Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Q136255J

Jaeger-LeCoultre's pink gold Ultra Thin Moon, ref. 136255J is a fabulous watch. If all you knew about it concerned aesthetics - gentlemanly 39mm case, shaped lugs, pink gold accented black dial, pink gold center seconds hand, subsidiary dial with moon-phase complication and date - that would be enough, although you'd be missing a really charming tidbit. The moon-phase complication is a lovely spot of color but it's also one of the oldest complications known to watchmaking. In fact even earlier than watchmaking, it goes back to clockmaking from the 16th century, which is amazing. If you ever find yourself - perhaps with this Ultra Thin Moon - in Dresden, Germany you owe the Mathematisch-Physikalischer Salon, the Royal Cabinet of Mathematical and Physical Instruments, a visit. It's an unbelievably eclectic collection of astronomical clocks and planetariums, terrestrial and celestial globes, sun dials, world time clocks, mechanical oddities that can determine temperature, mass and air pressure, mechanical calculators, telescopes, machines that aid in drawing, it's wild. All the wilder still to think that these precision instruments were all created completely by hand in the 1500s and represent mathematical and scientific calculations that form the foundation of what we know today. Now according to Christie's auction house, "the first astronomical pocketwatch appeared in the early 17th century...attributed to Anthoine Arlaud," but it would take almost three centuries for it to make it to a watch dial, so relatively speaking it's a a new complication for the wrist - and it's all kinds of elegant. How lovely to look down and see an exact expression of what's happening in the night sky - the waxing and waning of the new moon, first quarter, full moon, and last quarter. If you were a traveler in the 17th century and needed to plan your trip according to the ambient light from the night sky, this would be particularly important to you. It's no less important today - like a deep-rated dive watch this Ultra Thin Moon ref. 136255J is a primary piece of kit, this one for late night stealing about - one never knows when the power will go off and the hapless will turn to the prepared for news of the new moon.