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Moonphase Watches · Page 19

525 articles · Page 19 of 22
IWC Introduces the “Lewis Hamilton” Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar SJX Watches
Dec 10, 2019

IWC Introduces the “Lewis Hamilton” Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar

To mark British racing driver Lewis Hamilton’s sixth Formula 1 World Championship, IWC has unveiled the “Lewis Hamilton” Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Edition. One of the most striking executions of the Big Pilot to date, the watch departs from the subdued, technical colours that characterise the line – which was inspired by German airforce navigators’ watches of the Second World War – and instead opts for a Bordeaux dial and pink gold accents. Measuring 46.5mm wide and 15.9mm high, the case is made of matte black ceramic, which accentuates its burgundy dial while downplaying its massive dimensions – though the watch is hard to miss on the wrist. The richly coloured dial is combined with a pink-gold crown and case back, while the hands are gold-plated and filled with cream-coloured Super-Luminova. All the indications are also printed in a golden hue, along with a black four-digit year disc and moons, matching the case. Visible through the case back is the in-house, automatic cal. 52615, which sports a solid pink-gold rotor. It features the brand’s trademark Pellaton winding system, a 7-day power reserve courtesy of twin barrels and most crucially, the landmark perpetual calendar module invented by IWC’s longtime technical guru Kurt Klaus. The perpetual calendar tracks the day, day of the week, date, month, four-digit year, with both northern and southern hemispheres moon phases displayed concurrently. All indications advance in a coordinated sequ...
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De Bethune Introduces the Maestri’Art DW5 Armilia SJX Watches
Nov 20, 2019

De Bethune Introduces the Maestri’Art DW5 Armilia

Shaped like an extraterrestrial seashell, the De Bethune Dream Watch 5 (DW5) is the brand’s most striking timepiece. It’s simple in function – showing just the time and moon phase – but more of a time-telling object than a mere watch. The new Maestri’Art DW5 Armilia is the opposite of the sleek, smooth finish of the original Dream Watch. The rose gold case is fully engraved with a motif from Les Cités obscures, or The Obscure Cities, a series of graphic novels by Belgian duo François Schuiten and Benoît Peeters. Specifically, the engraving depicts Armilia, an underground city of the novels that’s shaped like an armillary sphere. François Schuiten’s original drawing of Armilia Responsible for the engraving is Michele Rothen Rebetez, a freelance engraver based in Le Locle who has worked with De Bethune for several years, most recently on the Maestri Art I and II. Instead of the deeper, relief engraving that Ms Rothen Rebetez typically uses for watches, the DW5 Armilia is finished with banknote style engraving, made up of numerous fine, shallow lines to create depth and shadow. The DW5 is produced in two sizes, and the DW5 Armilia is in the larger, 58mm size. Mechanically, it is identical to the standard DW5, with the time indicated in a narrow window, along with the spherical moon phase display, both framed in blued titanium. The cal is 18k rose gold, while the crown is topped with a 1-carat blue sapphire.   Key facts and price Maestri’Art DW5 Armilia R...
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Highlights: Phillips Hong Kong Watch Auction – Complications and Enamel SJX Watches
Nov 18, 2019

Highlights: Phillips Hong Kong Watch Auction – Complications and Enamel

Happening in just over a week, the Phillips Hong Kong watch auction is a 321-lot event spread over two days. Notably, the first session is an evening sale titled First, made up of 52 watches consigned by their original owners. The offerings in First, as well as the main sale the next day, are diverse array ranging from a possibly unique Patek Philippe Sky Moon Tourbillon with a black dial, and a wonderfully elegant Vacheron Constantin minute repeater (pictured above) – both consigned by the first owners no less – to vintage sports Rolex watches and Omega Speedmasters. The Sky Moon Tourbillon ref. 5002G Another original owner Patek Philippe grand complication, the ref. 5033P Here we cover some of the complicated watch highlights, while other vintage and sports watches will be featured in a subsequent article. The full catalogue is available on Phillips.com. First, lot 833 – Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Perpetual Calendar Chronograph One of the best values in the segment of perpetual calendar chronographs is a pre-owned Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Perpetual Calendar Chronograph. This example is in platinum, with a largish 43mm case that is suited to today’s taste for larger watches. The layout is traditional for a perpetual calendar chronograph, though the calendar windows are slightly small relative to the size of the dial. But this has a decorative flourish few of its peers have: the moon phase is a hand-engraved disc of white gold that features a tiny...
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H. Moser & Cie. Introduces the Endeavour Perpetual Moon Concept Aventurine SJX Watches
Nov 6, 2019

