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The Best Moonphase Watches, and Why They’re Special

This watch feature is simultaneously useless and profound.

omega speedmaster coax moonphase gear patrol lead fullHenry Phillips

By Zen Love

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Watch enthusiasts are a romantic bunch. They find pleasure in wearing mostly obsolete technology on their wrists purely for reasons of what it represents or the image it conjures. Among all the details and features they delight in, and yet which might be reasonably considered superfluous to modern life, there’s one that even they regularly describe as “poetic”: the moonphase.

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It’s futile to argue with someone who appreciates such things about utility. Sure, referencing the time and date right from your wrist, without pulling out your phone, can be handy. But there are use cases for knowing the moon’s phase, too, whether it’s for light as, say, a photographer or hunter, or in relation to tides for surfers or boaters (though, there are watches with specific tide complications). Still, these probably aren’t the reasons most people would buy a moonphase watch.

If it doesn’t seem cool to you for the moon’s movement in relation to the earth to be actuated via mechanical clockwork and represented in miniature on your wrist — or to think about the history behind astronomers and horologists who pioneered the complication over past centuries — you probably don’t need a moonphase watch anyway. If you’re as enchanted with the idea as we are, however, here are some great options to consider.

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Christopher Ward C1 Moonglow

  • Diameter: 40.5mm
  • Movement: Sellita SW220 automatic with Christopher Ward JJ04 moon phase module

Independent British brand Christopher Ward is known for its high bang-for-buck watches, and its C1 Moonphase is an example of one of the most captivating and affordable examples of this complication. Whereas most watchmakers will tuck a moonphase display into a discrete subdial, here it fully occupies half the dial. Even cooler is that it’s drenched in lume to glow brightly, while the lower half of the dial is tinted sapphire so the other side of the moon phase disk is also visible for a striking look.

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Longines Flagship Heritage Moonphase

  • Diameter: 38.5mm
  • Movement: ETA A31.L91 automatic

The classic watchmaking take on the moonphase from a storied brand in a dress watch package. That’s what Longines is offering with its refined Flagship Heritage collection watch offering an elevated feel, 38.5mm case and sliding in at a competitive price point at just around $3,000. Available in three variants, this delivers the formal vibe that often feels so appropriate for the moon phase’s calming character.

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Frederique Constant Slimline Moonphase

  • Diameter: 42mm
  • Movement: Frederique Constant FC-705 automatic

Frederique Constant hangs its hat on building conservatively styled dress watches with complications and in-house movements at highly competitive prices. This alone makes its Slimline Moonphase Manufacture attractive, but as its name indicates, this is also a reasonably thin watch at 11.3mm thick and 42mm in diameter. Taking the popular and intuitive approach of combining the date and moon phase in a subdial at 6 o’clock, it’s powered by the brand’s own FC-705 automatic movement.

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Montblanc Star Legacy Moonphase

  • Diameter: 42mm
  • Movement: Sellita SW300 automatic with Dubois-Depraz 9314 moonphase module

If you want a traditional take on the moonphase, Monblanc feels like the right kind of brand to do it. Housed in their Star Legacy collection, this is no off-the-shelf design and shows that the brand’s conservative side doesn’t lack personality. It includes a Sellita SW200 automatic movement with a moonphase module by Dubois-Depraz, a fascinating guilloché pattern emanating from the brand’s star logo, and it all comes in a 42mm case made of sterling silver.

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Ochs und Junior Moon Phase

  • Diameter: 42mm, 39mm, 36mm
  • Movement: ETA 2824-2 automatic

Ochs und Junior prides itself on building “rigorously simple watches,” and its Moon Phase is a testament to this philosophy. Built upon the ubiquitous ETA 2824-2 automatic movement, the moon phase function looks overly simplistic but is actually the most accurate one available; in 3,478.27 years, it will only be off by one day. The watch’s dial and case are typically industrial, bordering on the elemental, but occasional versions come alive with strikingly vibrant colors.

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Cartier Drive Moon Phases

  • Diameter: 41mm
  • Movement: Cartier 1904-LU MC automatic

Cartier might be associated with Roman numerals and formal styles, but their designs are anything but boring. With a traditional interpretation of the moon phase paired to the unusual shape of the Drive case, the result is a bit unexpected and totally captivating. Powered by an in-house automatic movement, its 41mm case with elegant curves should be highly wearable for a range of wrists.

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Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonphase

  • Diameter: 44.25mm
  • Movement: Omega Co-Axial Master Chronometer 9904 automatic

The Speedmaster Professional was the first watch worn on the moon, so it’s fitting that Omega fitted a version of its iconic chronograph with a moon phase complication. The brilliant blue dial is matched to a moon disc, and the date function is integrated into the 9 o’clock seconds sub dial. These differences don’t diminish the watch’s legendary utility; it’s powered by a METAS-certified Master Chronometer automatic movement and is 44.25mm in width. We think NASA would still approve.

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Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Moon

  • Diameter: 43mm
  • Movement: Jaquet Droz 2660QL3 automatic

Jaquet Droz’s signature, elegant figure-eight dial is only elevated by a moonphase that fits right into the overall design. The Grande Seconde Moon Anthracite is descriptively named with the larger subdial housing a sweeping seconds hand, date display and moon phase, while the hours and minutes are indicated by the smaller dial above it. The blue hands and moon phase disk contrast brilliantly against the sandblasted anthracite dial, and it’s all powered by an in-house movement in a 43mm steel case.

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Arnold & Son Luna Magna

  • Diameter: 44mm
  • Movement: Arnold & Son A&S1021 hand-wound

Arnold & Son has long stood out in the moon phase game for its Perpetual Moon watch which did the whole giant moon phase display well before others (like Christopher Ward above). It’s newest moon phase watch, however, takes a totally different approach, with the phase of the moon displayed via an actual orb which is half white marble and half aventurine glass. You can even see the other side of the orb through the case back, along with a secondary display for a more precise reading of the current phase as well as the beautiful in-house, manually wound movement.

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H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Perpetual Moon

  • Diameter: 42mm
  • Movement: H. Moser & Cie. HMC 801 hand-wound

Moser’s always got a statement to make or artistic concept that seems to invite interpretation. Here, an aventurine dial employs its natural resemblance to a deep blue, starry sky. The view is unobstructed by indices for reading the time, leaving only a pair of hands and a moon phase display at 6 o’clock. The moon phase complication is regularly described as “poetic” and “romantic,” but here it feels more appropriate a word choice than ever. As long as you keep the manually wound movement ticking, the in-house movement promises that the phases of the moon won’t need adjustment for 1,027 years.

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