In the human exploration of time and the universe, the moon phase function in the watch is undoubtedly a wonderful achievement. It can not only record time, but also represent the pursuit and awe of human beings for the mysteries of nature. The phases of the moon, that is, the waxing and waning of the moon, have a profound impact on human civilization. Since ancient times, people have observed the phases of the moon to predict tides and guide farming. With the development of watchmaking technology, the natural phenomenon of the moon phase has been ingeniously incorporated into the design of watches. The earliest moon phase watches date back to the 18th century, when they were mostly used for nautical and astronomical observations. In the 20th century, with the rise of Swiss watchmaking, moon phase watches gradually became the darling of the luxury market.
Left: Baume & Mercier Clifton 10736 Moon Phase
Right: Baume & Mercier Rivera 10744 Year of the Dragon Moon Phase
Nowadays, we generally divide watches into two main categories according to style: dress watches and sports watches. When I first entered the watch industry, I thought that the moon phase function could only be paired with a dress watch to show its elegant and romantic charm, but as I came into contact with more and more models, I found that a tough sporty watch with a soft and romantic moon phase function also had a good visual effect. So is it the dress moon phase or the sports moon phase is good? Take these two moon phase watches from different series as an example to see which one you prefer.
Baume & Mercier Clifton Series 10736 / 100,000 yuan luxury choice
First launched in 2013, Baume & Mercier launched the Crichton collection, positioned as a dress style watch. The 10736 Moon Phase is the latest addition to the collection, and its design continues to use many of the "family" elements of the Clifton collection, such as the case shape, sword-shaped hands, and Arabic numerals on the outer edge of the dial.
Since the launch of this 10736 watch, its price is one of the key issues discussed by many watch friends, the public price of 100,000 yuan is among the best in Baume & Mercier watches, so is it expensive or worth the price?
As we can see, the case of this watch is made of 18K gold, the sides of the case are brushed, and the bezel is polished, two different processes that contrast and add to the luxury of the watch.
Flipping the watch over, we can see that the caseback is also made of 18K gold and engraved with precious metal imprints. The watch is transparent, but it is still guaranteed to be water-resistant to 50 meters, which is enough for everyday wear. The oscillating weight of this movement is golden, and it is applied to the stainless steel material through the PVD process, which is the same color as the case, giving it a more luxurious feel.
Powered by the BM14-1975 AC1 calibre with moon phase function, we can see circular patterns on the movement bridges, snailed brushes on the sandblasted motherboard, and Geneva and snaile on the openworked gold-plated oscillating weight. This Baume & Mercier Crichton watch is made of 18K gold case, equipped with the brand's own movement, with a moon phase function and a power reserve of 120 hours.
Baume & Mercier Riviera 10744 / one of the most designed watches for the Year of the Dragon
Baume & Mercier Riviera 4th generation
Unlike the Crichton collection, the Riviera was born as a combination of comfort and casualness in elegant formal wear, and later with the popularity of luxury sports watches, Baume & Mercier added it to the ranks of sporty watches from the fourth generation of the Riviera. Although the style has changed significantly, its classic twelve-sided bezel design has been used to this day.
In the past two years, the Riviera has launched a number of models, gradually adding chronographs, moon phases, diving and perpetual calendars to the large three-hand watches, opening a new chapter in the Riviera collection. At the end of 2024 and the beginning of the year, Baume & Mercier also launched a special edition for the Year of the Dragon, based on the Riviera model, with a moon phase function.
Why choose the Riviera series to create the Year of the Dragon model, I think it is inseparable from the number "twelve", the twelve-sided bezel of the Riviera series makes the Riviera series watches have a good recognition, and at the same time in China, the number twelve also has many meanings, such as the zodiac, the twelve earthly branches, etc., the two collide, coincide, and the Riviera series is the most suitable to create a Chinese Year of the Dragon watch.
Baume & Mercier's Chinese Year of the Dragon Special Edition men's watch hides the dragon in the middle of the moon, with a smart golden dragon on a red moon phase disc and claws climbing the two moons, forming an auspicious pattern of dragon playing with fire beads, wishing peace and longevity. This auspicious pattern, which emerged from the Han Dynasty, originally originated from the planetary charts in ancient Chinese astronomy, and the fire beads evolved from the moon to complement the aesthetic concept of the moon phase disk. In addition, we can see that the hands of the moon phase disc are curved, in fact, this is the brand's specially designed gold-plated dragon whisker hands, the golden dragon is solemn and majestic, the dragon beard is elegant and agile, the movement and stillness are appropriate, and the yin and yang are combined, which contains the beautiful meaning of protecting the safety and health of the family and wishing the family success in their studies.
Crafted from stainless steel with a diameter of 43 mm, this watch features a sun-satin-finished lacquered sand dial with grey flanges, and an anti-reflective and scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. Compared to the Crichton moon phase watch above, this Riviera moon phase watch has a very obvious sporty style in terms of size and styling.
Flipping the watch over, a majestic five-clawed golden dragon coils above the transparent caseback, echoing the golden dragon on the moon phase dial. Underneath the dragon, we can see the BM14-1975 AC1 automatic movement, which is the same model as the one in the Clifton moon phase mentioned above. As Richemont's first movement to use a silicon escapement, the Baumitic movement not only has an ultra-long power reserve of 120 hours, a magnetic resistance of 1500 gauss, a daily accuracy of -4/+6 seconds, fine movement polishing, and the recently launched 8-year extended warranty policy, which not only proves that Baume & Mercier has absolute confidence in its own in-house movements, but also proves once again that Baume & Mercier's Baumatic calibres perform well in both performance and polishing watches of the same price range.
Left: Baume & Mercier Crichton moon phase
Right: Baume & Mercier Rivera Special Edition Moon Phase for the Year of the Dragon
Summary: The aesthetic value of a moon phase watch lies not only in its unique function, but also in its harmonious resonance with the universe. Many watchmaking brands have made moon phase watches their signature creations, showing endless creativity and ingenuity. For example, some brands design the moon phase display disc to resemble the surface of the moon to evoke the reverie of space exploration, while others combine the moon with the stars to create a romantic and mysterious atmosphere. The two Baume & Mercier watches can be said to have their own characteristics in the design of the moon phase, but both are unique, especially the Riviera series of the Year of the Dragon special watch depicts the Chinese dragon on the moon phase dial, the design is interesting and ingenious. Of course, the biggest difference between these two watches is the style, the dress watch is luxurious and elegant, the sports watch is atmospheric and tough, I don't know which one you prefer?