Watches with moon phase
The moon has always played a special role for humanity, and not without reason. It orbits the Earth like a satellite and is therefore, after the sun, the brightest visible object in the sky. The moon's gravity plays a crucial role in life on our planet. Not only would a day be just 8 hours long instead of 24, but we would also be missing the beginnings of today's calendars, because many hundreds of years ago, a month corresponded to a lunar phase.
Lunar phases occur at regular intervals. They indicate the position of the moon relative to the Earth and the sun. During a lunar phase, the sun illuminates different parts of the moon, depending on which part the Earth casts its shadow. However, the side of the moon we see on Earth is always the same.
The current moon phase
The different phases of the moon
Purpose of a lunar phase calendar
Watches with moon phases
What is the current phase of the moon today?
The animated calendar shows today's lunar phase. Over a period of approximately 29.5 days, the moon, shown above, moves from the bottom left to the bottom right until it is no longer visible (new moon) and the phase begins again. When the moon is in the top center of the calendar, then Full moon reached. If the moon is in the left part of the window, it is a waxing moon. If it is in the right part of the calendar, it is a waning moon.
You can easily set your watch according to the current status of our moon phase calendar.
What does a moon phase show?
The different phases of the moon include a new moon, a waxing moon, a full moon, and a waning moon. During a new moon, the moon is between the sun and the earth, meaning it is illuminated from behind and is virtually invisible to us on earth. From there, it moves through a waxing moon to a full moon, once it is behind the earth and the earth is between the sun and the moon. The front of the moon is thus illuminated by the sun, making it completely visible to us. After this, the visible part of the moon decreases again until, after 29 days and just under 13 hours, it once again lies between the earth and the sun as a new moon.
What can you tell from the different phases of the moon?
In addition to the position of the moon relative to the Earth and the sun, the phase of the moon indicates the strength of the tides, i.e., the ebb and flow of the tides. Tides are particularly strong whenever the sun, moon, and Earth are aligned. These two times always occur at the new moon (no moon visible) and the full moon (fully visible moon), with a slight delay due to inertia.
Due to the regular sequence of lunar phases, the moon played an essential role in determining time spans thousands of years before Christ and likely served as the basis for the first calendars. The time from one full moon to the next was counted as a month, comprising approximately 29.5 days. Thus, the moon played a very valuable role, and the display of the lunar phase became an early part of watchmaking with a long tradition.
Watches with lunar calendar
Today, the moon phase naturally has a different relevance than it did hundreds of years ago. Nevertheless, it has become an increasingly popular function in watches. Not only is it usually presented in a very stylish manner, it also recalls a long tradition and an object that has always played a special mythical or religious role in our cultures: the moon. The moon phase display originated in mechanical watches, where it is considered a minor complication. Mechanical watches with a moon phase calendar are still considered luxury items with a special elegance and high value. Thus, most of these models are complemented by a simple leather watch strapthat does not distract attention from the watch itself.
The prices of watches with a moon phase display are often in the four-, if not five-figure range. We've compiled a list of some of the most beautiful models.
A very prominent model is certainly the Omega Speedmaster Professional ChronographEvery enthusiast knows this model by the legendary Moonwatch, as it was the first watch NASA took to the moon. This watch is also available in a version with a small moon phase and date display. While this no longer corresponds to the popular original Omega Moonwatch model, we still believe it's a beautiful variation on the legendary design.
Rolex has introduced a relatively new version of its collection at Baselworld, namely the Cellini MoonphaseThis marks the first time Rolex has launched a watch with a moon phase display since the 1950s. This already demonstrates a growing trend for this function. In addition to the unusually open display of the moon phase, the moon itself is said to be made from a meteorite fragment, which immediately catches the eye. Rolex has also patented its movement model for the display, as it was developed with 122 years of astronomical accuracy.
The Jaeger LeCoultre Master Calendar also offers a moon phase complication, which finds an expressive place on a simple and uncluttered dial. The beautiful moon phase is classically presented with a date display and is housed in a particularly flat movement.
Arnold & Son has Perpetual Moon launched a collection of moon phase watches featuring a particularly large display for a prominent moon. The moon disc is hand-engraved and crafted in either silver or gold.
In addition to the comparatively more expensive luxury brands, such as Rolex, Jaeger LeCoultre, A. Lange & Söhne or IWC, there are also somewhat more affordable models, such as the Junghans Meister Calendar with a classic moon phase display and combined with the date. However, even in this segment, most models are priced above 1,000 euros. vild Moonphase watch with lunar calendar in simple Bauhaus style therefore offers a timelessly classic and cost-effective alternative.
vild moon phase clock
The You can find the current moon phase here. According to the status shown there, the lunar calendar of watches can also be set.