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Moonphase Watches

Of all the astronomical complications found on watches, the moonphase is the most common. Displaying the different phases of the moon—often via an aperture—it’s one of the most aesthetically appealing complications, evoking our endless fascination with Earth’s closest satellite.

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Reset Results (70)
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Blancpain Villeret 6263-1127-55A 410224
Manufacturer's Warranty

Blancpain
Villeret
6263-1127-55A

Box
Papers
Year 2002
$8,315
IWC Portofino Hand-Wound IW544805 359476

IWC
Portofino Hand-Wound
IW544805

Box
Papers
Year 2011
$15,900
Omega Speedmaster Moonphase 304.23.44.52.06.001 442044
Manufacturer's Warranty

Omega
Speedmaster Moonphase
304.23.44.52.06.001

Box
Papers
Year 2025
$13,000
Patek Philippe Nautilus 3712/1A-001 382435
Manufacturer's Warranty

Patek Philippe
Nautilus
3712/1A-001

Box
Papers
Year 2007
$130,000 $130,045
Glashutte Original PanoMaticLunar 1-90-02-46-32-35 442063

Glashutte Original
PanoMaticLunar
1-90-02-46-32-35

Box
Papers
Year 2015
$8,950
Breguet Classique 7137BB/11/9V6 364687
-9%
Manufacturer's Warranty

Breguet
Classique
7137BB/11/9V6

Box
Papers
Year 2020
$19,715 $21,830
Omega Speedmaster Moonphase 304.30.44.52.01.001 438799

Omega
Speedmaster Moonphase
304.30.44.52.01.001

Box
Papers
Year 2016
$7,855
Chronoswiss Lunar CH7523L 439761
Vintage

Chronoswiss
Lunar
CH7523L

Box
Papers
Year 1995
$4,050
Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Moon 1368430 439934
Manufacturer's Warranty

Jaeger-LeCoultre
Master Ultra Thin Moon
1368430

Box
Papers
Year 2025
$10,305
Blancpain Leman 2685F-1127-53B 409464
Manufacturer's Warranty

Blancpain
Leman
2685F-1127-53B

Box
Papers
Year 2011
$19,950
Rolex Cellini 50535 439970

Rolex
Cellini
50535

Box
Papers
Year 2019
$25,695
Omega Speedmaster Moonphase 304.30.43.52.06.001 418496

Omega
Speedmaster Moonphase
304.30.43.52.06.001

Box
Papers
Year 2025
$15,500
Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin 1362580 438300
Manufacturer's Warranty

Jaeger-LeCoultre
Master Ultra Thin
1362580

Box
Papers
Year 2024
$21,830
IWC Portofino Automatic IW459401 438017
Manufacturer's Warranty

IWC
Portofino Automatic
IW459401

Box
Papers
Year 2026
$6,440
Patek Philippe Complications 4947/1A-001 420629
Manufacturer's Warranty

Patek Philippe
Complications
4947/1A-001

Box
Papers
Year 2025
$37,995
Omega Speedmaster Moonphase 304.33.44.52.03.001 436647
-6%
Manufacturer's Warranty

Omega
Speedmaster Moonphase
304.33.44.52.03.001

Box
Papers
Year 2024
$9,575 $10,240
Cartier Ballon Bleu WSBB0020 426168
-6%

Cartier
Ballon Bleu
WSBB0020

Box
Papers
Year 2023
$6,380 $6,825
Patek Philippe Complications 5146G-001 426363

Patek Philippe
Complications
5146G-001

Box
Papers
Year 2005
$31,950
Patek Philippe Complications 5146/1G-010 425288

Patek Philippe
Complications
5146/1G-010

Box
Papers
Year 2005
$39,000
Omega Speedmaster Moonphase 304.33.44.52.03.001 433146
Manufacturer's Warranty

Omega
Speedmaster Moonphase
304.33.44.52.03.001

Box
Papers
Year 2024
$10,240
Omega Speedmaster Moonphase 304.93.44.52.03.001 426924

