Introducing: The Louis Moinet Starman Flying Tourbillon
The Louis Moinet Starman is the latest release from the small Swiss brand that specializes in creating rare and extraordinary watches. The brand often blends exotic materials with high-level complications. Because of their low production numbers, Louis Moinet watches aren’t for everyone, but they’re always worth a look.
Every release from Louis Moinet is worth further investigation. Owner and Creative Director Jean-Marie Schaller is a fun person to speak with, and while he and his team create serious watches, they seem to have fun while doing it. We’ve seen that during events like Geneva Watch Days, and it’s a breath of fresh air after so many hotel-room discussions. The newest model, the Starman, combines a tourbillon with fragments from two very different-looking meteorites.
The Louis Moinet Starman
The Starman is a 47.4mm watch made from 18K white or 5N red gold. Louis Moinet did not provide the thickness, but two sapphire crystals and a tourbillon likely make this a tallish watch. A bezel affixed by six screws is mirrored on the back side with a similar construction. This is certainly not a sports watch and has a 30m depth rating. A blue alligator strap accompanies either gold hue and comes with a matching gold deployant clasp.
An exotic, space-themed dial
A watch with such a grand design doesn’t rely on a simple dial. The Starman takes a multilayered approach. The bottom level is made of a slice of the Gibeon meteorite. This meteorite is famous for its Widmanstätten pattern, showing nickel-iron phases. This layer is dyed blue using a proprietary process and mimics the night sky. Then, a clear sapphire disc has a grid of longitude and latitude lines. The constellations are handpainted with luminous material. A small circle crafted from the nearly black Jbilet Winselwan meteorite is at the top of the dial. The well-known trait of this meteorite is the presence of amino acids, a basic building block of life. Finally, the bottom of the dial reveals the flying tourbillon. This mechanism sits within an off-balance cage and rotates.
A case back that captures the solar system
The case back is also a delight. The Starman depicts the solar system with small, handpainted orbs. These sit within two layers of sapphire. Interestingly, the positioning is identical to the night sky over Neuchâtel on March 21st, 2013. This was the evening that Schaller announced the discovery of Louis Moinet as the inventor of the chronograph.
A limited offering
The Starman flying tourbillon is a limited edition. Louis Moinet will produce just 12 numbered editions of each case material. The price is on request, but the watch should provide ample viewing and wearing pleasure for whoever has pockets deep enough. If you’re interested in learning more or inquiring about pricing, visit the official Louis Moinet site.
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