Friday, October 12, 2012
Using a model with more than a passing resemblance to Watchuseek’s very own Ernie Romers, Geo.Graham The Moon comes as a limited edition of just 20 pieces. After several models dedicated to motor racing, here is a gorgeous high end watch from GRAHAM much closer to the heart of the brand’s namesake George Graham, one of the greatest British watchmakers who ever lived.
George Graham’s hobby was to gaze in wonder at the moon while creating his timepieces. It was his abiding fascination with the universe which inspired him to make watches in the first place. Friend of the astronomers, he worked on Sir Newton’s theories of gravitation to elaborate very precise mechanisms combining the magic of the sky and watch making science.
Over the centuries, the Moon has remained an object of curiosity which has greatly influenced life on Earth. It has helped to determine physical locations, to track time and more generally to develop mathematics and science. The Moon features a moon-phase cycle calculated on the Moon's exact synodic period for a duration of 122 years. The synodic period equals 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes and 2.9 seconds, at the end of which the retrograde mechanism ensures the Moon jumps back to the start of a new cycle. Once correctly set, the high-precision moon phase only requires adjustment once every 122 years, with a single push on the corrector.
Weighing just 0.07 grams, the watch is hand painted by local craftsmen in Le Locle. A double absorber system was developed exclusively for Graham by Christophe Claret in Locle, in order to avoid damage on the lunar disc and attenuate the retrograde fall.
Geo.Graham The Moon features a blue dial adorned with 45 diamonds (0.24 cts) representing constellations such as Camelopardalis, Perseus, Cassiopeia, Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. The centre becomes the North Star's position.
The timepiece is powered by calibre G1769 high precision mechanical movement, and the complex flying tourbillon rotates on a ball bearing to substitute rolling for sliding friction.
The 46mm case is made of 18K pink gold and has faceted horns, with a Milky Way sapphire painted bezel. The dial features a hand painted moon and pink gold skeleton hands. It has a domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both sides, and a see-through sapphire crystal case back with a hand-engraved serial number. The right hand control crown is decorated with a sapphire stone, and the watch comes with a blue crocodile strap.
Functions: Manual Flying Tourbillon, Moon retrograde with precision of 122 years Hours, minutes, seconds
Calibre G1769, high precision mechanical movement with Haute Horlogerie finishing, Moon retrograde Tourbillon (moon returns backwards to zero at the end of its cycle ever
29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes), 21'600 A/h (3Hz), Incabloc shock absorber
Power reserve : 96 hours
Case: 46 mm pink gold (18K) case with faceted horns
Pink gold (18K) right hand control crown decorated with a sapphire stone
Domed and metal coated milky way sapphire bezel
Domed sapphire crystal, anti-reflective coating on both faces
See-through sapphire crystal case back with serial number hand-engraved