Swiss watch brand LOUIS MOINET uses a rare meteorite that flew to Japan for its dial! ――The Kesen meteorite used in the dial that displays the hour and minute set at 4 o’clock is the largest stony meteorite in Japan, having flown to Kesen-cho, Rikuzentakata City, Iwate Prefecture in 1850, two years after the watchmaker Louis Monet published his treatise “Traité’d Horlogerie,” which is known as the watchmaking bible of the time.
Currently, most of them are stored and exhibited at the National Museum of Nature and Science in Tokyo, but Louis Monet exclusively acquired a small amount of fragments stored at the Geological Museum in Copenhagen, and completed the Japan limited edition of 12 “Japan Meteorites”. It will be released on Monday, July 21.
Combining the functionality of the watch with the structural beauty of the mechanism, the retrograde marks the “time” of the future
The Japan Meteorite is equipped with a 40.7 mm diameter grade 5 titanium case and a 254-part Caliber LM85 movement manufactured in-house.
On the right side of the dial, you can admire the intricate mechanism that activates the retrograde seconds and at the same time fulfills the original timekeeping function of the watch, with a retrograde second hand that returns to zero every 20 seconds.
The beautiful blue screws, which are covered with a blue oxide film on the surface, are also a highlight due to the blue baking process, which is a traditional technique for mechanical watches.
The origins of the Kesen meteorite date back to the dawn of the solar system, about 4.5 billion years ago. Formed in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, this rock traveled through space over millions of years and arrived in Kesen in 1850.
After the accumulation of such a huge amount of “time”, the fragments of the universe were fatefully guided by Louis Monet, and “Japan Meteorite” is equipped with a retrograde mechanism to make the passage of each second more prominent and to make you feel the new value of “time”.
The red retrograde second hand in the center returns zero every 20 seconds. The star-shaped shape at the tip is inspired by the hands of a table clock made by watchmaker Louis Monnet in 1818 for James Monroe, the fifth president of the United States, and is a legacy that Louis Monet left for the future.
The small seconds at 9 o’clock are color-coded in blue, black, and red every 20 seconds according to the retrograde period, and complete one revolution in 60 seconds, just like the original second hand.
“Japan Meteorite” applies aerodynamic technology that controls the flow of air, which is also used in airplanes and racing cars, to the form of a watch. The surface is more comfortable to touch and wear.
The lugs are open-work with horizontal hollow-outs, and the leather strap is designed to fit the case perfectly. The domed windshield makes it easy to see the inside of the watch from any direction, and you can enjoy the three-dimensional effect and power of the mechanism.
Louis Monet Cosmic Art Collection “Japan Meteorite” (LM-85.20.JP) 6.6 million yen * Limited to 12 pieces Japan
Louis Monet Cosmic Art Collection “Japan Meteorite” (LM-85.20.JP)
[Movement]
Type: Automatic, Caliber: LM85, Function: Hours, Minutes, Seconds (Small Second) Display, Retrograde (Return Zero Every 20 Seconds), Number of Jewels: 34 Jewels, Frequency: 28,800 Vibrations/Hour, Power Reserve: Approx. 48 hours
[Hour and minute dial]
Material: Kesen meteorite
[Case]
Size: Diameter 40.7mm, Thickness 17.92mm, Case Material: Grade 5 Titanium, Windshield: Sapphire Crystal, Lug Width: 20mm, Water Resistance: 5 ATM
[Strap]
Material: Alligator Leather
【Inquiry】
GM International Inc.
03-5828-9080
“Louis Monet” Switzerland Official Site
