Affluent Page Features Space Time
Though many watch manufacturers appear content to maintain the status quo, it is still refreshing when an artisan pushes the boundaries of innovation. Louis Moinet's Meteoris—an astounding collection of timepieces built using materials from outer space—is truly from another world.
This undertaking took three years to complete, but the preliminary studies for the project began ten years before. As a result, this is the only model of its kind in the entire world. "To make only one was logical in this sense as it is addressed to customers who require uniqueness," said Louis Moinet CEO Jean-Marie Schaller. The collection's astronomy theme alludes to an event in 1820, when Moinet invented a counter that could track the movements of a star to the 60th of a second. "At that time, it must have been one of the most accurate systems in existence," said Schaller. "It was logical to follow such innovations and Meteoris was for us the perfect idea." Four different watches each encase a separate space rock, as if the celestial bodies were plucked from the sky.
The "Rosetta Stone" watch features the oldest known rock in the solar system, estimated age 4.5 billion years. Believed to have originated on Mercury, this rock was uncovered in the Sahara Desert in 1999. The complicated case is crafted in 18-carat rose gold and comprises 50 individual parts.
The "Moon" watch, distinguished by its dark structure that boasts a number of fine occlusions, contains an authentic lunar meteorite discovered in the Sultanate of Oman in 2001. The case is fitted with a hand-sewn crocodile leather strap, lined with genuine alligator, and enclosed in 18-carat rose gold. No word on whether Neil Armstrong's footprint is included.
Itqiy, a mysterious asteroid formed near the sun, lends its name to the third timepiece of the Meteoris quartet. Found in 1990 in Western Sahara, this meteor provides important information about the formation of our solar system, though its own formation remains a mystery. A hand-engraved dial depicts Itqiy's trajectory toward our planet, shown under the watch hands by a Pietersite gemstone. The "Asteroid" watch is presented in an 18-carat white gold case set with baguette-cut diamonds and engraved with the legend "Pièce Unique."
The "Mars" watch is the first timepiece to feature a stone from the red lanet. Code-named Jiddat al Harasis 479, the rock was found in the Sultanate of Oman just two-years ago. Set with 56 baguette-cut Top Wesselton VVS diamonds, the case is crafted from 18-carat white gold, with a hand-engraved dial that charts the proximity between the two heavenly bodies.
Inspired by etchings from Moinet's famous Traité d'Horlogerie of 1848, the Meteoris collection not only emphasizes its technicality, but its display. Each piece in the Meteoris is powered by a tourbillon, whose carriage is fused to the barrel by a vertical bar. The fascinating technology is displayed through this bar, showing off Louis Moinet's blend of the aesthetic and practical. The hand-wound tourbillon beats at a cadence of 21,600 vibrations an hour, roughly 3Hz. The human ear only recognizes sounds as low as 20Hz, so no need to worry about the "ticking" noise.
The Meteoris Solar System display completely redefines the term "case." A technical achievement such as this requires proper presentation, and at Louis Moinet there is no such thing as "over the top." Louis Moinet built a representation of the eight planets, Pluto, and the Moon, using actual dust from each of the space rocks. This planetarium is collaboration between mechanic Rémy Chauvin and artist Jean-Yves Kervévan.
An expertly fashioned dial placed around the rotating bodies indicates which zodiac sign each planet crosses through. On the midnight-blue surface, the twelve constellations are adorned with gold dust and each of the 154 stars is made from a Rhodiumed set with 5.6 carats worth of Top Wesselton VVS diamonds. The planetarium is fashioned so the planets revolve around the sun quickly giving new meaning to the expression "the day flew by." The Earth spins around the sun every 37-seconds, rather than the customary 365-days, and along with the Moon, is placed on a separate dial to show the lunar phases.
Ten-years ago, Louis Moinet put a plan in motion to create something beyond the reaches of our planet. As Schaller explains, "to achieve something extraordinary, never made before." Mission Accomplished.
The price of the Meteoris, which includes all four watches and the planetarium display, is CHF4,900,000. It must be purchased as a set.
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