Swiss luxury watch brand Louis Moinet presents ONLY INDIA, a one-of-a-kind creation representative of Indian culture. It notably features a unique Martian meteorite, Shergotty, which fell to Earth on 25 August 1865 near Sherghati, in the state of Bihar, India.

The shergotty meteorite is now kept in a London Museum. It represents one of the three categories of Martian meteorite: Shergotty, Nakhla and Chassigny. It is also extremely rare, as among the world’s 72,000 classified meteorites, less than 300 are from Mars, of which 200 come under the Shergotty name.

The dial base is made from a real peacock feather, giving it a natural iridescent effect. The peacock is the national bird of India.

The hand-engraved applique represents 20 spokes of the eternal wheel of the law of Dharma, embodied by the Ashoka chakra found on the Indian flag. The sense of movement suggested by the wheel is highlighted by the micro-painting delicately applied to the different spokes and in the centre of the engraving.

The decoration is inspired by motifs representing the grandeur of India. The lugs are accentuated by four rubies lighting up the engraving.

ONLY INDIA is fitted with the legendary LM-35 movement, winner of the latest International Chronometry Competition. The elegant dial offers a view of the tourbillon’s rotating cage. Inside, the balance spring, anchor and anchor wheel perform a full rotation every minute.

Representing the perfect union of man and nature, the conquest of fire (around 500,000 BC) was a major milestone in the history of human beings. Louis Moinet presents HEAT, an 18-carat rose gold tourbillon watch as a tribute to the conquest of fire.

Its dial boasts a skull engraving of an Australopithecus, one of the first species of humankind, dating back more than four million years. Made of rose-cut rubies, the glowing red eyes of the skull overlooks an engraving decorated with miniature paintings that symbolise the first flames mastered by man. The base is made of a natural stone, red pietersite, which also embodies the dancing of incandescent flames.

The Louis Moinet HEAT watch houses the LM Calibre 35, an award-winning high precision manual-winding tourbillon movement with a power reserve of 72 hours.

Technical details

Dial
Hand-engraved Australopithecus skull
Rose-cut ruby eyes (24 facets) (0.39 carats)
Hand-engraved flames, enhanced with miniature painting
Engraved surround, set with 2 kite-cut diamonds (0.11 carats) and 18 cabochon-cut diamonds (0.02 carats)

Case
18-carat rose gold
Four flame-engraved lugs adorned with blue sapphires
Hand-engraved bezel, complementing the fire theme

Movement
LM Calibre 35
60-second tourbillon movement, awarded the Gold Medal at the last International Chronometry Competition)

Presentation box
Genuine natural stone presentation box
The interior is decorated with a hand axe, a carved stone tool characteristic of prehistoric times.

Louis Moinet presents Hope Probe Tourbillon, a new one-of-a-kind creation dedicated to the extraordinary UAE space mission. Based on a technology exclusive to Louis Moinet, this satellite tourbillon® contains an authentic meteorite fragment from the Moon and genuine Martian meteorite dust.

Beautifully depicted on a blue dial, the map of the Northern hemisphere constellations is crafted using a special miniature painting on mother-of-pearl technique. The green tourbillon carriage, measuring an exceptional 13.59 mm in diameter, is balanced by means of a Mars planet rotating around it and incrusted with genuine Mars meteorite dust.

A hand-painted depiction of the Hope Probe appears on the black aventurine front plate, inlaid with a genuine lunar meteorite fragment – as too is the black rear plate featuring a hand-painted UAE astronaut. The watch displays hour, minutes and seconds.

The watch houses Caliber LM48: the world’s first “satellite tourbillon ®” movement. This 20-jewel, manual-winding movement beats at 21,600 vph and provides 72 hours power reserve. The grade-5 titanium case of this unique timepiece measures 47.4mm diameter. It is water resistant up to 30 meters. The Hope Probe Tourbillon by Louis Moinet is fitted on an alligator strap with folding buckle. Lug width is 24mm.

The UAE’s Hope Probe is the first Arab space mission. Known as “Al-Amal” in Arabic, it will orbit the red planet for at least one Martian year (687 days). It is the first probe to provide a complete picture of the Martian atmosphere while evaluating its seasonal and daily changes. The Hope Probe is an important gift dedicated to the people of the UAE on the 50th anniversary of the nation and a source of inspiration for Arab youth.

