Moonphase Watches · Page 15

Ming Updates their 37.05 Moonphase with More Lume and a Completely Reworked Dial

Ming is back with an updated version of their 37.05, which you might remember was announced in late 2021 as the brand’s first watch with a moonphase complication. Ming has given the 37.05 Series 2 (which they’ve nicknamed the “Ad Astra”) a series of whimsical refinements that play on the inherent romance of a moonphase complication. Those aesthetic tweaks are, of course, uniquely Ming in nature, making use of their expanding proficiency with a variety of materials, and a rather ingenious use of high powered luminescent material.  You’ll immediately notice that the big change to the new 37.05 is with the dial. Ming has gone from a textured blue dial with a subtle moonphase indicator at the 6:00 position to an anthracite dial with prominent brushed finishing. Star shaped holes have been added to the dial, which fill in with lume as the moonphase disc rotates underneath. The 37.05 still uses a sapphire upper dial, which is where you’ll find hour markers, the moon “mask” which is used to define the phase of the moon, as well as plenty of inlaid HyCeram lume to provide a bit of a light show when fully charged. Ming notes that the stars on the sapphire upper dial have HyCeram lume applied to both the upper and lower surfaces for increased visual depth.  The 37.05 Series 2 is powered by the manually wound Sellita SW288-1, which is the same caliber used in the prior moonphase, and has been extensively reworked and decorated in the same fashion. The bridges have b...

Introducing: The Ming 37.05 Moonphase Series 2, With A Wider View Of The Night Sky

It's not just the moon that's the "star" of the show with Ming's new release.

New: HYT Moon Runner Desert & HYT Moon Runner Ghost

The The HYT Moon Runner Ghost and HYT Moon Runner Desert watches offer a captivating blend of innovative engineering and intricate craftsmanship, centered around the captivating theme of lunar seas and moon phases. Each model is part of a limited edition collection, with only 15 pieces available for each design.

5 Ideal Automatic Watches For the Beginner - Windup Watch Shop

We know just as well as you do, that the world of watches goes deep and it can be overwhelming to get into. Of course, the first step is showing interest, but even more tricky is the second step - picking out your very first mechanical timepiece. There are a few main types of movements: mechanical (automatic or hand-wound), quartz (powered by a battery) and digital (usually featuring an LCD display). While quartz and digital have their places, it’s hard to top the idea that you have a tiny precision machine strapped to your wrist that’s powered by the movement of your body. Mechanical movements are built to last a lifetime (with regular service) and can be simple as a three-handed movement (hours, minutes, seconds) or as complicated as a three register chronograph with a perpetual calendar with moon phase display. Today, we’re exploring five of our favorite picks that are ideal for your first mechanical watch - stylish, feature-packed, and sub-$500. Let’s dig in! We know just as well as you do, that the world of watches goes deep and it can be overwhelming to get into. Of course, the first step is showing interest, but even more tricky is the second step - picking out your very first mechanical timepiece. There are a few main types of movements: mechanical (automatic or hand-wound), quartz (powered by a battery) and digital (usually featuring an LCD display). While quartz and digital have their places, it’s hard to top the idea that you have a tiny precisio...

Jaeger-LeCoultre presents a black sunburst rendition of the Master Control Chronograph Calendar

This Master Control collection was launched in 1992 as a look back at Jaeger-LeCoultre’s mid-century creations, but executed in a thoroughly modern way. It contains iconic features like the alarmed Memovox, but also this decidedly classic combination of complications – a chronograph and complete calendar with a moonphase. The Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Chronograph Calendar now … ContinuedThe post Jaeger-LeCoultre presents a black sunburst rendition of the Master Control Chronograph Calendar appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

24 Perpetual Calendar Watches from The World's Leading Luxury Watchmak

The most sophisticated type of calendar watch, a perpetual calendar is endowed with a mechanical “memory” that enables it to record and display the time, day, date, month, and often the moon-phase, accurately for many years. The complex movement in a perpetual calendar compensates for the length of every month, including February in both leap years and non-leap-years, meaning that it should not need adjusting until the year 2100, which is the next annum in which the Gregorian calendar’s leap-year cycle is disrupted (it will be the first year since 1900 that is exactly divisible by 100 but not by 400, and thus not a leap year). As you'd expect, perpetual calendar watches (called "quantième perpétuel" in French) are extremely complicated in their mechanics and design, representing one of the highest pinnacles of high horology and priced accordingly. Throughout the modern wristwatch industry, only a relative handful of brands have mastered the art of the perpetual calendar: we showcase some of them, and their most impressive perpetual calendar timepieces, here.  A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar Introduced in 2021, the Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar adopts the new approach taken to perpetual calendar design that the Saxon maison established in 2012 with the Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar. In typical Lange fashion, the technical approach taken is complex in the service of user-friendly practicality. Its in-house, self-winding movement, Caliber L021.3, ...

