Moonphase Watches · Page 4

Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Master Control Calendar Goes Granular Two-Tone

Jaeger-LeCoultre has just introduced the Master Control Calendar Limited Edition, the latest addition to a long line of triple calendar watches going back decades. Packaged in the 40 mm Master Control case we’ve become familiar with, this new 500-piece stainless steel limited edition is all about the dial, which features a richly textured silver and grey livery on a “sector” layout. Despite the classical aesthetic, the Master Control Date is thoroughly modern on the inside with the cal. 866 featuring a silicon escapement that supports a 70-hour power reserve. Initial thoughts The triple calendar moon phase has long been a staple of the Jaeger-LeCoultre line-up; Pablo Picasso famously wore one. Add to this lineage the brand’s unique jumping date pointer, which jumps in a wide arc from the 15th to the 16th of the month to avoid confounding the moon phase display, and the result is a watch that manages to be both charming and technically distinctive. It’s also easily wearable in a 40 mm case, that, while larger than the vintage originals, gives the indicators on the dial plenty of space to breathe. Of course, the movement is the cal. 866, effectively a cal. 899 with a triple calendar module, which helps keeps the overall package quite sleek at 10.95 mm – on par with many simple time-and-date watches in this category. Upgraded a few years ago with a silicon escapement, the movement now runs for 70 hours when fully wound, adding convenience to wearability. Naturall...

First Look – The Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Calendar now with Handsome Grained Sector Dial

Launched in 1992, Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Master Control collection is inspired by the brand’s classic round timepieces of the 1950s, focusing on technical rigour, certification (JLC’s in-house “1000 Hours” Control), and stylistic restraint. The Master Control Calendar was part of the refreshed collection in 2020, equipped with a triple calendar and moon phases inspired by movements developed […]

Hot Take: The New Tudor 1926 Luna - Nailing It On The First Try?

The new Tudor 1926 Luna marks an unexpected first for the brand - a moonphase complication. We have come to expect new variations within the Black Bay or Pelagos lines. This time, though, Tudor chose its most understated collection for a milestone complication. The result is a 39mm dressy number with the brand’s very first […] Visit Hot Take: The New Tudor 1926 Luna - Nailing It On The First Try? to read the full article.

Orient Star’s Manual-Wind Moon Phase is Slick and Silicon

The Orient Star M45 F8 Mechanical Moon Phase Hand Winding is the brand’s first manual-wind moon phase, and also the first in years with a solid dial, making it a refreshing change of pace from the brand’s usual fare that leans towards open-worked and occasionally over-designed styling. Initial Thoughts Excepting the vintage inspired Diver 1964, the M45 F8 moon phase is the most attractive watch in the Orient catalog to my eye. Most of the brand’s designs are too busy for my tastes, so these entries are a welcome departure that will certainly appeal to enthusiasts with more classical tastes. The moon phase disk itself, with mother-of-pearl inlay, is a highlight. And the absence of a seconds hand is a pleasant surprise, though the moon phase sub-dial feels naked without the traditional co-axial small seconds hand. Since the small seconds version of this calibre is not compatible with the moon phase module, Orient could have moved the Orient Star logo onto the sub-dial for more visual balance. Most importantly, this is a manually wound watch – with a competent movement – in a price segment where such things are hard to find. Looking at Japanese watches in particular, manual wind options from Grand Seiko and Credor are significantly more expensive, while Seiko, Orient, and Citizen dropped their entry-level manual watches years ago. Pleiades About two years ago, Orient Star reorganised its catalog by launching M Collections, a family of watches each named after astron...

Introducing: The Glashütte Original PanoMaticLunar Anniversary Edition

The German brand reaches for the stars with a shimmering new moon phase.

First Look – The New Glashütte Original PanoMaticLunar Anniversary Edition Shines in Aventurine

Over the past two decades, the PanoMaticLunar has established itself as one of Glashütte Original’s most recognisable models. Its off-centred time display, Panorama Date, and moon-phase complication have become defining features of the collection, embodying the Saxon approach to precision, order, and poetry. Along the way, the PanoMaticLunar has experimented with colour, moving from the […]

Introducing: The Tudor 1926 Luna Adds A Moonphase Complication To The Lineup

The Shield expands its 1926 line with new models tracking the phases of the moon each month.

