The most romantic complication. From classical Patek and Lange moonphases through De Bethune's 3D spherical lunar disc, the moonphase is watchmaking's most-loved decorative complication.
Photo: Monochrome · Yesterday
A moonphase complication shows the current phase of the moon as a small disc rotating through a "bay" cutout on the dial. The standard mechanism rotates one full disc cycle every 59 days (two lunar cycles of 29.5 days each); the disc is painted with two moon images visible through the dial cutout. Standard moonphases drift by 1 day every 32.5 months; astronomical-grade moonphases (Patek 5159, Lange 1815 Moonphase, A. Lange Datograph Perpetual) drift by 1 day every 122 years. Modern De Bethune built a 3D spherical moonphase with palladium and blued-steel hemispheres rotating to show actual lunar visibility from Earth.
Moonphase watchmaking dates to the 16th century (early astrolabe pocket watches and ecclesiastical clocks). The wristwatch moonphase was rare until the 1980s; the Patek Philippe ref. 3940 perpetual calendar (1985) and the Patek 5396 annual calendar with moonphase (1996) re-opened the category at the haute-horlogerie tier. Today every serious complications house has at least one moonphase reference; mid-tier brands offer cheaper but mechanically simpler implementations.
The mechanism: a 59-tooth wheel driven by a daily-advance finger, rotating a disc with two moon images. The 59-tooth ratio gives 29.5 days per moon, matching the lunar synodic month to within 44 minutes. Astronomical-grade moonphases use a 135-tooth or 270-tooth wheel for the longer drift period. A. Lange & Söhne's 1815 Moonphase and the modern Patek 5159 are the canonical haute-horlogerie modern references.
The visual language matters as much as the mechanism. Patek tends toward gold-on-blue-lacquer disc with hand-painted stars; Lange uses an unembellished blued-steel disc against frosted gold; H. Moser & Cie. often integrates the moonphase into the fume dial as an almost-invisible feature; De Bethune's 3D spherical moonphase rejects the disc entirely. See also: moonphase wiki, perpetual calendar.
Monochrome
The latest evolution of the Union GlashĂŒtte Belisar Chronograph Moon Phase moves from classical to a more technical, contemporary appearance. One of the brandâs most recognisable models, this new version introduces an openworked dial and a fresh âSteel Blueâ colour, bringing modern dynamism and versatility to an otherwise familiar watch. The Belisar line has always [âŠ]
Hodinkee
What We Know While not at Watches and Wonders this year, De Bethune was one of a number of brands jumping on the release bandwagon this week with a few new versions. Today, we're taking a look at two new pieces from the brand. De Bethune's DB25Vxs Silver Moon keeps some of the brand's futuristic design with the skeletonized lugs, while DB28xs Dark Sand picks up where the brand's DB28xs "Steel Wheels" left off. Let's start with the slightly more traditional watch first. The DB25Vxs Silver Moon trims the DB25L case size down to 40mm and changes the dial around a bit. It's been 17 years since the DB25L came out, so it was time for an update. The watch features a mirrored blued-titanium surround with gold stars, drawing the eye to the mirror-polished steel and blued-titanium spherical moonphase at 12 o'clock, which is accurate to 1 day every 122 years. The domed outer track features printed, slightly dressy Breguet numerals and a minute track for the gold hour and minute hands (in Breguet style as well) while the central dial features a barleycorn guilloché. Inside the 40.6mm by 11.2mm mirror-polished grade 5 titanium case is a caliber running at 4Hz with a 6-day power reserve. While a lot of my friends gravitate more toward that traditional aesthetic from De Bethune, my eyes immediately go for the more extreme De Bethunes, like the DB28xs Dark Sand, with the hinged lugs and (yes, somewhat divisive) arch design on the front. The DB28xs Dark Sand also has a 6-day power reserve...
Monochrome
The Spirit of Big Bang collection was introduced as Hublotâs first major new case shape under Jean-Claude Biver. As its name suggests, the collection captured the âspiritâ of the Big Bang but replaced the octagonal case with a more complex tonneau-shaped case with lateral rubber bumpers and openworked dials. The latest Spirit of Big Bang [âŠ]
Time+Tide
Jump hours, moon phases, hidden dials, and more, Van Cleef & Arpels continues to blend watchmaking, storytelling and jewellery for 2026The post Van Cleef & Arpels unveils its 2026 novelties, continuing to blend watchmaking, jewellery and storytelling appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
Oris first introduced its Artelier Complication in 1991 alongside the Caliber 581, which notably featured a moonphase module developed in-house by the brand. The release marked another significant moment for the maison in its commitment to manufacture movements following the quartz crisis. The modelâs presence ultimately faded but received new life in 2017 with an updated design that featured a more modern, cleaner style with slimmer, tapered lugs, and a redesigned bezel. At Watches & Wonders, we get the next evolution of the Artelier Complication. Â The newest incarnation gives us another redesign from the 2017 edition while keeping the focus on highlighting the romantic moonphase. This updated take on the Artelier Complication comes from 24-year-old Lena Huwiler, Orisâs new Product Design Engineer. Huwiler has been able to achieve the perfect balance between honoring the modelâs place in the history of the brand and propelling it forward with a design that will resonate with her generation. An old soul at heart, Huwiler admits she does not just find inspiration online but still appreciates architecture, crafts, and interior design. She clearly brings the duality of these sensibilities into her design for the new Artelier Complication. Here, Huwiler has given an Oris classic a modern, urban profile and reworked the moonphase display designed by and for the next generation of watch collectors. The major update here is in the complication and how it is presented thank...