Omega
Speedmaster Moonphase
304.93.44.52.03.001

Box
Papers
Year 2024
$10,240
Cartier Ballon Bleu WSBB0020 430809
Manufacturer's Warranty

Cartier
Ballon Bleu
WSBB0020

Box
Papers
Year 2020
$6,440
Cartier Ballon Bleu WSBB0020 401877
Manufacturer's Warranty

Cartier
Ballon Bleu
WSBB0020

Box
Papers
Year 2020
$6,440
Blancpain Fifty Fathoms 5054-1110-B52A 407018

Blancpain
Fifty Fathoms
5054-1110-B52A

Box
Papers
Year 2018
$11,530
IWC Portofino Automatic IW459401 430816
Manufacturer's Warranty

IWC
Portofino Automatic
IW459401

Box
Papers
Year 2025
$6,375
Omega Speedmaster Moonphase 304.30.44.52.01.001 429354
-6%
Manufacturer's Warranty

Omega
Speedmaster Moonphase
304.30.44.52.01.001

Box
Papers
Year 2025
$8,850 $9,465
IWC Da Vinci Chronograph IW373501 392782
Vintage

IWC
Da Vinci Chronograph
IW373501

Box
Papers
Year 1995
$4,960
Cartier Pasha WSPA0030 248955

Cartier
Pasha
WSPA0030

Box
Papers
Year 2022
$7,500
Cartier Ballon Bleu WSBB0050 342030
Manufacturer's Warranty

Cartier
Ballon Bleu
WSBB0050

Box
Papers
Year 2021
$6,440
Rolex Cellini 50535 391992

Rolex
Cellini
50535

Box
Papers
Year 2021
$27,690
Jaeger-LeCoultre Rendez-Vous 3578430 380393

Jaeger-LeCoultre
Rendez-Vous
3578430

Box
Papers
Year 2020
$15,995
Panerai Luminor Due PAM01179 361422
Manufacturer's Warranty

Panerai
Luminor Due
PAM01179

Box
Papers
Year 2023
$7,500
IWC Big Pilot's Perpetual Calendar Saint Exupery IW502617 217607

IWC
Big Pilot's Perpetual Calendar Saint Exupery
IW502617

Box
Papers
Year 2014
$25,000
Montblanc Heritage 112537 366181

Montblanc
Heritage
112537

Box
Papers
Year 2022
$10,495
Ulysse Nardin Marine 1192-310-0A/1A 297568

Ulysse Nardin
Marine
1192-310-0A/1A

Box
Papers
Year 2023
$18,695
IWC Da Vinci Automatic IW459308 240655

IWC
Da Vinci Automatic
IW459308

Box
Papers
Year 2019
$11,915
Cartier Ballon Bleu WJBB0025 217627

Cartier
Ballon Bleu
WJBB0025

Box
Papers
Year 2017
$26,350
Omega Speedmaster Moonphase 304.23.44.52.06.001 415180

Omega
Speedmaster Moonphase
304.23.44.52.06.001

Box
Papers
Year 2021
$12,815
IWC Portofino Automatic IW459401 388219

IWC
Portofino Automatic
IW459401

Box
Papers
Year 2025
$5,860
Omega Speedmaster Moonphase 304.33.44.52.03.001 385598

Omega
Speedmaster Moonphase
304.33.44.52.03.001

Box
Papers
Year 2020
$8,135
Blancpain Fifty Fathoms 5054-1210-98S 385812

Blancpain
Fifty Fathoms
5054-1210-98S

Box
Papers
Year 2023
$13,800
Patek Philippe Complications 5146J-010 445514

Patek Philippe
Complications
5146J-010

Box
Papers
Year 2021
$36,000

Moonphase Watches

The Moon has held us spellbound for millennia and continues to be an object of fascination, even now that science—helped by NASA’s moon landings and subsequent lunar research—has helped demystify it.

For ancient civilizations the Moon was commonly a symbol of fertility, but lunar cycles were also observed for practical reasons since they indicated the passing of days, months, seasons and years. By tracking the cycle of the Moon, our ancestors were able to conceive the first primitive lunar calendars, with the first astronomical “computer”—the Antikythera Mechanism—emerging in Greece in the second century BC.