Introducing – The new Tudor 1926 Luna, the Brand’s First Moonphase Watch

When you think about Tudor, you probably have in mind the image of a cool Submariner-inspired dive watch, with a retro-styled case and dial, and a solid manufacture movement by Kenissi inside. What I’ve just described is basically the Black Bay collection, which has been the brand’s cornerstone for over a decade. With this in […]

Tudor’s First-Ever Moon Phase Wristwatch

In a surprise launch from a brand best known for its dive watches, Tudor just rolled out the 1926 Luna. It’s a thinnish, 39 mm dress watch with a moon phase – a first for Tudor – as well as a date, though in the typical Tudor style the case is still rated to 100 m and fitted to a solidly constructed steel bracelet. And unusually for a new launch from Tudor, the 1926 Luna is equipped with an ETA (or Sellita) calibre, which means lower specs than models powered by Tudor’s in-house movements, but also substantially more affordable at just US$2,800 or CHF2,400. The 1926 Luna debuts in three dial colours, including a champagne iteration that was conceived with the help of Jay Chou, a Taiwanese singer who’s one of the most famous musicians in the Mandarin-speaking world. Initial thoughts Tudor has long excelled at sports watches with high specs and low prices – making them some of the best value propositions out there – but dress watches have always been a weakness. The brand has made several attempts at dress watches with mixed results. The 1926 Luna, on the other hand, is much more promising. The design is classical, even a little conservative, but the look is appealing. The brushed dial in metallic colours give this a much more modern look than the rest of the 1926 line, which appears a little dated. Purists will complain about the date window, and it probably looks better on a leather strap than a bracelet, but the 1926 Luna is a strong proposition in its price...

Tudor launches its first-ever moonphase: the 1926 Luna

Ming Gets Crazy with the 37.05 Lunatic

Late last month, ahead of Geneva Watch Days, Ming debuted the 57.04. It was a big moment for the brand, being not only a very cool release (who doesn’t love a destro monopusher chronograph), but also the first launch in a new generation of Ming watches, complete with a radically new design language. Still, just because the new is here doesn’t mean we’re quite done with the old, and as if to remind us of that, Ming is today announcing a new, slightly more familiar watch: the MING 37.05 Lunatic. This new watch is somewhat of a farewell from Ming. It’s the third iteration of the 37.05, and the brand promises that it will be the final version of the watch, which was first introduced back in November of 2021 and kicked off the 37-series of watches. Like the first two executions of the 37.05, the MING 37.05 Lunatic is a Moonphase and date watch housed in a stainless steel case. Like its predecessors, the watch measures 38mm across and 11.9mm thick - although 3mm of that height comes from the domed sapphire crystals found on both the front and back of the watch - and is powered by a Sellita for MING 288.M1, a hand-wound time, Moonphase, and date movement based on the Sellita SW288.1. While I haven’t had the good fortune to see the 37.05 Lunatic in person just yet, I have been lucky enough to encounter its older brothers, and - assuming no radical change unaccounted for by dimensions or specs - can attest that the 37.05 wears as one would expect from a Ming, part...

Introducing: Ming Concludes A Trilogy Of Moonphase Designs With The 37.05 Lunatic

A Minimalist (with a capital M) execution of a unique new moonphase indication serves as the last 37-series moonphase to be made.

First Look – MING Says Goodbye to its Moonphase Watch with the Final 37.05 Lunatic Edition

Frustrated by not finding a watch he liked at a price he could afford, multi-talented founder Ming Thein decided to create his own brand. Based in Kuala Lumpur, the design-led indie brand has a distinctive and recognisable aesthetic built on contemporary design, where minimalism, luminescence, layering and colour are key players. Ever-evolving, Ming’s discontinuation of its […]

Introducing: The Ming 37.05 Lunatic

Ming is probably best known for its simple, time-only watches. After all, these are the types of pieces responsible for the small brand’s dramatic rise in popularity. However, the eight-year-old brand has offered chronographs, GMTs, worldtimers, and other complications. In 2021, the first Ming watch with a date indicator arrived. It also included a moonphase […] Visit Introducing: The Ming 37.05 Lunatic to read the full article.

Frederique Constant expands its Classics Moneta Moonphase range with two new models

The new Frederique Constant Classics Moneta Moonphase is a "set it and forget it" quartz moonphase watch with details worth remembering.The post Frederique Constant expands its Classics Moneta Moonphase range with two new models appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Hands-On With The CIGA Design Moon Walker

The Moon has always been fertile ground for watch design. From classic moonphase displays to bold tributes, brands have tried to capture the Moon’s mystery and symbolism in different ways. CIGA Design takes a more literal approach with the Moon Walker, a watch that puts a miniature astronaut on your wrist and lets him wander […] Visit Hands-On With The CIGA Design Moon Walker to read the full article.