With its Moon Race series, Louis Moinet presents four spectacular wristwatches that pay tribute to four key episodes in the conquest of the Moon. This collection combines the finest craftsmanship with lunar meteorite and the most spectacular natural stones. These four creations all feature an authentic fragment of the spacecraft that shaped history. Each of them has travelled more than a million kilometres in interplanetary space before being presented in the Louis Moinet travel trunk.

(1) First on the Moon – 1966

Luna 9 was the Soviet space probe that made the first successful lunar soft landing. It was a real feat at the time, following a long series of failures. Soviet astronautics lost 26 space probes between 1962 and 1965 without a single success. Launched on January 31st1966 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Luna 9 landed in the Ocean of Storms (Oceanus Procellarum) on February 3rd 1966, giving the world the first panoramic images of the lunar surface.

The dial of Louis Moinet Moon Race ‘First on the Moon’ watch depicts the soft landing of Luna 9. The spacecraft is hand-engraved and then entirely painted. It includes an original piece of woven fibre from Luna 24. This piece made the journey from the Earth to the Moon and back – over a million kilometres through interplanetary space – aboard Luna 24.

The Moon is entirely hand-engraved, then blackened in the old-fashioned way to give it an enigmatic appearance. The sky is made of black astralite, also known as aventurine glass. This material has been preserved for more than 50 years to be used for a major artistic work. The countless sparkles of its particles resemble gold spangles, stars shining against the pure backdrop of the sky. The Earth is depicted in a highly detailed artistic miniature painting, standing out against the sky thanks to the volume of its applique.

Hand engravings on the bezel represent Luna 9, as well as the lunar landing capsule. Ejected just before the lunar impact, it then separated from the rest of the spacecraft. The 100-kilogram capsule hit the lunar surface at a speed of 4 to 7 metres per second, protected by an airbag. The first images of the Moon were taken by this capsule and sent back to Earth via its antennae.

(2) Man on the Moon – 1969

While the Russians were attempting to send a crew to the Moon, the U.S. orchestrated a succession of Apollo space missions, drawing ever closer to this goal. It was Apollo 11 that enabled humankind to set foot on the Moon for the first time. The giant Saturn V rocket left the Kennedy Space Center on July 16th1969, and the crew landed on the night star on July 21st 1969. The first steps on the Moon were filmed by a video camera and broadcast live, an event watched by hundreds of millions of people around the world.

The dial of Louis Moinet Moon Race “Man on the Moon” watch represents the first man to walk on the Moon. His astronaut’s suit is hand engraved and coloured using a miniature painting technique. His visor is an authentic fragment of the polyimide film that protected his spacecraft across a wide temperature range (-250°C to 400°C). This material was used to travel from the Earth to the Moon and back – more than a million kilometres in interplanetary space – on Apollo 11.

The miniature painting on this visor represents the reflection of the lunar module. In order to achieve the finest details, the painter trims the hairs of their brush one by one, using only the last one to create the finest decorations. The Moon is represented by a real lunar meteorite, named Dar Al Gani 400.

This lunar anorthosite is a rock found on Earth in 1998 and ejected from the Moon following the impact of a celestial object. The curved Earth is embodied by that “azure stone” used for 7,000 years by the greatest civilisations: lapis lazuli. It floats in a sky of exceptional quality crafted from black aventurine.

Hand engravings on the bezel represent the Saturn V rocket, the famous space launcher developed in the 1960s for the Apollo moon programme. This huge rocket was over 100 metres high, weighed 3,000 tonnes, had 11 engines and could launch a 45-tonne payload to the Moon. The engravings in the centre depict man’s first step on the Moon, while those at the bottom show the foot pads of the Apollo lunar module as it lands.

(3) Around the Moon – 1970

Apollo 13 is the third mission in the space programme to take a crew to the Moon. When landing at the Fra Mauro crater, a site heavily impacted by asteroids, a serious accident damaged the spacecraft. The mission was abandoned, and the return journey required going around the Moon before returning to Earth. The objective was of course not achieved, yet this highly dangerous mission can be considered as one of the most spectacular rescues ever carried out. The return to Earth was due to the unfailing will and tenacity of human beings, from the crew to the control centre in Houston.