The earliest known moonphase indicators appeared on 14th-century clocks, in particular ones that adorned the towers of cathedrals and town squares, enabling local residents to observe them with ease. However, it wasn't until the 17th century that the moonphase complication as we know it today found its way into pocket watches.

Christiaan Huygens, a Dutch astronomer and mathematician, was instrumental in developing moonphase complications in a clock, devising a mechanism that accurately depicted the moon's phases. This major breakthrough in 1675 allowed for the eventual miniaturization of moonphase displays, making them suitable for inclusion in portable pocket watches. In the days before electricity, these were especially useful to long-distance travellers and coachmen who depended on the light of a full moon for nocturnal journeys.

The golden age of moonphase watches occurred during the 19th century when pioneering watchmakers like the great Abraham-Louis Breguet created timepieces that blended technical innovation with aesthetic elegance. Breguet's work laid the foundation for the moonphase complications that would become a staple in luxury watchmaking.

By the early 20th century, wristwatches were outselling pocket watches, and moonphase indicators were being incorporated into the finest models money could buy. Watchmakers such as Patek Philippe—who were the first to put this complication in a wristwatch in 1925— Universal Geneve Audemars Piguet and Breitling all entered the game.

By the time of the quartz revolution in the latter half of the 20th century, the mechanical moonphase complication, as with so many complications, became an anachronism. Yet it remained a hallmark of exclusivity and craftsmanship, the intricate gears and wheels required for accurate moonphase displays posing too great a challenge for cheap mass production.

These days the romance of moonphase watches continues to captivate watch lovers. Modern advancements in horology have allowed for even more precise and detailed depictions of lunar cycles. And high-end watchmakers are increasingly replacing the conventional crescent-shaped moonphase aperture—typically featuring a painted moon and stars—with more creative renditions of our satellite. These include three-dimensional displays or even discs made from genuine slivers of meteorite—enhancing the watch’s celestial appeal.

A moonphase indicator on a watch typically comprises a crescent-shaped aperture on the dial which partially reveals a rotating disc beneath. On this disc is a full Moon—often in gold and accompanied by a scattering of stars for aesthetic effect—which “waxes and wanes” as it passes along the curved aperture. These cyclical progressions represent the four main phases of the moon as seen from Earth.

These four main phases are: the new Moon, when the Sun and Moon are aligned and the Moon cannot be viewed from Earth; the first quarter, when the Sun hits the right half of the moon; the full Moon, when all of the facing surface is illuminated; and the third quarter when only the left half of the moon is on view.

In terms of the movement, the rotating disc itself is controlled by a 59-tooth driving wheel, which uses a finger attached to the hour wheel to advance the disc one notch every 24 hours. When a lunar cycle is complete, a second Moon on the disc moves into view and the process starts again. Why a 59-tooth driving wheel? That’s because a lunar cycle lasts 29.5 days and there are two moons on the disc (29.5 x 2 = 59).

The moonphase isn’t horology’s most accurate complication. Basic models will need occasional correction, just like any mechanical watch. But there are high-end models with specially calculated movements capable of delivering an accurate moonphase to the nearest day for hundreds of years or more. And anyhow, accuracy matters little for most moonphase devotees. Above all a moonphase watch serves as a reminder of our deep attachment to Earth’s only satellite, and to our distant ancestors who depended on it so much.

A moonphase display can be incorporated into watches at the highest end of the price spectrum but can just as often be found in watches at more accessible price points. You can find great entry-level moonphase watches from brands such as Baume & Mercier and Longines. Among the elite brands, several iconic Patek Philippe watches feature a moonphase display, with the contemporary Sky Moon tourbillon and the vintage reference 1518 the most revered, while A. Lange & Sohne’s 1815 Moonphase is considered a masterpiece. Sought-after vintage moonphase watches from Rolex include the reference 6062, produced in tiny numbers in the early 1950s, and the even earlier 8171.

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