The new Louis Moinet STARMAN extends the meteorite dial theme to the use of two types, unlike the usual single – the base of the dial is cut from the Gibeon meteorite with the familiar Widmanstätten pattern and the other meteorite, which dominates the upper layer of the multi-layered dial, is a fragment of the Jbilet Winselwan meteorite.
Discovered in the Western Sahara Desert, the natural state of the Gibeon meteorite is that of a black stone with brown markings, but this fragment is tinted a deep blue. Atop a backdrop of the longitudinal and latitudinal lines is a disc made of sapphire crystal featuring a map of the stars, with the constellations painted by hand with a luminescent material. The hands are skeletonised and lumed, and the flying tourbillon on the bottom of the dial has an off-centre cage.
On the caseback is a chart of the solar system featuring hand-painted planets over a starry sky. The planets have been positioned as they appeared on March 21, 2013, a date significant not just for the brand but for watchmaking, although for a different complication – the public announcement at the Neuchâtel Observatory recognising the compteur de tierce chronograph.
Powering this new model is the manually-wound LM139 with parallel double barrels – called ‘volte face’, they are ‘head-to-tail’, beating at 28,800 VPH and with a power reserve of 96 hours.
The Louis Moinet STARMAN comes in two limited editions of twelve pieces each, one in 18k red gold, the other in 18k white gold. The cases are 47.4mm with water resistance of 30m and a mix of polished and brushed finishing.
[Photo credit: Louis Moinet]
Categories: Limited Editions, Louis Moinet, Watch Profile, watches