The dial of “Around the Moon” watch depicts the spectacular rescue of Apollo 13, which managed to reach Earth with a badly damaged spacecraft. The spacecraft is hand-engraved and then enhanced with a fragment of the polyimide film that protected it on its return journey, particularly during its atmospheric re-entry.

This material travelled from the Earth to the orbit of the Moon and then back to Earth. In total, it travelled more than a million kilometres through interplanetary space aboard Apollo 13. The spacecraft can be seen heading towards Earth, having circled the Moon. Onyx, a variety of agate used since antiquity for its deep black colour, embodies the mysterious face of the night star. It is set against granite from the Bernese Oberland, found by Daniel Haas at an altitude of over 2,000 metres.

The blue Pietersite from Namibia was chosen to evoke the beauty of the Earth. Its shimmering effect is due to the many multicoloured fibre inclusions that give it bluish tones with an incomparable silky appearance.

Black astralite completes the picture. This material has a history, since its origins date back to Murano at the beginning of the 17th century. It is the result of a lucky mistake – when a glassmaker dropped copper filings into molten glass that was slowly cooled – and its name comes from the Italian word “all’ avventura”. That is why astralite is also known as aventurine, or even river gold. The astralite adorning the Moon Race watch was acquired and carefully preserved by the father of Daniel Haas, the brand’s partner in the field of exceptional stones. The Haas family has been a pioneer in the sourcing and cutting of natural stone dials for two generations.

Hand engravings on the bezel represent the Odyssey service and command module, the only one capable of returning the crew to Earth with its heat shield. In the centre, a view of the Moon shows a distant Earth, the ultimate quest of the imperilled mission. Finally, we see the command module that landed in the Pacific Ocean.

(4) Last on the Moon – 1976

Luna 24 is the last probe of the Luna programme to land on the Moon, in the unexplored region of Mare Crisium. It brought back 170 grams of lunar soil samples (regolith). The analysis of these samples proved to be valuable, proving the existence of water on the lunar regolith.

After landing on the Moon on August 18th1976, Luna 24 returned to Earth (Siberia) on August 22nd1976, thus concluding the Luna programme, which began with Luna 1 in 1959, as well as the Moon Race launched in 1961. It was not until 32 years later that a new probe landed on the Moon (Moon Impact Probe, India). China also landed a probe (Chang’e 3), but in a controlled manner (soft landing) in 2013, subsequently bringing back samples from the Moon in 2020 (Chang’e 5).

The “Last on the Moon” watch is the final episode of the “Moon Race”. One of the results of Luna 24 was the proof of the existence of water on the Moon.

Luna 24 is depicted on its journey back to Earth. Its prodigious design is hand-engraved, and a real piece of Luna 24 (resin-coated braided fibre) adorns its side. This material has travelled over a million kilometres through interplanetary space from the Earth to the Moon and back, aboard Luna 24.

The Moon is shown here in high contrast, with copper etching to highlight its craters. Another of Nature’s mysteries, azurite has been transformed into malachite by a phenomenon known as pseudomorphosis. This metamorphosis allows it to retain part of its appearance while morphing into malachite. The result is a very special mineral: azurite-malachite, which perfectly embodies the Earth. It is complemented by a yellow Pietersite sun, which fully deserves its nickname of “storm stone”. It lights up the sky with black aventurine of exceptional quality.

Hand engravings on the bezel represent the Proton rocket, a Russian heavy launcher capable of placing a 22-tonne payload into low earth orbit. It was used on many Soviet space missions, including Luna 24. Developed in the early 1960s, this rocket remains Russia’s main launcher, with over 400 Protons launched to date. The centre is decorated with lunar engravings, while the base of the bezel features the incredible design of the Luna 24 space probe.

Movement

Crafted from 18 carat gold, each Moon Race watch houses the Calibre LM 35, the gold medal winner of at the last International Chronometry Competition. This manual-winding movement features a 60 seconds tourbillon at 6 o’ clock., and displays hour, minute and seconds. This exceptional caliber can be admired through the sapphire crystal case back.

Louis Moinet travel trunk

The trunk evokes the journey through space. It houses the four one-of-a-kind “Moon Race” creations. It is made of natural elm burr wood and adorned with a black-lacquered Fleur de Lys pattern.