The Roger W. Smith Series 6 is a Reminder of Why I Love Traditional Watchmaking

I love Roger Smith’s watches. If I won the lottery tomorrow (or had I won it this past weekend, when the Powerball reached a high of $1.7 billion), my first call wouldn’t be to a banker, or a lawyer, or even to my family. There’s a very real chance my first call would be to Roger Smith to beg for a spot on his very long waitlist - I might not even wait to cash the check to start dialing. I tell you this not because this is an article about how my watch collecting would change were I to come into an inconceivable amount of money overnight (though that might be a fun game to play at some point), but because Roger Smith has just announced the Series 6, his first new model since 2019, and the watch I am undoubtedly most excited about this year, even if it may be some time before I get to see one. The Series 6, like all Smith’s watches, is clear in its origin, building on the vocabulary steadily developed by Smith over the last few decades. In execution, the watch is most closely linked to the Series 4, a triple calendar with moon phase wrist watch introduced in 2015 that set itself apart not only in craftsmanship (a given for Smith) but in layout. That watch introduced a floating central dial with a radial date display, complete with “traveling aperture.” This evolution of the pointer date made the Series 4 incredibly legible, and strikingly modern, despite the classical styling. With the Series 6, Smith has brought the “traveling aperture” to a comparatively...

Hands On With The New TAG Heuer Carrera Astronomer

TAG Heuer has released a new look Carrera that is very different to the standard racing-inspired models. The Carrera Astronomer is designed to cast your eyes to the heavens with its new moonphase complication, and we’ve gone hands-on for a review. What We Love The dial design is unique and looks great Very easy to wear and comfortable 39mm size The Beads of Rice bracelet elevates this piece What We Don’t Lack of lume on the dial No micro-adjust on the clasp A date display could have added to the functionality Overall Rating: 8.4 / 10 Value for Money: 8/10 Wearability: 8/10 Design: 9/10 Build Quality: 8.5/10 For TAG Heuer’s first outing at Geneva Watch Days, it has released some very cool pieces, one of which (well, three really) is the TAG Heuer Carrera Astronomer. A new take on the traditional moonphase complication, TAG Heuer has set out to embark on a new phase for the famous Carrera line. It has introduced three different variations of the Carrera Astronomer – A 500-piece limited edition with grey dial accents and leather strap, a seconds 500-piece limited edition two-tone steel and 18k rose gold plated model, and this, which I’m reviewing today – the full stainless steel model as part of the core collection. The new TAG Heuer Carrera Astronomer Collection with two limited edition pieces on leather and in two-tone, and the full steel core collection model But why an astronomical complication in the Carrera? So, in 1962, a significant moment in both watc...

TAG Heuer goes extraterrestrial with the Carrera Astronomer (live pics)

TAG Heuer looks to reinvent the moonphase complication in a new sporty-chic aesthetic with three new models. The post TAG Heuer goes extraterrestrial with the Carrera Astronomer (live pics) appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Introducing: TAG Heuer Shoots For The Moon With The Carrera Astronomer (Live Pics)

An unconventional interpretation of a moonphase that's out of this world.

Why YES Watches Deserve Your Attention (and A Slot in Your Watch Box)

When I started collecting watches many years ago, I vividly remember stumbling upon a blog discussing YES and their array of unique and technologically advanced watches. I’m typically not someone who utilizes many of the functions on a watch besides the basic time and date keeping, but when I saw how complicated the dial and modes were on these, I knew I would have to own at least one at some point. Now with two different models in my collection, I wish I could go back and thank the author of that blog for steering me in the right direction all those years prior. For those of you who haven’t seen or heard of YES before, allow me to shed light on them just like that blog did.   A Brief History of the Company For a more in-depth rundown on how YES came to be, I highly recommend reading the writeup by the brand’s founder himself, Bjorn Kartomten, featured on their website. Here, I want to instead offer some insight on the brand’s models and technological innovations rather than the nuts and bolts of how the brand came to be. As I’m sure you’ve already been able to gather by the included photos thus far, these aren’t your typical three-handers. Throughout YES’ catalog are watches boasting equinox and solstice alerts, lunar phase information, daylight and nighttime readouts and estimates, sun and moon calculators to show lunar data for any locations between the years 2000 and 2100, high and low tide indicators, phase elapse countdown timers, compasses, alarms,...

Introducing: The Roger Smith Series 6 Wristwatch, Plus A Detailed Review of Smith's History With Calendars

In some ways, a simplified version of Smith's Series 4 instantaneous calendar with moonphase, the new watch is no less an impressive example of some of the finest British watchmaking this century.

Introducing – Redesigned Inside and Out, The new Longines PrimaLuna Moonphase Automatic

Longines introduced its PrimaLuna collection of women’s watches in 2009 with a name designed to evoke the romantic nature of the Moon. However, unlike the PrimaLuna time-and-date models powered by automatic calibres, the PrimaLunas featuring moon phase complications were fitted with quartz movements that might not appeal to women who prefer mechanical movements. For 2025, […]

Introducing – The Union Glashütte Belisar Chronograph Moon Phase now in Blue Editions

The Belisar Chronograph Moon Phase has long been one of Union Glashütte’s signature watches, combining Saxon craftsmanship with the appeal of a complete calendar and lunar display. In 2023, the Belisar Chronograph line received a welcome refresh with sleeker proportions, more angular bezels, and a renewed emphasis on legibility. This year, the usually classic Belisar […]