H. Moser & Cie. Introduces the Endeavour Perpetual Moon Concept Aventurine

Introduced almost a decade ago in 2010, the H. Moser & Cie. Perpetual Moon is among the most accurate moon phase watches on the market, deviating by a day after 1027.3 years. A complex mathematical feat, the moon phase mechanism was originally conceived by none other than independent watchmaker Andreas Strehler, who himself holds the record for the most precise moon phase display in the world – accurate to a day in 2.045 million years. Having unveiled the watch with a blacker-than-black Vantablack dial a year ago, H. Moser & Cie. has now introduced the Endeavour Perpetual Moon Concept Aventurine that has a sparkly aventurine glass dial evoking a night sky. Full of stars Like many of Moser’s watches, the case of the Endeavour Perpetual Moon Concept is relatively large at 42mm wide and 13.1mm high due to the movement inside. It is available in both a red gold or a stainless-steel case that are characterised by a generously sloping bezel and brushed case band punctuated with polished concave flanks. The dial is made of aventurine glass, also known as goldstone, a man-made material produced by mixing fine metal particles into blue glass. Aventurine glass is often used in watchmaking, specifically for moon phases and calendar displays, for its striking, iridescent reflections that create the impression of a starry sky. According to legend, aventurine glass was discovered by accident on the Venetian island of Murano in the 16th century when copper filings fell into a vat o...
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Up Close: Konstantin Chaykin Joker Selfie for Only Watch 2019 SJX Watches
Nov 5, 2019

Up Close: Konstantin Chaykin Joker Selfie for Only Watch 2019

Though the Konstantin Chaykin Joker Selfie was already explained in great detail by Bjorn Meijer a couple of weeks ago, it’s compelling enough for a second, quick look, since I just received a new set of photos. Konstantin’s standard Joker (or Clown) wristwatch is well known, while also being fairly straight forward mechanically. The one-off Joker Selfie he created for the upcoming Only Watch charity auction is fundamentally and dramatically different, although the shares the familiar funny face. To start with the case is made of bulat, a high carbon steel alloy better known as Wootz steel. Sometimes incorrectly known as Damascus steel, bulat is an alloy with a patterned surface that’s a result of the metals mixed within. The irregular structure of the alloy, combined with its hardness, means it was a challenge to make the Joker Selfie case. Konstantin only completed the case after two discarded cases due to structural problems that emerged after machining. The Joker Selfie tells the time like the standard Joker, with the pupils in each eye pointing to the time, with a moon phase display incorporated into the mouth of the clown. And it has the day of the week, indicated with emoticons, much like Alain Silberstein’s trademark “smileday”, at 12 o’clock. But it also has an additional “secret” display, with a swivelling lever under the dial that covers either the hours or the day of the week display. It’s a gravity-activated mechanism that shows the hours ...
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Hands-On: De Bethune DB28 Yellow Tones SJX Watches
Oct 29, 2019

Hands-On: De Bethune DB28 Yellow Tones

Even amongst avant-garde watchmakers, De Bethune stands out for its substance – aesthetic and material innovation matched by technical ingenuity. At its core, the brand has reimagined the most fundamental aspects of mechanical timekeeping, from the barrel to the hairspring, while pushing the boundaries of traditional complications, be it the moon phase, tourbillon or chronograph. But arguably its most distinctive innovation is an aesthetic one, which has come to define the brand no less – heat-blued titanium. The brand has used the alloy for more than 15 years across various parts of the watch, even making almost a whole watch out of it. But now De Bethune has a twist on the theme, resulting in the DB28 Yellow Tones in brilliant golden titanium. Fiery yellow Though the colour of the new DB28 is striking, it is by no means loud, as the amber shade of yellow isn’t the same as yellow gold and doesn’t pass off as such. In fact, it looks more like fresh brass than gold. The colour was achieved through thermal oxidisation of the surface, essentially the same process as that used for blued titanium (and also the same for blued steel). The yellow surface, just like the blue, is the result of an oxide that forms on the surface of titanium when it is heated to a certain temperature. But amber yellow tone in this case was created by heating it at a lower temperature than used for blued titanium. Titanium undergoes different stages of oxidation when heated, and yellow is o...
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Have watch will travel – 5 GMTs under $5K that are ready to hit the road Time+Tide
Oct 24, 2019