The domed lid is topped by two cognac-coloured leather straps. Its interior is made of black leather, and the inside of the cover features an 18th century treasure: the drawings of the Sphere of Copernicus & Sphere of Ptolemy, by Buy de Mornas. The printing is enhanced with water colours, making this creation truly one of a kind.

Provenance of the space-travelling materials

Louis Moinet is presenting exclusive creations incorporating fragments from Moon Race spaceships. These materials (polyimide film or braided fibre) have travelled more than a million kilometres through space. They are sourced from an expert who has personally acquired them from astronauts themselves, their families or their entourage, as well as from reputable auctions – thereby ensuring the best possible guarantees of authenticity.

Technical details

Movement
Calibre LM 35
60-second tourbillon movement, awarded the Gold Medal at the last International Chronometry Competition.
Manual winding
Power reserve: 72 Hours
Jewels: 19
Frequency: 21’600 vph

Functions
Hour, minute and seconds

Case
18k Gold
Diameter: 45.4mm
Water resistance: 30 meters

Strap
Alligator strap with folding clasp
Strap width: 24mm

Inspired by the eight of the most beautiful human achievements across the ages, Louis Moinet presents the «8 Marvels of the World» watch collection. This series encompasses eight one-of-a-kind creations, presented in the Louis Moinet travel trunk.

Louis Moinet 8 Marvels of the World – The Colosseum

The Colosseum is the largest ovoid amphitheater ever built in the Roman Empire. It could accommodate up to 50,000 people, who attended shows as varied as plays and gladiatorial fights. For its inauguration, Emperor Titus even transformed the arena into a water basin to recreate the naval battle of Corinth against Corcyra. A major work of architecture but also of Roman engineering, its construction was completed in 80 AD under Emperor Titus. It remains the embodiment of the power of Imperial Rome and attracts over seven million visitors a year.

Louis Moinet pays tribute this ancient icon with a rose gold tourbillon timepiece. The inside of the dial features an intramuros depiction of the Colosseum in its heyday. It shows the centre of the arena in onyx, surrounded by a magnificent symmetrical array of baguette-cut sapphires, arranged in a gradient ranging from green to yellow via all the colours of the rainbow.

Rising gradually all around it are the signature rows of seats. The steps of the Colosseum are finely detailed and polished. Their brilliance contrasts with other details of the work, which are sandblasted. The artist has sought to achieve maximum volume while preserving the unique nature of the Colosseum.

This timeless reproduction of the Colosseum also evokes its outer arches. A total of 112 arches for the case middle and 90 for the bezel are engraved in the rose gold of the Neo case, whose transversal bridge-lug concept lends itself perfectly to total artistic expression in this Colosseum.

Louis Moinet 8 Marvels of the World – The Blue Mosque

The Blue Mosque, also known as the Sultan Ahmet Mosque, is one of the historical mosques of Istanbul. Its construction was completed in 1616, during the reign of Sultan Ahmet I. It is regarded as the last example of classical Ottoman architecture and owes its name to the 20,000 predominantly blue ceramic tiles adorning its inner walls. It is privileged to have six minarets and was an important starting point for the pilgrimage to Mecca.

The interpretation by Louis Moinet renders the visual strength of the Blue Mosque, a major work representing the culmination of two centuries of development of both Ottoman mosques and Byzantine churches.

The dial base is composed of a mother-of-pearl inlay consisting of 13 elements in different shades of blue. The background represents the motifs of the vaulted ceiling that decorate the interior of the Mosque. It features a hand engraving of the Blue Mosque, whose details are enhanced by miniature painting. The ribbed domes and half-domes create pleasing visual harmony, while the six minarets are finely chased to accentuate their grooves.

The case is entirely hand-chased. It represents an arabesque, a magnificent ornamental motif with complex interlacing patterns. This essential element of Islamic art is particularly highlighted by the chasing which combines finesse and accuracy.

Louis Moinet 8 Marvels of the World – Petra

Petra is an ancient Nabataean city located in Jordan, whose name means “rock” in ancient Greek. As early as the 6th century B.C., the Nabataeans made it a prosperous stage along the route of caravans carrying pearls and turquoise, ivory and silk, incense and spices. Petra was a real crossroads between Arabia and the Mediterranean, and between Egypt and Syria. Having fallen into oblivion in the modern world, it was rediscovered by the Swiss explorer Jean-Louis Burckhardt in 1812. The emblematic building in Petra is the Khazneh, with its monumental facade carved into the rock face.

