Panerai’s L’Astronomo Luminor 1950 Tourbillon Moon Phases Equation of Time GMT has the impressive distinction of being the first timepiece from the brand to sport a moon phases indication and an innovative system using polarised crystal to indicate the date. This watch is inspired by and dedicated to the world famous Florentine genius Galileo Galilei – the inventor of the telescope.
This 50mm Tourbillon watch is a made to order timepiece, and is powered by a Skeletonised movement: the P.2005/GLS (which stands for Galileo Luna Scheletrato in Italian). The watch is personalized to suit the specific geographical coordinates of a place chosen by the client. In addition the case material, colour of the hands, the engraving, the strap and possible special features are also customizable for clients seeking something unique.
The moonphase complication of this watch is particularly special as the brand promises an accuracy of a century. This complication is visible on the back of the watch where the caseback reveals a day/night indicator on the movement which also clearly displays the phases of the moon, by means of a system consisting of two superimposed discs which rotate in combination. The upper disc – which is read by a small external index fixed onto the movement – displays the 24 hours of the day, showing the sun during the hours of daylight and the stars of the sky at night. At the center of the starry sky is a little round window through which the lower disc can be seen; on this appears the moon, its shape changing with every passing day as a result of a small supplementary rotation of this disc of about 6.1° per day, a figure based on the exact duration of one lunar cycle (an average of 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes and 3 seconds). In fact, even the moonphase is customized to suit the appearance of the moon from a specific place indicated by the client.
Panerai also designed an innovative system – exclusively patent pending by Panerai – in which the date disc is made of borosilicate glass and the numbers of the days have lasermodified optical properties. The numbers are virtually invisible in all positions except for the one that is aligned with the little date window, where a further polarised crystal, situated above the date disc, causes the number to appear so that it is perfectly legible.
Since the L’Astronomo Luminor moon phase GMT is not a limited edition interested buyers don’t have to rush to purchase. In fact, the degree of customization required means that you’ll have plenty of time to appreciate the beauty and complexity of this watch.