In Conversation with Derijke & Co.’s Laurens De Rijke: The Man Behind the Miffy Double Moonphase

Wei sits down with Laurens de Rijke of De Rijke & Co., to understand how a small Dutch independent brand created an iconic watch featuring one of the most well-loved cartoon characters on the planet, Miffy. Our latest collaboration with De Rijke & Co. is an inspired take on De Rijke & Co’s original sold-out […]

Double the Miffy: De Rijke & Co. and Revolution Team Up for a Special Limited Edition Version of the Miffy Moonphase

The De Rijke & Co. “Miffy” watches have unexpectedly launched the Dutch brand to a level of acclaim over the last few years that would have been hard for most people to predict. That isn’t because the watches they make aren’t worthy (we’ve been following them closely since the excellent Amalfi 1S, reviewed here in the pre-Miffy days), but because the Miffy character is quintessentially Dutch, and not an internationally known and obvious subject for a character watch. And also because, well, who would have thought that the “elegant driver’s watch” format would lend itself so well to a character at all? There’s an obvious sense of whimsy here, a youthful playfulness combined with De Rijke’s eye for great design that just really works. And the latest Miffy watch is perhaps the most impressive yet: a limited edition run made in collaboration with Revolution, featuring a unique perspective on De Rijke’s Miffy moonphase execution.  The previous Miffy watches (which we wrote about here and here) were essentially opportunities for De Rijke to experiment with bold colors and work in an aesthetic defined by the illustrations of Miffy creator Dick Bruna. The moonphase disc captures Miffy riding a crescent moon, surrounded by stars, with luminescent material applied to the nighttime scene. It’s one of the largest moonphase indicators we know of in a wristwatch, with the width of the disc itself coming in at 20mm. The artwork takes advantage of the large size ...

Rabbit on the Moon: Revolution × De Rijke & Co. Miffy Double Moonphase

De Rijke & Co x Revolution: Miffy Double Moonphase

Team Revolution sits down and discusses the newest and cutest limited edition with De Rijke & Co, the Miffy Double Moonphase. The simple yet distinctive design of Miffy, created by Dutch artist Dick Bruna, has a timeless appeal that has resonated with audiences of all ages; Miffy’s stories and adventures are relatable and often teach […]

Up Close with De Rijke & Co x Revolution: Miffy Double Moonphase

We are unveiling our latest collaboration - the De Rijke & Co. x Revolution Miffy Double Moonphase! Join us on a whimsical journey with the world’s most beloved cartoon bunny, Miffy, as she graces this exquisite timepiece. Limited to just 100 pieces, this watch is priced at an accessible EUR 3,100. Imagine Miffy, the symbol […]

Sarpaneva Introduces the Lunations Black Ruthenium

Finnish watchmaker Stepan Sarpaneva has revealed the newest iteration of his trademark complication, the Lunations Black Ruthenium. Equipped with his proprietary moon phase movement, the Lunations moon phase is so accurate it will accumulate a mere one-day discrepancy after 14,000 years. Limited to just ten pieces, this is a variant of a model first introduced a dozen years ago, but remains the brand’s most complex wristwatch. Initial thoughts The Lunations has all of the Sarpaneva design elements, including the moon “face”, open-worked dial (which in this case is actually the movement), laser engraved decoration as well as hand finishing, so it resembles many of the brand’s other watches. But the Lunations is actually one of the most complex watches devised by Sarpaneva. The Lunations is unusual in combining both the brand’s recognisable design with an original movement, one developed with the help of Andreas Strehler, whereas most of Sarpaneva’s other watches are powered by simpler, outsourced movements.  Constructed in a novel manner with a two-disc moon phase display that’s so large it’s almost the diameter of the movement, the calibre inside is both interesting and complex. However, a moon phase complication is usually simple – and inexpensive – in most other watches. Consequently, the Lunations feels pricey with its €39,500 price tag, particularly so considering that Sarpaneva’s other moon phase models powered by outsourced movements cost hal...