Louis Moinet has created a white gold tourbillon watch to pay tribute to this ancient city. To imagine the power of Khazneh, the artist has combined – probably for the first time in watchmaking– three different techniques.

The process begins with abas-relief engraving applied on a slightly rounded base to give more volume to the motif. This simulated perspective creates a striking depth effect. As the statues decorating the niches on the façade have now been destroyed, they could only be imagined thanks to the artist’s research work. His curiosity led him to find a watercolour by the famous painter David Roberts, dating from 1856, on which the statues are well depicted.

Once the model is thus engraved, the second stage involves applying the grisaille pictorial technique, using only shades of the same colour. Ranging from light to dark, it is therefore especially suited to symbolising the predominantly red-brown Petra sandstone. Finally, the distinctive fresco painting sets the final touch to this creation. Implementing this artistic practice requires great skill and speed of execution, since it involves painting on fresh plaster before it dries, to allow the pigments to penetrate the mass.

The white gold case is adorned with a bas-relief and features hand-engraved lugs. The depictions of columns and elephants – symbolising strength and wealth – are drawn from across the entire Petra site.

Louis Moinet 8 Marvels of the World – Pyramid of Khufu

The Pyramid of Khufu is the largest of the Giza pyramids and also referred to as the Great Pyramid. It was built by the Egyptians about 4,500 years ago, under the IVth dynasty. Already considered in antiquity as the first of the Seven Wonders of the World, it is the only one to have survived to the present day. For millennia it remained the tallest and most voluminous ever construction.

The dial of the Louis Moinet 8 Marvels of the World – Pyramid of Khufu watch is cut from a block of Willow Creek Jasper, a natural stone whose design is reminiscent of the sand dunes of Egypt. Hieroglyphics are then applied using a transparency technique to create a mysterious effect. The pyramid itself is made of gold and covered with carefully calibrated grains of enamel. Perfect control of the firing temperatures is then required to preserve their granular appearance.

Originally, the Pyramid of Khufu was covered with white limestone facings, which explains why this colour appears in this miniature work. The pyramidion (capstone) was made of electrum, a gold and silver alloy greatly prized by the ancient Egyptians. In this model it is carved from gold and given a mirror polish to maximise its brilliance.

The statue of Khufu is represented on three different levels. Like ancient Egyptian statues, it is made of black basalt and its headdress is adorned with gold miniature painting.

The case is engraved by hand, partly using the taille de joue technique, in which the engraver imparts a particular sense of movement to the engraved object. It depicts the lotus flowers adorning the tops (capitals) of Egyptian columns. The lugs are engraved with Khufu’s cartouche.

Louis Moinet 8 Marvels of the World – Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal is a white marble mausoleum built in 1648 by the Muslim Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, which means “Jewel of the Palace” in Persian. A jewel of Mughal architecture, its style combines Islamic, Iranian, Ottoman and Indian influences.

For its construction, more than 1,000 elephants are said to have used to transport white marble from Rajasthan, jasper from Punjab, turquoise from Tibet … In total, 28 types of fine and ornamental polychrome stones were used for the stone inlays in the white marble.

An elaborate miniature painting graces the white marble dial. It depicted the architectural details of the Taj Mahal, including the slightly bulbous central dome, which is 35 metres high. It is topped by a bronze pinnacle decorated with a kalash, a Hindu symbol of good luck, as well as an Islamic crescent moon symbol.

The dome rests on an inverted lotus-shaped drum. It is surrounded by smaller secondary domes, as well as four free-standing minarets, 43 metres high. They have an octagonal base and a tapered cylindrical body. Vertically, the minarets are divided into three parts by two different balconies.

In front of the Taj Mahal, the turquoise part evokes the water of one of the garden’s canals. A polished and rhodium-plated grid is affixed to the dial. It gives the work a depth effect and is adorned with ornamental motifs reminiscent of the moucharabieh windows found in traditional architecture.

