The moon phase is a whimsical complication that, well, displays the phase of the moon on a watch dial. It’s wholly unnecessary and totally awesome, and is generally found on classically inspired modern watches or their vintage counterparts. Because a moon phase is most often incorporated into a complete, annual or perpetual calendar, it can be expensive to implement, and for this reason, finding a relatively affordable timepiece with a moon phase complication that doesn’t look like dogshit isn’t easy.
Here’s one, though. Check out the new C1 Moonglow from British watch company Christopher Ward, available for pre-order at the end of July. The C1 is a truly modern-looking moon phase, which is refreshing in a sea of more conservative, expensive product (both on leather or on a steel bracelet, it retails for just under $2k). Rather than relegating the moon phase display to a small cutout in one half of the dial, the C1 brings it front and center: much of the dial actually features an opaque, smoked glass display through which the non-visible phase of the moon can still be seen, while the upper half of the dial clearly displays the visible part. A rotating disc with a red demarcation, rather than a conventional hand, points to the correct date, which is displayed around the edge of the dial.
(Whether or not the gigantic “Christopher Ward” logo on the dial throws a wrench into your appreciation of the design or not is a separate question, but the moon phase display is dope.)
But the real kicker is seeing the C1 in the dark. The moon phase discs, hands and indices are coated in so much Super-LumiNova that the watch looks positively radioactive at night, bringing this classical complication firmly into the 21st century and out of dress-watch territory. Thankfully, though the watch case isn’t small at 41.5mm, Christopher Ward decided not to make it stupidly large, despite the assumed draw of rendering the moon phase display as visible as possible. Our friends over at Worn & Wound managed to get their hands on a review model, so for a typically thorough and well done discussion of the C1, check out their in-depth coverage. Price on the C1 ranges from $1,935 (leather) to $1,970 (steel mesh bracelet).
Gear Patrol also recommends:
Raymond Weil Maestro ($1,350)
Longines Master Collection Chronograph ($3,550)
Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Moon ($8,950)