SJX Watches
A. Lange & Söhne turns once again to its greatest hits for its flagship launch at Watches & Wonders 2026. The Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar âLumenâ bestows the translucent, luminous treatment to the top-of-the-line Lange 1 in a 50-piece limited edition in platinum. Powered by the L225.1, an upgrade on the previous generation movement, the latest Lumen edition has a grey-tinted sapphire dial that reveals glow-in-the-dark elements, including the date discs and moon phase. Over the back, the edition is also set apart by a pair of steel cocks sporting engraving of stars. Initial thoughts The Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar âLumenâ stands out as one of the most appealing Lumen models; Iâd rank it up there along with the original Zeitwerk âPhantomâ in terms of appeal. The Lumen treatment works best with lot of obvious luminous components, which is the case here. Flourishes like the luminous bases for each of the Roman hour numerals are a pleasing touch. The twin engraved steel cocks are especially noteworthy; the concept is classic Lange but the engraved star motif adds variety. That said, the Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar âLumenâ scores highly, maybe even perfectly, in terms of intrinsic and tactile appeal. The technical accomplishment is also top class: the calendar is instantaneous, movement construction is sophisticated, and decoration is outstanding. But this arguably scores less well in terms of originality or creativity. The moveme...
Fratello
Patek Philippe has updated one of its long-running calendar models with a new version of the reference 5396R. The watch keeps the familiar Annual Calendar layout the brand introduced back in 1996, but now it comes with a warmer dial color in sunburst sand beige and a rose gold case. Itâs not a redesign in [âŠ] Visit Patek Philippe Introduces The Reference 5396R-016 Annual Calendar Moon Phase to read the full article.
Monochrome
When I think of an affordable complicated watch, something like the Longines Master Collection Chrono Moonphase comes to mind with a full calendar, chronograph, moon phase and 24-hour time (as a day/night indicator). Thatâs amateur level, however, when it comes to grand complications and the five most complicated watches on this list of this ABCs [âŠ]
Hodinkee
All that and more in this week's edition of Hodinkee's What's Selling Where column.
Worn & Wound
Superlatives are thrown around often in watch conversations. We all enjoy videos like âthe bestâ dive watches under $1000. When chatting with our friends we love to declare bracelets to be the most comfortable and dials to be the easiest to read. But if we are being honest with ourselves, that exaggerated language is often used to capture our fleeting excitement about great (though not necessarily the best) watches before moving onto the next shiny thing. When exaggerated language fueled by initial infatuation seeps into reviews and forums, it has a tendency to leave fellow enthusiasts feeling misled when they accept it as truth and hit the buy button only to be let down by reality. I bring this up because, after having been burned myself, honesty and grounded language are top priorities when I sit down to write a review. But in full disclosure, I found myself smitten as soon as I unboxed the Limited Edition ATTESA Shades of Red Super Titanium from Citizen. It wasnât until I found myself questioning design choices after a few days of wear that I finally felt ready to put pen to paper without that honeymoon phase bias. Unsurprisingly from the photos of this watch that are stunning yet donât fully capture its depth, my first jottings focused on the dial. The Watch On March 3rd a total lunar eclipse was visible across all of Japan, an event Citizen commemorated with two âShades of Redâ watches inspired by the red moon visible during totality. The watch that has ...
Hodinkee
The French clockmaker adds a long-requested DIY complication to their GPHG-winning clock.
SJX Watches
Berlin-based Felipe Pikullik presents his second in-house caliber inside the Sternenhimmel FPA1. The independentâs attempt at a refined workhorse-like movement comes in the form of the newly-developed caliber FPA1, designed to power a range of future creations. Initial thoughts Mr Pikullikâs emergence into the crowded independent watchmaking scene was based on heavily skeletonised off-the-shelf movements. As he gained a reputation for deft finishing and began to consolidate his workshop, he slowly but surely transitioned toward in-house engineering. Starting with his own complication modules, the German watchmakerâs first truly in-house effort came with last yearâs Moonphase II collection, which saw the launch of the calibre FPMP2. The openworked construction featured a moon phase and 24-hour indicator but, while undoubtedly well-crafted, it arguably lacked a cohesive design language. Its distinctive architecture also made it unsuitable as the foundation for a wider range of pieces. In contrast, the updated Sternenhimmel (German for âstarry skyâ) features what the independent watchmaker describes as a cornerstone movement for future models. The FPA1 is consequently far more grounded and classical in construction, yet manages to avoid the trap of looking too much like any other artisanal time-only calibre. The ornate backside of the FPA1 caliber. This specific iteration of the Sternenhimmel design is decidedly more modern and technically-oriented, with a flo...
