Five watches inspired by the cosmos

MONTBLANC STAR LEGACY METAMORPHOSIS

There’s a moonphase indicator on this white gold, eight-piece limited edition and you can choose when you want to see it. Montblanc’s Metamorphosis concept involves a pair of shutters positioned at the apertures at 12 and 6 o’clock. When the shutters are closed, the large balance wheel is visible at the top, while at 6 o’clock, a 24-hour scale with day/night indication enables the turning Northern Hemisphere globe to serve as a world time display. When opened, the aperture at the top reveals the Exo Tourbillon and the bottom, a 3D moon that revolves around the globe, indicating the lunar phases.

JAEGER-LECOULTRE HYBRIS MECHANICA CALIBRE 185

Made to mark the 90th anniversary of the Reverso, the 11-complication, four-sided Hybris Mechanica Calibre 185 in white gold features a perpetual calendar, a flying tourbillon, a minute repeater and the most advanced lunar complication yet. The front and back of the watch cradle bear information such as the relative distance of the moon from the earth as it travels in an elliptical orbit, the time when the path of the moon intersects with the orbit of Earth around the sun, as well as the moon phases in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

ARNOLD & SON LUNA MAGNA

The latest Arnold & Son astronomical release should please fans of the moonphase display who find typical lunar indications too modestly sized. This 44mm red gold watch houses the largest 3D moon built into a wristwatch. Measuring an impressive 12mm in diameter, the spherical moon is made from two different materials: half is made of marble and represents its illuminated side, while the other half is made of aventurine glass that represents its dark side.

BVLGARI OCTO FINISSIMO TADAO ANDO

Following a first Japan-only exclusive collaboration in 2019, Bvlgari and renowned architect Tadao Ando team up again. Here, there are no fancy sky charts or moving parts. Instead, the focus is on the quiet artistry of the dial decoration. Set against a deep-blue lacquered dial featuring an engraved spiral, a yellow gold moon pays homage to the Japanese mikazuki (crescent moon), symbolising the transitory nature of time. The 160-piece limited edition is housed in a 40mm black sandblasted ceramic case.

VACHERON CONSTANTIN MINUTE REPEATER TOURBILLON SKY CHART LEO CONSTELLATION JEWELLERY

Celestial movements inspire the designs of Vacheron Constantin’s latest Les Cabinotiers collection, which focuses on one-off, customised pieces. Showcasing the engraving skills of its artisans, this 45mm white-gold number has a lion created by hand-guilloche. It’s further accented with diamonds forming the Leo constellation. The back features a mobile sky chart that makes a full rotation in 23 hours, 56 minutes and four seconds, reflecting actual sidereal time. The 100 sapphires set on the case heighten the drama.