Hands-On With The Louis Moinet Speed Of Sound Chronograph
Today, we go hands-on with the Louis Moinet Speed of Sound chronograph. This is a stunning modern watch with a vintage heart. As we’ll see, the rare vintage movement has been modified functionally and cosmetically to offer a novel moonphase display.
Credit is due to Louis Moinet for creating innovative ways of displaying traditional time-related complications. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the brand’s reintroduction, the Speed of Sound chronograph exemplifies this in the most contradictory manner. It employs a new-age case material and combines it with a vintage movement and old-world dial-finishing technique. Let’s not forget the use of lunar material. If this sounds interesting to you, then you’re not alone.
The Louis Moinet Speed of Sound chronograph
The Speed of Sound chronograph is a 40.7mm watch made of Grade 5 titanium with a 30m water resistance rating. It comes exclusively on a black alligator strap with a matching titanium buckle. This is where the normal specs end, though.
Louis Moinet has adorned the watch with large pushers and open-worked lugs. The watch has an astounding 18.87mm(!!!) thickness due to a massive domed sapphire crystal intended to magnify the dial details. And what a dial it is!
An impressive dial
The Louis Moinet Speed of Sound has a black guilloché dial handmade by Yann von Kaenel, a noted Swiss guillocheur. Gold highlights include the rings around the main dial and sub-dials, the printed telemeter scale, and the chronograph hands. Then, polished, silver-color hands and Arabic-numeral indices provide contrast with the rest of the dial without dominating the view. However, the most notable aspects of this already impressive dial come from the sky.
The sub-seconds and 30-minute counter feature Aletai meteorite. The lower moonphase register shows a hand-drawn, luminous lunar surface inset with a domed, circular slice of Dhofar 457 meteorite. This register rotates, and when the piece of Dhofar 457 centers between the indicators on the right and left, it represents the full Moon. Apparently, this is a new method of showing the lunar cycle. It’s clean and uniquely different than the normal arc aperture with a moon and stars.
The beating heart
All of this functionality comes from an unlikely source. Louis Moinet was able to source new-old-stock Valjoux 88 movements. This hand-winding chronograph caliber was made from approximately 1947 to 1974 and uses the same base as the more common Valjoux 72. In normal form, the movement offers a chronograph, moonphase display, and a triple calendar. To avoid cluttering the dial and reducing the focus on the meteorites, the Louis Moinet team removed the calendar functionality.
A typical Valjoux 88 has a basic level of finishing. Louis Moinet has rectified this with rose gold plating and fine engravings throughout the movement. The inspiration for the motif is lace, and the detail work looks intricate.
An eye-catcher on the wrist
When it comes to wearing the Speed of Sound, it’s nothing short of an eye-catching timepiece. I mentioned the towering thickness, but it’s not as noticeable on the wrist. Plus, the dial magnification afforded by the crystal is a welcome attribute to help view all the details. Other notable takeaways from wearing the watch relate to the tactile experience. Naturally, the Valjoux 88 is a gem to wind, and the pushers have fantastic action. The chronograph can be used for normal timing duty or to measure the speed of sound using the aforementioned telemeter scale. It goes to show that there’s nothing quite like a mechanical vintage chronograph movement!
Conclusions
The Louis Moinet Speed of Sound is limited to just 20 pieces and has a retail price of CHF 50,000. The brand specializes in highly innovative and creative watches, and this price is on the lower end of many of its offerings. The use of a new-old-stock vintage movement is also laudable. Finally, the level of finishing and use of meteorites make the watch a unique proposition.
For more information on the Speed of Sound chronograph, visit the official Louis Moinet site.
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