The case is hand-engraved with ornamental representations of the Taj Mahal and Indian mandala patterns, complemented by an engraving of a Mughal motif on the bezel. The subtle work on the upstrokes and downstrokes creates a pleasing decorative contrast.

Louis Moinet 8 Marvels of the World – The Great Wall of China

The Great Wall is the most important architectural structure ever built, in terms of length, surface area and mass. It stretches over 6,200 kilometres, with walls averaging six to seven metres high and four to five metres wide. Intended to protect China’s northern frontier, it starts at the border with the coast north of Beijing and extends to the Gobi Desert. Its construction dates initially from the 3rd century BC to the 17th century. Since 1987, the Great Wall has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In this unique timepiece, the hand-engraved rose gold applique depicts the Great Wall, which gradually transforms into a powerful dragon surrounding the jade path that is lost in the perspective of an endless wall. The bright green shine of the maw-sit-sit jade stone lends itself wonderfully to illuminating the path of the dragon.

In the background, a celestial vault consists of a gradient paving of 129 brilliant-cut sapphires and 11 brilliant-cut diamonds. Through its three shades of blue, it evokes a deep sky, studded with a few diamonds. It overlooks the distant mountain, appearing as a hand-engraved white gold applique.

A subtle play on height dissociates the elements of this artwork. It enables the dragon to express its power and dominate the scene. The case helps assert this authority, as the hand engraving gives life to the dragon theme picked up on the case middle, bezel and lugs.

Louis Moinet 8 Marvels of the World – Statue of Christ the Redeemer

Christ the Redeemer is a monumental statue of Christ. Installed on Mount Corvocado, it overlooks Rio de Janeiro. An icon of the city, the statue is 38 metres high and as such is one of the world’s largest statues. Designed by Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva Costa, it was created by French sculptor Paul Landowski and Romanian sculptor Gheorghe Leonida (for the head), then erected in collaboration with the French engineer Albert Caquot. Completed in 1931, the statue is made of reinforced concrete and soapstone, a soft yet very resistant rock. The head weighs 30 tons, each hand eight tons, and the span of the outstretched hands is 28 metres.

From the top of Corcovado, Christ the Redeemer appears to be protecting Rio and its famous Sugar Loaf Mountain, as well as the Bay of Guanabara and its 130 islands.

The statue is hand-engraved on a gold base and stands out majestically from the landscape with a relief applique. It faces a sea whose floor is hand-engraved and then enamelled in translucent azure blue. The mountains are also glazed in opaque Grand Feu enamel. To instil even more life into this creation, the multicoloured buildings of the town are depicted in enamelled micro-painting. The various enamelled elements are based on the champlevé technique, which consists of removing a little material to apply the enamel.

The case features a skilful reinterpretation of the decorative elements of the Brazilian coat of arms: coffee leaves and tobacco leaves. These intaglio elements served as a guiding thread enabling the engraver to define a powerful theme, accentuating both the power of Christ the Redeemer and of Brazil itself.

Louis Moinet 8 Marvels of the World – Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu means “Old Mountain”. This 15th century ancient Inca city is perched on a promontory joining the Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu mountains. The presumed residence of the first Inca Emperor (Pachacútec, who reigned from 1438 until his death in 1471), it was a religious sanctuary of the utmost importance.

Following the collapse of the Inca Empire, Machu Picchu fell into oblivion for several centuries. The Sacred City is considered the masterpiece of Inca architecture. It is located in the east of the Andes mountain range, on the edge of the Amazonian forest. The ruins of 172 constructions are located at an altitude of 2,438 metres, between the two peaks: Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu.

A hand-engraved golden sun shines above the creation while respecting the iconographic representation of the Incas. Everything converges towards this daystar embodying the spirituality of the Inca culture. These include four Andean condors, a true national symbol of Peru.

Meticulously engraved and painted by hand, these birds fly in a deep blue sky, crafted using the micro-painting technique. Their style is directly inspired by drawings of the Nazca civilization, a pre-Colombian culture of southern Peru (200 BC to 600 AD).

The site of Machu Picchu is represented by a golden city at the foot of two marvellous mountains cut and carved with great finesse from a Yowah Nut opal. They surround a central stone in Crazy Lace Agate, chosen for its delicate veins pointing towards the sun.

The desire to bring out the smallest details of the golden city and its various buildings called for the production manufacture of special tools, especially for the chasing. The terraces featuring a distinctive farming system are enhanced with green lacquer.

