Complication Moon

For centuries humanity has marveled at the moon. This astronomical body that orbits earth has, due to its natural prominence in the earthly sky and its regular cycle of phases, influenced human societies and cultures throughout the ages. Maybe it isn’t that crazy that complication moon is one of the most often used complications.

The moon’s regular phases make it a convenient timepiece. The periods of its waxing and waning have formed the basis of many of the oldest calendars. Understanding the Moon’s cycles was thus one of the earliest developments of astronomy. Around 500 B.C. Babylonian astronomers already had recorded its 18-year ‘Saros cycle’ of lunar eclipses. While Indian astronomers had measured and described its monthly elongation.

In later years understanding the cycles of the moon has been of great importance for humanities oversea explorations. As the moon can be used for both navigation at sea as well as the determining of the tides at specific locations, this unique astronomical body has been central for oversea explorers, merchants and so on.

The least practical and most romantic: complication moon

As the moon has played such a central role in our development. As a species it is no wonder that its 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes, and 2.8 seconds cycle has been one of the earliest known complications in watch making. By now it is often described as the least practical and most romantic of complications.

While most moon phase complications are designed as a ‘bosom’ moon phase, so named for the shape of its aperture (and used in our Ladies collection). Wybe van der Gang wanted something else for his chronograph. His idea of a moon phase was a disc that shows the exact shape and size whether its waxing or waning.

Our Chronograph Complication Moon is the result of his vision on the complication and its role through history. The complication is made in-house and has been the flagship of our ‘Chronograaf’ collection. While perhaps not as mysterious and enchanting as a bright moon in a starlit sky. We believe that our Chronograaf Complication Moon is something to marvel at.