Elite Traveler November-December 2016

INFLUENCE WATCHES COLUMN

elite traveler NOV/DEC 2016 64 Roberta Naas on astronomical watches

When the world is not enough, reach for the stars. Roberta Naas presents the amazing watches that are out of this world, representing themovements of the sun, moon and planets with beauty and precision

discs that indicate the current phase of the moon), sky charts (that depict the constellations), or other functions that bring the heavens down to earth. Today’s finest brands often offer these functions as multi-layered, multi-dimensional works of art that are out of this world. Jacob & Co. dazzles us with its Astronomia Sky watch that features moon and sun orbs that traverse the dial. Powered by a manufacture movement ( JCAM11), consisting of 395 parts, the Astronomia has a triple axis tourbillon, and its 3D sidereal celestial dial displays zodiac signs, sky indication as seen from the northern hemisphere, and month indications. The tiny moon on this patented watch is a 288-faceted orange sapphire. Louis Moinet’s Sideralis watch features stellar inverted double tourbillon escapements that rotate in opposite directions. The cages of the tourbillons are raised above the movement for visually stunning appeal, and one of them powers a sidereal mechanism that displays Mars, the moon and Mercury. It even uses fragments of authentic meteorites on the dial. The watch features a hand-painted time dial that depicts a labyrinth of stars and planets on a dark blue background. At 12 o’clock on the dial, a disc reveals the planet Mars, the moon and Mercury in succession. The main dial is hand-painted aventurine. Only 28 pieces will be made. Arnold & Son has unveiled the HM Double Hemisphere Perpetual Moon watch. Almost the entire dial of the 42mm watch shows the moon as seen from both the northern and southern hemispheres – a truly difficult feat. Each of the two 29mm moon phase discs features engraving and sculpting work to resemble the surface of the moon. The watch is powered by an in-house hand-wound movement that offers one of the most accurate moon phases, with only one day’s deviation every 122 years – at which point a single push on the corrector will keep it in sync for another 122 years. Astronomical watches are difficult to build and command top dollar – but why not reach for the stars?

We’ve all heard the saying, “the sky’s the limit,” but several of today’s finest watch brands are going beyond the sky, bringing aspects of the entire universe to astronomical watches that promise to keep time so precisely that their accuracy will last beyond their owner's lifetime. It is difficult to say when the recent fashion for astronomy on the wrist first took hold, but it is the top focus for many luxury brands that are introducing innovative watches with planets, sky charts, double moons and more within the case. Since the dawn of time we have tracked and measured the sky’s light, darkness and shadows; we’ve studied the moon’s effect on the tides. Early timekeeping instruments marked seasons for harvesting, reaping and sowing – they simply divided day and night. But as time progressed so too did the tracking of astronomy; the planets, constellations and the zodiac. By the 18th century, astronomical clocks that displayed sunrise and sunset times, star maps and more, were a mainstay. However, it wasn’t until the 1980s

that certain top brands brought the astronomical focus to the wrist. Ulysse Nardin created a trilogy of astronomical- and astrological-inspired watches (Astrolabium Galileo Galilei, Planetarium Copernicus and Tellurium Johannes Kepler) that spurred many brands to invent new ways of showing more information on the wrist. Recently, brands have incorporated significant astronomical achievements into the wristwatch. Patek Philippe unveiled its Sky Moon Tourbillon in 2013 (its most complicated watch to that point) and not long afterwards Van Cleef & Arpels produced the Midnight Planétarium watch featuring tiny gemstone planets that rotate around the dial at the same speed as they actually rotate around the sun. (See picture on page 97.) Generally, an astronomical watch is one that offers such functions as sidereal time (measurement of star time), equation of time (the difference between real and mean solar time), perpetual calendars (that track day, date, month, years and leap years), moon phase indications (sun and moon

Jacob & Co. Astronomia Sky in 18K rose gold, $540,000, available at Jacob and Co. in New York, Craig Rizzieri, +1 212 719 5887, jacobandco.com Louis Moinet Sideralis in 18K white gold, $245,000, available at FitzHenry Consulting in Florida, Don FitzHenry, +1 561 212 6812, louismoinet.com Arnold & Son HM Double Hemisphere Perpetual Moon in 18K red gold, $31,000, available at Provident Jewelry in Florida, Nick Linca, +1 561 747 4449, arnoldandson.com