Fratello
Today, weâre back with a hands-on look at the latest Brellum watch. Fans of the small but communicative brand may recognize the styling of our current subject, but thereâs a difference. The new Duobox Triple Calendar Moonphase has an icy-blue hue, and it looks fantastic! Join us as we take a closer look at this [âŠ] Visit Hands-On: The Ice-Blue Brellum Duobox Triple Calendar Moonphase to read the full article.
Monochrome
Itâs just days ago when we first introduced you to the work of Finnish independent watchmaker Juha Eskola, and weâre already back for more. Building upon his N2, a gorgeous dress watch in a rather lovely size, Juha has now unveiled the next step in his collection. Leaving little to the imagination as to what [âŠ]
Worn & Wound
What is it about the moon? Earthâs only satellite has been an inspiration to watchmakers for as long as watchmaking has been a thing. The moonphase of course is the perhaps the most romantic of all complications (at least in a contemporary setting where the actual use case is somewhat unnecessary for almost everyone), and finds its way into a surprising number of watches aimed at the mass market. If you think about it, there are probably thousands upon thousands of ordinary people looking at little renderings of a moon whenever they check the time, perhaps unaware of the long history of the astronomical complication and what it represents. And then of course thereâs the moon and space travel, which gets you into an entirely different segment of watches, led of course by the Omega Speedmaster but serving as a home to an enormous variety of watches from brands as diverse as Seiko, Sinn, and G-SHOCK, all of whom claim either officially or unofficially some connection to manned spaceflight. The moon looms large in a number of ways. So it should come as no surprise that it also serves as a purely aesthetic inspiration, which brings us to the Yema Superman Titanium MoonTide, a new limited edition from the French brand clad in our favorite lightweight metal and designed to conjure images of the lunar surface. The Superman, for anyone who might need a refresher, is Yemaâs core dive watch, originally launched in the 1960s heyday of recreational diving. It features a uniqu...
Monochrome
Across its three-handers, GMTs, and even moonphase watches, the indie British brand has built a catalogue full of lively dials while keeping its Swiss-made watches at an accessible price point. That said, it is perhaps safe to say Farer has hardly been shy about colour. Most models stick to the round case, though the brand [âŠ]
Monochrome
GlashĂŒtte Original released its Serenade Luna in 2024, featuring moon phase indications. Unlike the Panomatic Luna, which is essentially a scaled-down adaptation of the menâs PanomaticLunar with its off-centred dial and Panorama date window, the Serenade Luna was conceived from the start as a womenâs watch with a petite 32.5mm diameter, a sprinkling of diamonds and [âŠ]
Teddy Baldassarre
The tracking and recording of time has always been inextricably linked with the mysterious motions of the heavenly bodies, primarily that of the sun around which Earth revolves and of the moon, Earthâs own satellite, whose monthly trek around our planet has inspired astronomers, poets, navigators, and yes, watchmakers to explore and understand its unique place in our cosmos. Watchmakers over the years have expressed their fascination with Luna, both its romantic and scientific aspects, in some of their most creative and innovative timepieces. Here are 26 of our favorite and best moonphase watches available now that we think shine particularly bright. [toc-section heading="A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Moon Phase"] Price: On Request, Case size: 38.5mm, Thickness: 10.2mm, Lug Width: 20mm, Crystal: Sapphire, Water Resistance: 30 meters, Movement: Manually Wound L121.3 The iconic Lange 1, unveiled in 1994 as the flagship of the revived A. Lange & Söhne brand, has been the wellspring of numerous creative variations and additional complications, among them this elegantly appointed model that marries an ultra-precise moon-phase display with an ingenious day-night indicator. The formerâs gold moon waxes and wanes over a star-dappled blue disk and tracks the actual lunar cycle with near pinpoint accuracy, requiring adjustment just once every 122.6 years. The watchâs 38.5-mm case houses the German watchmakerâs manufacture Caliber L.121.3, whose luxurious, traditional Saxon deco...