Have watch will travel – 5 GMTs under $5K that are ready to hit the road

Watches with complications - like the chronograph, moonphase or, in this case, the GMT - are less about practical function and more about possibility. Sure, these watches are designed to excel on the road (or in the air for that matter), but for most wearers, that is an infrequent reality. Still, the possibility of far-off places … ContinuedThe post Have watch will travel – 5 GMTs under $5K that are ready to hit the road appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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Hands-On: Hermès Arceau L’Heure De La Lune SJX Watches
Oct 8, 2019

Hands-On: Hermès Arceau L’Heure De La Lune

Hermès, as a brand, usually has an elegant, light and sometimes whimsical house style that makes it unique amongst luxury houses. The Arceau L’Heure De La Lune unveiled at SIHH at the start of the year exemplifies the house style, although the case is thicker than ideal. Functionally, the Arceau L’Heure De La Lune is a straightforward watch – it shows the time, date and phases of the Moon in both the Southern and Northern hemispheres. But the execution of the time and date is striking and clever. Orbital moon phases The two are essentially orbital displays, as each is on a sub-dial mounted on a rotating, central carousel. The carousel take 59 days to make one complete revolution around the dial. But each sub-dial also rotates on itself as the carousel turns. As a result, each sub-dial is always the right way up regardless of its position. Both sub-dials also double up as the moon phase indicator, with position of each sub-dial indicating the age of the Moon in each hemisphere. And in a bit of whimsy, the hemispheres have been inverted, with the Southern on top and Northern below. The Arceau L’Heure De La Lune with a meteorite dial The inventive display was built by Chronode, the complications specialist founded by Jean-Francois Mojon, which has a diverse body of work that includes Urban Jurgensen’s P4 movement, the MB&F LM2, and the constant force tourbillon of IWC. The display module by Chronode. Photo – Hermes Chronode conceived and builds the ...
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In-Depth: Why Konstantin Chaykin’s Joker Selfie is a Dead-Serious Watch SJX Watches
Sep 24, 2019

In-Depth: Why Konstantin Chaykin’s Joker Selfie is a Dead-Serious Watch

Self-taught Russian clock- and watchmaker Konstantin Chaykin, who has built notably complex timepieces, is ironically best known for the Joker, a relatively simple watch. The Joker is powered by an ETA 2814 base movement with an in-house module of just 61 parts that drives the novel time display: two sub-dials, positioned like eyes in a face, for hours respectively minutes, and a moon phase at six o’clock resembling a smiling mouth – the funny face of time. When first unveiled the inaugural Joker in steel at Baselworld 2017, the 99-piece limited edition sold out quickly. The watch also enjoyed critical acclaim; the subsequent Joker Clown won the Audacity Prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Geneve 2018. Konstantin notes he was particularly surprised how eagerly the love-or-hate design was embraced by collectors of high-end watches. So his extended the Joker concept to the top-end of the price spectrum, with the limited edition Joker automaton developed with fellow independent watchmaker Svend Andersen. And then Konstantin recently revealed he was participating in charity auction Only Watch 2019 – alongside peers like Akrivia, F.P. Journe, Urwerk and De Bethune – which piqued my interest, so I reached out to Konstantin to find out more. The Joker automaton by Andersen and Chaykin Inspiration strikes As Luc Pettavino, the founder of Only Watch, was planning the 2019 event, he approached Konstantin to suggest a straightforward variant of the origin...
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Our Predictions In The Ladies Complication Category Of The 2019 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG): Our Panel Is Unanimous! Quill & Pad
Sep 16, 2019

Our Predictions In The Ladies Complication Category Of The 2019 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG): Our Panel Is Unanimous!

