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.