Worn & Wound
A few weeks ago I decided to wear my Tudor Black Bay for the first time in several months. Itâs a watch I love that Iâve written about many times on this website, but Iâd been enjoying other more recently acquired pieces for some time and the Black Bay had been collecting proverbial dust in the watch box. So on a chilly winter afternoon I wound it up and set the time. But then, instead of closing the bracelet around my wrist and going about my business, I hauled out my little set of watchmaking tools to size the bracelet. Because the actual reason I hadnât worn it in so long wasnât entirely a result of being in the honeymoon phase with other watches, it was knowing I had a small chore in front of me if I didnât want the watch to dangle pathetically from my wrist, and for a while it just seemed easier to ignore it. Over the last year, in an effort to become healthier and, you know, live longer, Iâve lost a significant amount of weight, and itâs had a dramatic effect on how my watches wear, and how I think about them. Iâd been putting off an afternoon of resizing all of my watch bracelets in part because I was nervous that once I had my 41mm Black Bay on my now half inch smaller wrist, it would disappoint somehow. I gravitated toward smaller watches all summer and fall of last year as the shape of my body began to noticeably change, wearing my larger watches more sparingly and over shorter stretches of time. The authorâs Black Bay on his 7.5 wrist, Oc...
SJX Watches
Orient Star marks a milestone with the M34 F8 Skeleton Hand Winding 75th Anniversary, combining the brandâs technically adept, manually wound skeleton calibre with a novel, laser-engraved meteorite pattern in a maximalist open-worked package. The M34 F8 Skeleton also stands out for the tech inside the mechanical movement: proprietary silicon escape wheel with a novel, optimistic geometry that helps the M34 punch above its weight from a technical standpoint. Initial thoughts Last year, Orient Star launched the brandâs first manually wound moon phase â made of mother-of-pearl no less â for fans of understated, formal watches. Now celebrating its 75th anniversary, Orient Star has cast aside restraint to mark the occasion with something for a more maximalist breed of collector. The new skeleton has a blacked-out case and bracelet and an open-worked version of its top-of-the-line F8 movement. Notably, the movement plates are bridges, which are exposed front and back, are decorated with a laser-etched meteorite motif that is impressively detailed. This skeletonised anniversary limited edition also features the latest technology from its powerhouse parent company Seiko Epson, including a silicon escape wheel with an especially advantageous design. While silicon is increasingly common in the watch industry, it is used primarily for hairsprings. This puts Orient on the list of short brands with a proprietary silicon escape wheel that includes blue-chip names like Patek Phil...
Worn & Wound
Certain watch niches are riskier than others; for instance, seemingly every brand has tried a dive watch or chronograph because they are guaranteed crowd pleasers with straightforward functionality, whereas a world timer or moonphase complication is a little trickier to market to a general audience. In that corner of hyperniche sits the jumping hour watch, which to a non-watch nerd, is both visually and functionally baffling. But Bremont is no stranger to the jumping hour concept, having released successful models with the complication in the recent past. How have they fared with their latest iteration, the Terra Nova 38 Stealth Black? Letâs jump in and find out. While a seasoned horological expert may be familiar with a jumping hour complication, the casual shopper likely isnât: basically, instead of displaying a sweeping hour hand, a jumping hour watch points to the current hour and âjumpsâ to the next hour once 60 minutes have elapsed. Conversely, it may instead display the hour in a window, with an imprinted disc moving below that ticks over to the next digit, much like a date window. The Stealth Black opts for the latter presentation, which gives it a clean, retro-futuristic design that differs from previous models in the brandâs jumping hour catalog, and their Terra Nova line more broadly. As the name suggests, the Stealth Black is characterized by its 38mm black DLC stainless steel case, finished in black diamond carbon-like coating, which gives it a sci-f...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Discover how the Marathon TSAR and Luminox Pacific Diver perform beyond the honeymoon phase. Compare wearability, durability, ownership trade-offs, and more.
SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet (AP) has updated the coveted Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Openworked, which makes its debut on the next-generation perpetual calendar platform that debuted last year. The new calibre allows for individual adjustment of each calendar indication using just the crown â no stylus (or toothpick) necessary. The first outing for the skeletonised version of this class-leading perpetual calendar is in titanium, with mirror polished accents in scratch-resistant Palladium BMG and pops of rose gold on the dial and case back, though more colourways are sure to come in due time. Initial thoughts The latest generation of the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar is arguably APâs strongest product. It is heir to the archetypal integrated bracelet perpetual calendar sports watch, which, until recently, was held back to some extent by what had become a dated movement. In fairness, the same can be said of its obvious competitors from Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin. That changed in 2025 when the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar was upgraded with the APâs latest perpetual calendar movement, a significant release befitting the brandâs 150th anniversary year. The calibre 7138 introduced individual correction of the date, day, month, and moon phase using only the crown, allowing for quick adjustment without tools and with greater flexibility, and support for more indications, than existing solutions. And while we already understood the movementâs clever functionality, it rema...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Weeks of real wrist time settled the Omega Speedmaster vs Zenith El Primero debate. Find out which chronograph proved more livable long after the honeymoon phase faded.
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