Zen Love: Emile Chouriet Voie Lactée
I chose the Emile Chouriet Voie Lactée not because it is my ultimate, money-is-no-object grail of a moon phase watch, but because it is unique, deserves mention, and is relatively affordable. Affordable is one quality the other moon phase watches on this list do not share. The Emile Chouriet Voie Lactée essentially uses the moon phase disc as its dial, with a round stationary disc bearing the brand name and logo and acting as the earth’s shadow. It’s certainly a striking concept, the mother-of-pearl moon makes sense, and I like the starry black dial (I think there is also a blue version). I’m less crazy about the Roman numerals printed on the underside of the crystal. Visible through the caseback, I believe that the “EC7308” automatic movement is an ETA 2892 with a moon phase module of undetermined origin. At 40.5mm wide and 11mm thick in steel (30m water resistant) with a domed sapphire crystal, all the specs check out for its price, and it should be pretty wearable. Just for reference, if price were no object, like Travis, the Arnold & Son HM Perpetual Moon has long been a grail of mine, and I also really like the H. Moser & Cie Perpetual Moon.
KENNY YEO: AUDEMARS PIGUET ROYAL OAK PERPETUAL CALENDAR
Introduced in 2015, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar watch has become a hot favorite among the Royal Oak cognoscenti. It has all the hallmarks of a Royal Oak watch: the angular case with varying finishes, the distinctive octagonal bezel with exposed gold screws, and of course, that grande tapisserie dial. And on that textured dial, you have your usual perpetual calendar indications of month, date, day, a 52-week counter, and one of the most gorgeous moon phases you will ever see. The moon phase disc is made of aventurine and features a laser micro-structured moon that looks like Audemars Piguet shrank the actual moon and put it into their watch. Inside, the watch is powered by the in-house Calibre 5134, which is beautifully finished and has a 22k monobloc gold rotor. It can be admired through a sapphire display caseback. All in all, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar is functional and beautiful, which is why it is my top choice for a watch with a moon phase complication.
TRAVIS CANNATA: ARNOLD & SON HM PERPETUAL MOON
When it comes to Moonphase watches, it would be a disservice to exclude the Arnold & Son HM Perpetual Moon (particularly the Ref. C122A). I first fell in love with the watch when I was killing time at Caesars Palace and found myself chatting with an AD and playing with the watch for the better half of an hour. I was never able to shake it loose from the top of my grail dress watch list. The classic style fits in at just about any formal occasion, and when it comes to a moonphase, the whopping 29mm disc takes up almost half of the dial and features a beautifully lacquered guilloche finishing and oversized hyper-realistic engraved moon, giving the dial a pop of aesthetic interest to an otherwise simple design, and a sure-fire conversation starter at a dinner party.
Mechanically, the HM Perpetual Moon includes the in-house A&S1512 movement that keeps the moonphase complication accurate to 1 day every 122 years – one of the most accurate in the industry. Paired with a more than generous 90-hour power reserve the watch isn’t only fun to look at, it more than performs. The movement itself is fantastically finished with Cotes de Geneve, chamfered bridges, alternating graining, and blued screws, making the HM Perpetual Moon simply gorgeous no matter which side you’re looking at – and depending on the model, it’s not particularly outrageously priced for something I would consider more situated in the “haute-y” segment.