Review: The New Vacheron Constantin Overseas Moon Phase Retrograde Date

‘Tis the year for the retrograde display here at Vacheron Constantin. The grand dame of watchmaking has released no fewer than three models with the mechanism at Watches & Wonders 2023. The first model is the Traditionnelle Tourbillon Retrograde Date Openface, the most complicated of the lot. The next one is the Patrimony Retrograde Day-DateRead More

Introducing Blancpain’s new Ladybird Colors Small Seconds and Moon Phase models

Vacheron Constantin Adds a Retrograde Date Complication to the Overseas Collection

Last year’s big release from Vacheron Constantin, the reintroduction of the legendary 222, sparked all kinds of speculation that we’d get another variant of that sports watch at this year’s Watches & Wonders. Maybe one in steel? Or with new complications? As it turns out, we didn’t get a 222 of any kind this year, but VC paid respect to its contemporary integrated bracelet sports watch, a watch whose lineage can be traced back directly to the 222, by adding a complication that is deeply tied to the brand’s identity, a retrograde date display. It’s a first for the Overseas collection, which is itself kind of surprising. It’s one of those watches you can’t quite believe didn’t exist before now, and now that it’s here, it feels that much more well integrated with the rest of the collection.  The new Overseas Moon Phase Retrograde Date features the same 41mm steel case profile that the brand has been using since the collection was relaunched in 2016. The Overseas, while pre-dating the hysteria for integrated bracelet sports watches by many years (the line was introduced in 1996) was part of a later group of integrated bracelet watches to really catch fire with collectors in the recent boom, following the Royal Oak and Nautilus, but ahead of watches like the newer Alpine Eagle from Chopard. It has a character that is distinct from its competitors, and is uniquely Vacheron, dominated by a complex notched bezel and less intense case geometry. The Overseas, mo...

Piaget Altiplano Zodiaque Moonphases: Old Fashioned Grandeur Returns To Piaget

Martin Green thinks that the Piaget Altiplano Zodiaque Moonphase watches are absolutely stunning.

The Vacheron Constantin Overseas Moon Phase Retrograde Date

Vacheron Constantin Overseas Moon Phase Retrograde Date is the first retrograde display in a sports watch for the brand The watch comes ready for adventure, equipped with a trio of strap options Launching as a boutique exclusive, the Overseas Moon Phase Retrograde Date brings tones down the sportiness of the collection Capitalising on the runaway … ContinuedThe post The Vacheron Constantin Overseas Moon Phase Retrograde Date appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Introducing the Vacheron Constantin Overseas Moon Phase Retrograde Date

Live from W&W;: new from Hermès

The Hermes H08 line is extended with new cases/colours and a brand new monopusher Chronograph, and gemset moonphase watch.

The Intrigue & Significance of the Patek Philippe Owned by the Last Emperor of China

A historically important Patek Philippe Calatrava ref. 96 with full calendar and moon phase will soon be offered at Phillips, but the news isn’t so much about the watch itself but the story behind it. While extraordinarily rare in itself, the ref. 96 quantieme lune is exceptional for its provenance: its original owner was Aisin-Gioro Puyi, the last emperor of China and heir to a 4,000-year old imperial throne. As the final ruler of the Qing Dynasty, Puyi was arguably a hapless individual overcome by circumstances and overtaken by history – a life dramatised in the Bernardo Bertolucci’s film The Last Emperor – leaving him with a mixed reputation and legacy. The ref. 96, however, makes clear his appreciation of mechanical timepieces. Yet this long-lost imperial watch is extremely flawed on its face. But the heavily-aged dial, seemingly severely damaged, also echoes the tale of Puyi’s brief reign, a turbulent time when an empire met its end and a feudal dynasty was transformed into a modern nation. Image – PaddleWaves An Emperor’s timekeeper Ascending the throne at age two in 1908, Puyi was destined for a life of absolute power. But shortly after, the child Emperor witnessed the collapse of Imperial China and his family’s four century-old dynasty in the wake of the Xinhai Revolution of 1911 that gave birth to the Republic of China. In 1932, perhaps unwitting or naive, he became the titular ruler of Manchukuo, the puppet state of Manchuria that was controlle...

