News: Louis Moinet Sideralis Inverted Double Tourbillon
Up until very recently—2013 in fact—Nicolas Mathieu Rieussec was widely regarded as the inventor of the first chronograph, when he created one for the French king, Louis XVIII in 1821. However, horological history was changed forever when the ‘compteur de tierces’ timepiece was discovered. Created by French horologist Louis Moinet, the watch has hallmarks that identify the watch as dating from 1815/1816, making it the earliest known chronograph in history.
The brand Louis Moinet takes both inspiration and its name from the groundbreaking French watchmaker, and nowhere can this more easily be seen than in their latest special edition watch, the Sideralis Inverted Double Tourbillon.
When Moinet first conceived the idea for his chronograph, his intention was to use it to enhance the accuracy of astronomical observations. This limited edition pays homage to Moinet’s dedication to the stars with a beautiful timepiece, boasting a sideral complication and driven by dual tourbillons that feature prominently at the bottom of the dial.
The oversized tourbillons each have cages that measure an immense 14.9mm, and rotate in opposite directions to one another. Not only is the effect visually stunning, but this also provides the power for the astrological complication. At 12 o’clock, a subdial made of two separate discs—one on top of the other—tells regular time, as well as displaying the planets Mars and Mercury and the Moon in succession as the upper disc rotates once every 60 seconds.
The meticulously hand-painted dial is made of aventurine, and is decorated to depict the universe that surrounds us. It is enclosed within a 47.4 mm white gold case, with delicately open-worked lugs. The watch is part of a limited run of watches, with only 28 pieces being made available, and is powered by the in-house calibre LM46.
