Astronomical watch, the universe on your wrist

The landing of NASA’s Perseverance Rover on Mars on 18 February 2021 after a seven-month journey has put the Universe in the spotlight.

Watchmakers have always been captivated by the amazing science behind the movements of the Sun, the Earth, the Moon and the Universe, prompting them to create sophisticated objects that convey dreams and emotion.

The Hermès Arceau l'heure de la lune

The dial of this Hermès timepiece features two mother-of-pearl moons on a meteorite background. Above them rotate two dials, one for the time and the other for the date. The two moons are progressively covered by the sub-dials, with their visible portions representing the moon phases as seen in the northern (bottom moon) and southern (top moon) hemispheres.

The watch is powered by the in-house self-winding mechanical H1837 movement.

The Jaeger-LeCoultre Rendez-Vous Celestial

The two new Rendez-Vous pieces by Jaeger-LeCoultre pay tribute to the fascinating spectacle of the Northern Lights. Mother-of-pearl and multi-coloured sapphires reproduce the many colours lighting up the starry sky.

On the upper part of the dial, the numerals are graduated in size to form a crescent that hovers above the star chart on the lower dial. The star chart shows the changing positions of the constellations of the northern hemisphere in real time.

The self-winding mechanical movement Jaeger‑LeCoultre Calibre 809/1 turns the disc counter clockwise in relation to the stars in step with the rotation of the Earth in 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4 seconds.

The IWC Schaffhausen Portugieser Perpetual Calendar

Lastly, the Portugieser Perpetual Calendar offers a stunning double moon phase display. The timepiece features a 44.2 mm 18-carat white gold case containing a dial that shows the moon phase and its mirror image, thus representing the state of the moon in both hemispheres.

Moreover, this model comes with a perpetual calendar, a window showing the year in four digits, a 7-day automatic movement with Pellaton winding and a power reserve display. To round it out, the watch is powered by an IWC-manufactured movement from the 52000-calibre family and fitted with a black alligator strap.

Montre astronomique, l’univers est à votre poignet

Le jeudi 18 février 2021, l’atterrissage du robot d’exploration Persévérance de la NASA sur la planète Mars, après sept mois de voyage, a mis l’Univers au centre de l’actualité.

Les créateurs de montres ont toujours été fascinés par la fabuleuse histoire de la science des mouvements du Soleil, de la Terre, de la Lune et de l’Univers. Ils aiment créer des objets sophistiqués, porteurs de rêve et d’émotion.

Hermès « Arceau l'heure de la lune »

Le cadran de la montre Hermès associe deux lunes en nacre sur fond de météorite. Au-dessus, deux sous-cadrans tournent : l’un pour l'heure et l’autre pour la date. Les deux lunes sont progressivement couvertes par les sous-cadrans. Leurs parties visibles correspondent ainsi aux phases lunaires vues dans les hémisphères nord (lune d’en bas) et sud (lune d’en haut).

La montre possède un mouvement mécanique à remontage automatique embarqué par le Calibre H1837.

Jaeger-leCoultre « Rendez-vous Celestial »

Les deux nouvelles pièces Rendez-Vous de Jaeger-LeCoultre rendent hommage au spectacle fascinant donné par les aurores boréales. Nacre et saphirs multicolores reproduisent les diverses couleurs qui animent alors le ciel et la voûte étoilée.

Sur la partie supérieure du cadran, les chiffres, en taille croissante puis décroissante, forment un arc de cercle dans lequel vient se lover une carte des étoiles. Celle-ci indique en temps réel l'évolution des positions des constellations de l’hémisphère nord.

Le mouvement mécanique à remontage automatique Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 809/1 fait tourner le disque dans le sens des aiguilles d’une montre en suivant le déplacement des étoiles, en harmonie avec la rotation de la Terre en 23 heures, 56 minutes et 4 secondes.

IWC Schaffhausen « Portugieser Calendrier Perpétuel »

Enfin, la Portugieser Calendrier Perpétuel se base sur l’affichage des phases de lune. Présentés sur un boîtier en or gris 18 cts de 44,2 mm, les cycles lunaires apparaissent en miroir pour les hémisphères nord et sud.

Outre cette particularité, le modèle propose un calendrier perpétuel, l’affichage de l’année à quatre chiffres, un mouvement automatique de sept jours avec remontage Pellaton et l’affichage de la réserve de marche. Enfin, animée par mouvement de manufacture de la famille de calibres IWC 5200, cette pièce se dote d’un bracelet en alligator noir.

Christofle and Junichi Hakose present MOOD

Christofle launches MOOD creations in collaboration with one of the most acclaimed Japanese lacquer and special craft artists, Junichi Hakose. This partnership will give rise to six exceptional creations, each in a limited edition.

An extraordinary art

Japanese lacquer art, or urushi, dates back to protohistoric times, around 5000 BC, and became especially popular during the 8th century. It was originally used as a protective and decorative varnish for any array of objects used in Buddhist temples. The development of techniques and art forms eventually led to the rise of Maki-e, a design term that refers to the combining of lacquer with other decorative elements in Japanese art.

Maki-e means “sprinkled picture” and involves sprinkling gold or silver powder on the urushi while it is drying to create beautiful designs.

Each work of urushi art requires tireless hours and meticulous precision. The process entails careful application of many layers of lacquer, extended periods of drying in between each one, and the incorporation of decorative elements, all of which can take months to complete. Characterised by a range of lacquer techniques and several unique forms of beauty, this traditional lacquer is extremely durable. In fact, testifying to its unparalleled quality is the fact that many of the pieces from hundreds of years ago still retain their glossy lustre.

The MOOD creations

“The motifs selected for the themes are all traditional Japanese patterns. I incorporated into these works the ‘new traditions’ that I want to express in the vermillion, blur, lines, gold colour, expression, and space.” Junichi Hakose

The six creations feature chrysanthemums, cherry blossoms, fortune treasures, dragons, phoenixes, Pegasus and butterflies. Moreover, the design is also featured on the handles of the 24 pieces of flatware found inside the Mood case.

“I want to continuously give new form to this tradition and pass it on to the next generation. It is important for me, someone who is alive now, to draw and hand down things to the next generation in order to leave something behind. I drew something new within tradition and will hand it down to the next generation as a new tradition.” Junichi Hakose