The case is adorned with a strong relief-effect hand engraving of the sun at 12 o’clock and at 6 o’clock. It is surrounded by the hummingbird and the condor from the Nazca Geoglyphs.

Louis Moinet’s travel trunk

The trunk houses the eight one-of-a-kind creations composing the “8 Marvels of the World”. It is made of natural elm burr and adorned with a silver-coloured Fleur de Lys pattern. Its domed lid is topped by two cognac-coloured leather straps.

Its interior is made of black leather and the inside of the cover features an 18th century treasure: a globe drawn by Johann Gabriel Doppelmayr. The print is enhanced by water colours, making this creation truly one of a kind.

Technical details

Functions
Hours, Minutes, Seconds

Case
18k gold

Dimensions
47mm: Blue Mosque, Christ the Redeemer, Great Wall of China, Pyramid of Khufu, Taj Mahal
45.4mm: Colosseum, Petra, Machu Picchu

Movement
Caliber LM35
High-precision tourbillon movement, awarded First Prize in the International Chronometry Competition.
Frequency: 21,600 vPH (3Hz)
Power reserve: 72 Hours
Jewels: 19

Strap
Alligator strap
Width: 24mm

To mark its association with the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH) as a partner brand, Louis Moinet created the new Wonders of the World concept.

This first release from a series of eight one-of-a-creations, each featuring a Wonder of the World, is a model dedicated to the Pyramid at Chichén Itzá, in Mexico.

This timepiece highlights the craftsmanship and excellence of contemporary watchmaking. The Louis Moinet tourbillon, gold medal winner at the last International Chronometry Competition, is thus associated with a wonder of the world.

The bas relief-engraved, finely chased famous feathered serpent and various architectural elements are paired with aventurine in order to further enhance the brilliance of this stone symbolising the Maya’s cherished underworld theme.

The pyramid itself is adorned with Myanmar jade of exceptional quality, the very same material from which the Maya crafted their masks and statuettes 3,000 years ago. Topped by 96 snow-set rubies, the pyramid is also surrounded by baguette-cut sapphires in a subtle colour gradient.

About the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie

The Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie was established in 2005 by Audemars Piguet, Girard-Perregaux and the Richemont Group. Its objective is to promote Fine Watchmaking worldwide. This ambition takes shape through activities relating to the Foundation’s missions: inform on latest developments, the history and professions of watchmaking; train and recognise professional knowledge; organise events for the industry and the public at large. Partner-brands support the FHH through a financial contribution and assist in implementing its projects.

The 43 partner-brands

A. Lange & Söhne, Audemars Piguet, Armin Strom, BOVET, Breitling, Bulgari, Carl F. Bucherer, Cartier, Chanel, Chopard, Christophe Claret, Chronométrie Ferdinand Berthoud, DeWitt, Girard-Perregaux, Greubel Forsey, Grönefeld, Hautlence, Hermès, H. Moser & Cie, HYT, IWC Schaffhausen, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Kari Voutilainen, Laurent Ferrier, Louis Moinet, Louis Vuitton, MB&F, Montblanc, Officine Panerai, Parmigiani Fleurier, Piaget, Rebellion Timepieces, Ressence, Richard Mille, Roger Dubuis, Romain Gauthier, Speake-Marin, TAG Heuer, Ulysse Nardin, Urwerk, Vacheron Constantin, Van Cleef & Arpels, Zenith.

Louis Moinet presents ‘Only Mexico’, a unique timepiece that pays tribute to roots of Mexican culture. Ateliers Louis Moinet painstakingly gathered information and sought out the most typical materials of the country – and then blended them together in this spectacular, original creation. One key highlight is the presence of the oldest-known material in the world, Allende meteorite, found in the State of Chihuahua.

‘Only Mexico’ is fitted with Louis Moinet’s mechanical tourbillon. This won the gold medal at the most recent International Chronometry Competition – and beats at a rhythm of 21’600 vibrations per hour.

Louis Moinet’s legendary NEO case, cut from polished, satin-effect 5N rose gold, accentuates the imposing character of the piece. It owes its distinctive silhouette to the application of a large number of brand-new technologies. Everything is constructed around two horizontal bridges, spanning the piece and securing the strap in place at each end of their lugs.

