The moonphase complication tend to only take up a small part of a watch’s dial, showing the user what that night’s moon will look like, in the same way it shows them the time and date.
Not so, the new C1 Moonphase by Christopher Ward. Announced today, this watch lives up to its name and puts its moonphase complication front-and-centre. There is no date complication, no power reserve indicator and no subdials either. Instead, the entire dial is covered in a starry sky and the moonphase occupies the entire upper half of the face. It’s a thing of beauty.
Christopher Ward explains how the dial is made from aventurine. “A glass infused with reflective flakes of copper oxide that resemble the starry night sky.” Every dial is different, making the constellation of each C1 Moonphase unique.
This isn’t the first time Christopher Ward has fitted a moonphase complication to a watch. But this is by far the largest, being 25 percent bigger than the moonphase of its C1 Moonglow. Compared to that watch, the new model’s moon also looks more realistic, made from a mix of ceramic and illuminating Super-LumiNova and featuring a four-colour print of the moon itself. Instead of the usual green, the moonphase complication glows white at night.
The watch is powered by a Calibre JJ04 movement, with the moonphase linked to the hour hand and in perpetual motion, the complication moving smoothly from one phase to another throughout each month. So long as the watch is kept wound, Christopher Ward says the movement and its moonphase complication will remain accurate for 128 years. The movement is visible through the sapphire crystal case, contains 26 jewels and has a power reserve of 38 hours.
Priced at £2,120 on a stainless steel bracelet and £1,995 on a leather strap, the watch has a case diameter of 40.5mm and is 13.3mm thick. It has a push-down crown at the three o’clock position and watch resistance is 30 metres.
