Moon Watches of 2018
Seven years since it happened, a total lunar eclipse occurs stretching for 1.43 minutes on July 27 making it the century’s longest lunar eclipse. Keeping in mind the rare astronomical treat, Hiren Kumar Bose brings you six moon-phase complication which debuted this year
PANERAI L’Astronomo
The Luminor 1950 Tourbillon Moon Phases Equation of Time GMT is the first of Officine Panerai’s creations to have moon phases indication and an innovative system using a polarised crystal to indicate the date. Made to order, and the skeletonised movement, the P.2005/GLS (standing for Galileo Luna Scheletrato in Italian), is personalised to operate in accordance with the geographical coordinates of a place chosen by the client.
JAQUET DROZ Grande Seconde Moon Black Enamel
Enriched with the most poetic of complications, the moon phase, as a tribute to the role of astral phenomena in the origins of watchmaking this 43mm in an 18-ct red gold watch with its figure-8 dial configuration, is rendered here in black Grand Feu enamel. The lower subsidiary dial is dominated by a realistic moon, engraved out of 22-ct gold and mounted on a black onyx disk that rotates. It is an astronomical moon phase, which means it requires correction only once every 122 years and is driven by an in-house automatic calibre with a silicon balance spring. A red-tipped hand indicates the date on an 18-ct gold ring surrounding the moon phase, while another hand indicates seconds. The moon phase can be set using the corrector at 8 o’clock.
BREGUET Classique Dame 9088
A superb white grand-feu enamel dial with Breguet numerals and open-tipped blued Breguet hands serves as a perfect backdrop for the moon-phase indication at 6 o’clock. Also typical for the House is the laterally fluted, white gold case which is dressed to the nines: the bezel and lugs are set with a total of 66 brilliant-cut diamonds. The Breguet 537L Calibre, a self-winding movement equipped with a silicon escapement and silicon balance spring, keeps time inside the case.
BLANCPAIN Villeret Women Quantième Phase de Lune
The Villeret Women Quantième Phase de Lune features a most charming moon-phase design: Luna’s “face” appears through an aperture at 6 o’clock and is characterised by a tiny “mouche” at the corner of its mouth. Ladies in 18th century Europe used these artificial beauty spots as adornments. Another reference to Earth’s satellite is the date hand-tipped by a red half moon. The 33-mm timepiece, which features a gemset face as well as a bezel studded with 48 brilliant-cut diamonds, is driven by self-winding Calibre 913QL.P that is equipped with a balance spring made of silicium.
HARRY WINSTON Ocean Moon Phase
The 36mm watch reflects the unique allure of Earth’s satellite in the context of this line’s maritime orientation. The centre of the shimmering bicolour mother-of-pearl dial hosts a double moon phase display. Like a cloud or sea foam, the right-hand moon is positioned under a tiny diamonds, which reaffirms the house’s gem-setting expertise. These diamonds, which are set directly into the sapphire crystal, vie with other diamonds on the bezel to see which can sparkle most brightly.
MAURICE LACROIX Eliros
A popular product family within the Maurice Lacroix collection, the Eliros Ladies 35mm is introduced for the first time with a moon-phase display. This elegant complication is paired with an array of dial and case options and a precise high-quality quartz movement.
