Introducing: The Mu:n Orion — A New Moonphase Watch To Celebrate The Launch Of The Artemis II Space Mission
What better way to celebrate astronauts going to the Moon than with a watch? To honor the Artemis II Space Mission launch, which aims to send four astronauts to the Moon by 2027, the Mu:n Orion is getting ready for its send-off in September of this year.
Allow me to clarify: the Mu:n Orion is not a tool watch, so the four astronauts set to travel to the Moon by 2027 will not wear this watch as a backup instrument aboard their Orion spacecraft. Still, the ultimate goal of the multinational space program is to establish the first inhabited base on the lunar surface. Maybe during a scarce moment of relaxation, future Moon inhabitants will want to wear something dressier than their functional wrist instruments. That “something” could be the Mu:n Orion, for instance, a watch bearing the colors of NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) and ESA (European Space Agency), the two space agencies collaborating on the mission.
Get ready for the Mu:n Orion to launch
The success of the Artemis program results from its ability to unite the world’s nations around a large-scale collective quest. Artemis is redefining the boundaries of human exploration and opening a new field of conquest by establishing lasting bases on the Moon and planning missions to Mars.
A dressy watch with a moonphase complication is not exactly redefining the boundaries of watchmaking. That doesn’t mean the Mu:n Orion is not a good-looking watch, though. On the contrary, the luminescent moon disk in the Mu:n Orion is quite striking. It results from extensive research and development work carried out in collaboration with the Swiss workshop AJS Production, which specializes in miniaturizing parts for watches. This is the young watch brand’s second collaboration with AJS; the atelier was also responsible for the moonphase disk in Mu:n’s first ephemeral collection of 300 watches sold through Kickstarter in 2022.
Moonglow
As you can see in the pictures, according to Mu:n, the Moon must be the most important body in the universe. On this watch, it is entirely luminescent and based on a realistic representation of Earth’s satellite. It reveals each lunar crater in relief but makes them perceptible to the naked eye. That’s not exactly an easy thing to accomplish. AJS Production had to develop a new and patented manufacturing method — structural projection. The process starts with affixing a luminescent sticker to a raw metal disc. This is followed by several layers of white and then bluish decal paint, covering the entire piece. Finally, a micron-precise femto laser is used to burn and hollow out the material with varying degrees of intensity.
Look! Orion!
The Orion constellation also found a place in the watch on a disc offering an exact representation of the celestial vault. And just like the realistic moon in the watch, the stars of Orion, and neighboring constellations (Lepus, Canis Major, Taurus, etc.) light up at night.
But there’s still more Orion to enjoy. The reinvented dial of the watch now offers a reminder of the Orion spaceship’s trajectory. To achieve this, the dial is constructed in three parts grouped on two levels. The lower part features a grainy finish reminiscent of the lunar surface. This component depicts a revolution of the Moon. The upper part houses semi-flying applied indexes that hover over the lower level. As you can see, the appliques received a dose of Super-LumiNova BGW9 for readability in darker conditions. The result is a nice mix of alternation textures and light effects that serve a functional purpose.
Sizing up the Mu:n Orion
The 38mm steel case of the Mu:n Orion shows brushed and polished finishes. It offers a rather convenient 20mm lug spacing and an easy-to-wear 46mm lug-to-lug length. It also measures 12.5mm from top to bottom, which is noteworthy since this watch houses a 5.65mm-thick Sellita SW288-1a caliber. Like all SW200 variants, it beats at a 28,800vph frequency and provides a 38-hour power reserve.
What’s perhaps more interesting is Mu:n’s commitment to transparency regarding the origin of its components and production costs. The new series of Orion moonphase watches will be Swiss made, and 80% of the new watch’s production costs will be of so-called “Swiss value.” More transparency reveals that each timepiece costs around CHF 500 to produce.
The calf leather strap, on the other hand, comes from French leather goods manufacturer SIS. You can get the Mu:n Orion either on that classic strap or a Swiss-made bracelet made of 316L steel.
Four versions are in the stars
In total, four versions of the Mu:n Orion are in the stars, so to speak. In this article, you can see the NASA-themed version in blue with red accents along with a dark green one with orange accents to celebrate ESA, the co-leader of the Artemis project. What about the other two colorways? Well, those are up to you. If you have a colorful idea, the Orion Configurator allows you to assemble a watch online in just a few clicks and advocate its colorway.
Finally, I must tell you about the price. The final price of the Mu:n Orion is expected to be around €1,350 (excl. VAT), but the brand is promising a launch at less than €1,000 (excl. VAT) on Kickstarter. Please visit Mu:n’s official website for more information.