A Week in Watches Ep. 39 - Big Moonphases, Goldbronze, & Nifty Two Time Zones

Welcome to episode 39 of A Week in Watches with this week’s host, Blake Buettner. This week we’re recapping news from the UK with new watches from Garrick and Farer, who each bring their unique personality and vision to some rather compelling watches in the form of the S6, which we wrote about here, and Farer’s Moonphase collection, introduced here. There’s plenty more to enjoy from the likes of Nodus, who dropped their anticipated Sector Deep this week, and from ochs und junior, who introduced a new two time zone watch in their signature style (more on this watch coming soon). Finally, we touch on the new divers from Sinn, the T50 collection, which just slipped out of last week’s episode. You can see Zach and Blake react to the new watches in this collection right here. Which of these watches would you rank as your release of the week? Let us know in the comments either here or on our YouTube channel, and while you’re there, don’t forget to subscribe. Enjoy episode 39 of A Week in Watches below and keep an eye out for next week’s news right here. This week’s episode was brought to you by Quick Release. Quick Release is a place where Worn & Wound’s partners showcase a wider variety of watches, product drops, limited deals and promotions, event announcements, and more. Check back daily, follow Quick Release on Instagram, and subscribe to our mailing list so you don’t miss a thing. The post A Week in Watches Ep. 39 – Big Moonphases, Goldbronze, & Nift...

Farer Moonphase is All Farer, and All Moon

Farer has revealed a new collection called the Moonphase this week, and in true Farer style, have put their own unique spin on the design across a trio of references, all while acknowledging historic British figures in the process. The Moonphase collection features a big personality within a trim 38.5mm case that’s not shy on details itself, but the star of the show is undoubtedly the enormous moon depicted within the aperture that dominates the top half of the dial. Each example features a slightly different moon, inspired by the broad range of colors it can adopt depending on the conditions. The Farer Moonphase makes a big impression at a glance thanks to the larger moonphase aperture situated above the hand stack, but below and within the hour markers. It’s a similar layout to the Arnold & Son Perpetual Moonphase, among others, however Farer is bringing the design to a far more accessible and, dare we say, fun execution with their Moonphase. Each phase the moon goes through is indexed along the top arc of the aperture, providing a welcome practical nod to the romantic complication. The moon itself differs between each of the watches, going from light pink in the Burbidge, to warm yellow in the Halley, and finally a neutral eggshell in the Eddington. The depictions reference the different hues the moon takes to our eyes, viewing it through different atmospheric conditions and angles. The moons themselves are hand-painted in Geneva using grade OL X1 Super-LumiNova. Fa...

Hands-On: The Miffy Moonphase. A Bauhaus-Inspired Bunny Watch

The cartoon watch that changed my mind about cartoon watches.

Frederique Constant Celebrates their 35th Anniversary and their Signature Complication with a New Highlife Worldtimer Manufacture

It’s hard to believe, but Frederique Constant celebrates their 35th anniversary this year. This is a brand that’s truly part of the old guard when it comes to the contemporary, affordable watch scene. Making the “nice Swiss watch” accessible to the masses was a big part of why the brand was founded, and over the course of their history the entire watch industry has changed multiple times over, currently finding itself in a healthy spot where more and better watches are finding their way onto the wrists of enthusiasts at a pace that couldn’t have have been imagined three decades ago. The line between “luxury” and “affordable” continues to shift, and there’s no doubt that Frederique Constant has played a role in those changes.  Specifically, Frederique Constant has broken new ground when it comes to making complicated watchmaking affordable. We all know about their excellent perpetual calendar, which they are still able to sell for a little less than $10,000 several years after its debut. But they also dabble in other historically significant and tech forward complications. Over the years we’ve seen everything from flyback chronographs to moon phases equipped watches, and of course their Slimline Monolithic with an ultra high frequency oscillator. But it could be argued that their signature complication, the one that the brand has leaned into the hardest and gained the most acclaim for, is the worldtimer. So it makes sense that for Frederique Constant...