroLUNA. All of the collections we’ve seen so far revolve around either a 3D earth, 3D moon, or a combination of the two, mixed with other astronomical displays. This updated, blacked-out model of the AstroLUNA follows the same design philosophy as the regular AstroLUNA, with a few very interesting tweaks.

The difference between the AstroLUNA T2 Black Aventurine and Classic T2 Black Aventurine is the case. The T2 has a distinctly shaped case with gauges and curves, while the Classic T2 retains a more traditional round profile. The grade 5 titanium case has brushed and polished surfaces and is coated with black DLC. The crown is positioned at 2 o’clock, with recessed pushers in the caseband at 4 and 8 o’clock for adjusting the Earth and Moon.

The dial for each one is made of shimmering black aventurine glass, which resembles a starry sky or a galaxy far, far away. The slightly off-centred dial displays the hours, minutes, and seconds with a set of curved polished and rhodium-plated hands with white BGW9 Super-LumiNova. A large, circular aperture on the right-hand side of the dial reveals the date. Positioned below the dial is the double astronomical representation of the Moon and Earth (accompanied by a miniature sun). The spheres are made in titanium and finished by hand. Each rotates at its own speed, once every 24 hours for the Earth and once every 29,53125 days for the Moon. More details about this impressive complication can be found here.

Turning the watch over reveals the second black aventurine plate, framing the movement. It is a combination of Vaucher Fleurier Seed 3000 base with an in-house module on top. The automatic movement has a skeletonised tungsten rotor, runs at a frequency of 28,800vph (4Hz), and has a 50-hour power reserve. The module has 109 components and features traditional decorations that include anglage, circular graining, and sunburst colimaçonnage. Several components like the Earth and Moon bridge have been coated in black to fit within the theme of the watches.

Both the VicenTerra AstroLUNA T2 Black Aventurine and Classic T2 Black Aventurine come on a dark blue calfskin leather strap, with an optional alligator leather strap. The strap is fitted with a grade 5 titanium folding buckle. Each one is limited to 25 pieces only and is available via subscription at a price of CHF 14,700, excluding taxes.

For more information, please visit VicenTerra.ch.