When Earth is not enough to satisfy their creative curiosity and an ever-present desire to push boundaries, watchmakers reach for the stars. Whether sky charts, spaceships, mankind’s first steps on the Moon or the signs of the zodiac, opportunities abound to embark us on a journey into space.
Jaeger-LeCoultre : Master Grande Tradition Grande Complication
With its minute repeater and orbital flying tourbillon, the Master Grande Tradition Grande Complication is a lesson in the technical expertise required by striking mechanisms and astronomical complications. This exceptional command of complex horological engineering comes packaged in a meticulously thought-out design that places us at the heart of the cosmos, gazing up at a celestial vault and the constellations of the Northern Hemisphere. A mere 0.6 gram, the brass lattice supporting this vault connects macro and micro with its atom-like structure that also echoes the pattern formed by the lines that join the constellations on the star chart.
Louis Moinet : Space Revolution
Blasting off towards the final frontier, the Space Revolution is sci-fi movie material as two spaceships wage battle 18 times an hour, one completing a clockwise revolution every five minutes and the other an anticlockwise revolution every ten minutes. Louis Moinet’s “space object” is also a technical tour de force. Two flying satellite tourbillons double up as space stations, thanks to which the spaceships (a tiny 0.5 gram each) can continue to orbit the dial – in other words, counter the effects of gravity. You may already know that the tourbillon’s original purpose was to compensate for the influence of gravity and thereby ensure that a watch continues to keep good time.
Omega : Speedmaster Moonwatch Master Chronometer Professional Chronograph
Inspired by the fourth generation of Speedmaster, as worn by Apollo 11 astronauts for the 1969 Moon landing, this latest generation Moonwatch is now Master Chronometer-rated. Like that giant leap for mankind, Omega has propelled the collection into the modern age by fitting it with the Calibre 3861 Master Chronometer movement. Thus certified to the highest standard of timekeeping precision, performance and magnetic resistance - up to 15,000 gauss – in the industry, the Moonwatch is engineered for space and beyond.
Trilobe : Les Matinaux Secret
Following on from the successful launch of Les Matinaux, up-and-coming French brand Trilobe ventures into new terrain – personalisation – courtesy of Les Matinaux Secret. Simply indicate a place, a time and a date, and Trilobe will transpose the corresponding position of the stars onto the dial. What more unique way to capture a treasured moment than to have it written in the stars on a custom-made watch?
Van Cleef & Arpels : Lady Arpels Zodiac Lumineux
Well-known for its cosmic whimsy, Van Cleef & Arpels turns to astrology with watches inspired by the zodiac, including the Lady Arpels Zodiac Lumineux collection. The diamond-set bezel, crown and case twinkle like the stars while the dial depicts a sign of the zodiac in stones whose colour is that of the element – water, fire, air or earth – associated with the sign. Aries, for example, is a fire sign hence the gems on the Lady Arpels Zodiac Lumineux Aries display yellow-orange tones. The rest of the dial offers an expanse of glittering blue, like the depths of space. There are even translucent enamel beads forming a constellation that magically light up using the principle of piezoelectricity.