With our second set of predictions we take a look at the Ladies Complication category, a surprisingly packed collection of timepieces for women with more than an added moon phase or power reserve. These are very clearly designed to be different, and while we are collectively pretty sure one already has the win in the bag, it will definitely be an interesting category for the judges this year. Our panel was unanimous in its selection of one very beautiful and cleverly complex timepiece.
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A. Lange & Söhne Introduces the Little Lange 1 Moon Phase “25th Anniversary” SJX Watches
Sep 5, 2019

A. Lange & Söhne Introduces the Little Lange 1 Moon Phase “25th Anniversary”

With one watch unveiled each month since the start of the year, the A. Lange & Söhne “25th Anniversary” series is coming to a completion. The ninth watch has just been announced – the Little Lange 1 Moon Phase. Of the 10 piece anniversary set, this is arguably the most esoteric and least known Lange 1, being an elegantly conceived complication inside a case that was originally devised as a smaller men’s watch, but is now a ladies’ watch. Measuring a compact 36.8mm in width, the Little Lange 1 Moon Phase was first unveiled in 2009 – seven years after the launch of the full-size, 38.5mm Lange 1 Moon Phase. Subsequently in 2017, it evolved to incorporate a new caliber based on the second-generation Lange 1 movement. Though the original Little Lange 1 was introduced as a watch for men in the late 1990s, the Little Lange 1 Moon Phase was a ladies’ watch from the get-go and decorated as such, with mother-of-pearl dials, diamond bezels and most recently a guilloche dial. But with the subdued anniversary colours of blue and silver, the latest Little Lange 1 Moon Phase is the first instance where it could be for men wanting a smaller watch. The dial of the watch is solid silver, with blued steel hands and printed blue markings. As with the Grand Lange 1 Moon Phase “25thAnniversary” unveiled earlier in the year, the white-gold lunar disc in the seconds sub-dial is hand-engraved with stars that vary in size and shape, creating a detailed depiction of the ni...
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The old-world charms of the Longines 1832 Moonphase Time+Tide
Aug 29, 2019

The old-world charms of the Longines 1832 Moonphase

We’ve been having a bit of a lunar week with Longines this week - checking out their new Master Moonphase in the boutique and in our studio. And we thought we’d stick with the theme this Friday. Today we’re taking a closer look at the stylish, chic and generally handsome Longines 1832 Moonphase. If the Master … ContinuedThe post The old-world charms of the Longines 1832 Moonphase appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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Longines Introduces the Master Collection Moonphase SJX Watches
Aug 28, 2019

Longines Introduces the Master Collection Moonphase

Longines’ Master Collection excels at entry-level complications that are affordably priced – last year’s annual calendar is a great buy – and the latest in the range is a moon phase and date. The Master Collection Moonphase is a watch that’s clear in what it wants to to. Aside from the time, it has a pointer date and moon indicators in a sub-dial at six, for a clean and symmetrical dial. The Master Collection Moonphase ref. L2.919.4.78.3 It’s powered by the L899 movement, an automatic based on the ETA A31.L91, which is an upgraded version of the common ETA 2892. The most obvious functional upgrade is the extended 64-hour power reserve, achieved in part by reducing the beat rate of the balance wheel from 4Hz to 3.5Hz. Like many other models in the Master Collection, the new moon phase is offered in two cases sizes – 40mm and 42mm – both in stainless steel. Dial options are silvered barleycorn guilloche, black barleycorn, or sun-ray brushed metallic blue. The smaller, 40mm case is also offered with brilliant-cut diamond hour markers on all dial styles. The Master Collection Moonphase 42mm The ref. L2.909.4.97.0 with diamond markers Key facts Diameter: 40mm or 42mm Material: Stainless steel Water resistance: 30m Movement: L899 Functions: Hours, minutes, second, moon phase and date Winding: Automatic Frequency: 25,200bph, or 3.5Hz Power reserve: 64 hours Strap: Leather strap or steel bracelet Price: US$2,350 for all versions, US$2,750 for the 40...
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New moon – the Longines Master Moonphase Time+Tide
Aug 27, 2019

New moon – the Longines Master Moonphase

The Master collection has been a staple in Longines’ catalogue for some time, epitomising the sort of casual elegance for which the bramd is so well known. The latest member of this family - the Longines Master Moonphase - continues to offer the strong combination of timeless style and well-integrated small complications that we saw … ContinuedThe post New moon – the Longines Master Moonphase appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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