Each component of the design reflects Mexico’s very special culture and history:

Dial: the Sun Stone, a legendary Aztec artefact

At the centre, the dial depicts the Sun Stone, one of the best-known and most iconic works in Aztec art. It was sculpted during the reign of the Aztec Emperor Axayacatl (1469-1481) to commemorate the New Fire ceremony in 1479. The enormous disc, 3.6 metres in diameter and weighing 24 tonnes, was cut from a single block of olivine basalt lava. Today, the Sun Stone is on display at the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico city.

The Sun Stone comprises eight concentric circles, each with a whole host of references to Aztec cosmogony, describing how the World was formed. The second circle is especially noteworthy, displaying the symbols of the deities Ehecatl, Tezcatlipoca, Tlaloc, and Chalchiuhtlicue, and evoking the legend of the suns, a cosmogonic myth based on the creation and destruction of several successive worlds.

Dial edge: the Allende meteorite – the origin of time

Beneath the engraving of the Sun Stone lies is a dark-coloured meteorite – Allende.

The Allende meteorite is the oldest known material in existence, estimated to be 4.567 billion years old – making it 30 million years older than the Earth itself. When it fell at Allende in the State of Chihuahua on February 8, 1969, it weighed almost two tonnes, also making it the largest chondrite meteorite ever to have been found. It is considered to be the most-studied meteorite in history, yielding so much information about the formation of the solar system that cosmochemists view it as their ‘Rosetta Stone’.

Dial centre: the Toluca meteorite

Located beneath the second concentric circles of the Sun Stone, the Toluca iron meteorite has been given a blue treatment, making it truly resplendent.

The Conquistadors revealed its presence to the wider world in 1776, but it probably fell to earth over 10,000 years earlier – and for several centuries, it was used by the local populations to make a wide variety of tools.

Case: Pre-Columbian geometric friezes

The engravings draw inspiration from the typical architecture of the geometric friezes found on buildings in the Pre-Columbian city of Mitla, occupied by the Zapotecs. Some believe these bas-relief friezes form a mosaic symbolising the image of the Feathered Serpent.

Case lugs: the Maya deity Chaahk

These depict the Maya deity Chaahk, as observed on the monument at Kabah known as Codz Poop, the Palace of the Masks, in Yucatán. Chaahk is the rain god and protector of the harvests, striking the clouds with his thunder axe to produce rain and thunder.

Technical Details

Model: ‘Only Mexico’ LM-44.50.ME
Unique Piece, Number 01/01

Case
Material: 5N Rose gold
Diameter: 45.4 mm
Water resistance: 30 meters

Movement
Calibre LM 35 (High precision tourbillon movement, Awarded first prize in the International Chronometry Competition)
Manual winding
Frequency: 21,600 vph (3 Hz)
Power reserve: 72 hours

Strap
Alligator strap with folding clasp

Louis Moinet presents MOGADOR, two exclusive sets of artistic watches fitted with the legendary LM-35 movement winner of the latest International Chronometry Competition.

MOGADOR is rare and refined – the orchestration of a world of beauty. Its dial boasts avant-garde colours, illuminated by its concentric Clous de Paris pattern, and framed by Moinet’s slim and graceful hour markers.

The elegant, structured dial includes a technical touch: a view of the tourbillon’s rotating cage. Inside, the balance spring, anchor, and anchor wheel perform a full rotation every minute. For this mechanism to carry off the first prize at the International Chronometry Competition, it had to pass four months’ worth of tests – and sustain no fewer than 150 impacts.

The MOGADOR case, 45.40 millimetres in diameter, is made from polished, satin-effect grade 5 titanium throughout. The lightness of the piece – which weighs in at just 33 grammes – underscores its purity. Innovative technical solutions were developed to create an entirely new outline for the watch. Everything is arranged around two stylised, openwork bridges.

These span the watch, securing the strap at the end of each of their lugs. They also encompass the movement’s flamboyant Moinet blue case – a further contribution to MOGADOR’s harmony and brightness. The six-screw bezel – a Louis Moinet hallmark – adds a final, distinctive note to the piece.

The alligator strap comes with a folding clasp, emblazoned with Louis Moinet’s characteristic Fleur de Lys symbol.