Speaking broadly, there are three areas of appeal in a watch. It can be mechanically interesting. It can be beautifully designed. Or it can be extremely well priced. If none of those things apply, we have to dive deeper into human psychology in order to determine the root of a watch’s appeal. I’ve never put much time into that particular endeavour, I have to say. Human psychology is such a varied and inconsistent area that it’s just not really worth the time trying to figure out why some people like mechanically boring, unattractive and unjustifiably expensive watches. I much prefer directing my energy towards watches with a more straightforward type of appeal.
That brings us quite neatly to the watch presented by Claude Meylan at Geneva Watch Days (GWD) 2022. A watch doesn’t have to be new to be refreshing, and while the Tortue Blue Moon may not exactly be a blushing debutante (having been launched last August), its simplicity and direct charm are a delightful palate cleanser between the rich flavours of this year’s GWD premières.
Is it mechanically interesting? The movement is an extensively reworked and reconfigured ETA 2671, and you can take “reworked and reconfigured” to basically mean “unrecognisable”. What started out as a reliable full-rotor ETA workhorse with an industrial appearance is now a highly openworked micro-rotor movement with elegantly curved plates and bridges.
Is it well designed? The Claude Meylan team take pains to emphasise that this is not a ladies’ watch as you might be accustomed to seeing — a smaller, diamond-set, pastel-hued version of a masculine timepiece. The curves impart femininity in subtle fashion, as do the sandblasted sunray motif on the micro-rotor and movement mainplate, but other features (such as the well-sized crown and highly legible time display) are oriented towards utilitarianism and pragmatism.
Is it well-priced? You decide — is a Swiss-made steel watch with a reliable and time-tested movement that has been extensively redesigned and refinished by traditional watchmakers in the Vallée de Joux (the cradle of complicated Swiss watchmaking) well-priced at 3,850 CHF?
Earlier, I spoke about how the appeal of a watch can arise from its movement, its design or its value proposition. More often than not, you get two out of three of those things and can count yourself lucky. Having all three is something that takes place only once in a blue moon. In this instance, that’s once in a Claude Meylan Tortue Blue Moon.
