Astronomical Clock & Moon Phase Ranking / When You Wish Upon a Star

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2014.12.03

A. Lange & Söhne Hublot omega Cartier De Bethune Patek Philippe Ulysse Nardin Van Cleef & Arpels

It seems like there's going to be a bit of a rush of new "Astronomical Clock & Moon Phase" products. Let's make a wish upon a star to mark the start of 2015. Well, at this point, you might think the votes would be fairly even, but the battle for third place and below is pretty fierce! Surprisingly, there were a lot of astronomical products.

1 bit 91 points / 6 people

A. Lange & Söhne / Richard Lange Perpetual Calendar "Terraluna"

Photo: "Richard Lange Perpetual Calendar "Terraluna". Manual winding. 18KPG. 2138 million yen. For inquiries, please contact A. Lange & Söhne at 03-3288-6639.

●In addition to the orbital moon phase, which shows the position of the moon relative to the earth, the idea of likening the balance wheel to the sun is brilliant. As a result, the correlation between the sun, earth and moon is clear, and the mystery of the celestial bodies is skillfully expressed. (Takagi)
●It's like a basic diagram explaining the lunar phase, but it's also educational as it clearly explains the mechanism of the moon phases based on the relative positions of the sun, earth, and moon. (Sugawara)
●It created a new style of expression for the moon. (Shinoda)

2 bit 70 points / 4 people

Van Cleef & Arpels / Poetic Complication Midnight Planetarium

Photo: "Poetic Complication Midnight Planetarium." Automatic movement. 18KPG. 2540 million yen. Inquiries: Van Cleef & Arpels Le Desk ■ 0120-10-1906

●The image of the solar system, or rather Copernicus' heliocentric theory, is beautifully visualized. The poetic expression is moving. The lucky day gimmick is also interesting. (Sugawara)
This watch is impressive, showing how Van der Klaeuw's ideas have been refined to such an extent. The idea of simply inserting reduction gears to slow down the planet's rotation is not a particularly original one. However, the way it has been neatly put together is what makes it so impressive. (Hirota)
●This is a work that is truly characteristic of the company. The various semi-precious stones, arranged in a sphere, represent the orbits of the six planets in the solar system. By boldly sacrificing the visibility of the time display, a beautiful astronomical clock was created. (Takagi

3 bit 57 points / 4 people

Ulysse Nardin / Astronomical Trilogy

Photo: "Astrolabium Galileo Galilei". Automatic movement. 18K Yellow Gold. Discontinued. For inquiries, please contact DKSH Japan at 03-5441-4515.

This is the first model that comes to mind when you think of astronomical clocks. Thanks to the genius design of Dr. Ludwig Oechslin, this was the "world's most complicated wristwatch" at the time, and it also played a part in the revival of mechanical movements. A masterpiece that will remain in the history of watches! (Takagi)

4 bit 32 points / 3 people

Patek Philippe/Celestial

Photo: "Celestial Ref. 6102P". Automatic movement. Price: 3094 yen. For inquiries, please contact the Patek Philippe Japan Information Center at 03-3255-8109.

●When it comes to astronomical clocks, this is a watch that absolutely cannot be left out. The star chart made of three pieces of metal-deposited sapphire crystal gives the dial an unparalleled aesthetic. (Takagi)

5 bit 31 points / 2 people

Omega / Speedmaster Moonphase

Photo: "Speedmaster Moonphase". Manual winding. Stainless steel. Discontinued. For inquiries, please contact Omega Customer Service Center at 03-5952-4400.

●I've always wanted a Speedmaster model with a moon phase and pointer date. The Speedmaster is called the "Moonwatch" because it reached the moon, and this is truly a Moonwatch. (Nabata)