A 20 watch limited edition in 18K white gold has been released by the brand to celebrate the bicentenary of the invention of the chronograph. The Memoris 200th Anniversary wristwatch is a true masterpiece, producing a never before seen starry sky on its dial.

Sport watch lovers have Louis Moinet to thank for inventing the chronograph in Paris, 1816. What was intended as a complication to observe the orbits of the planets in the heavens has now become a stable in every watch aficionado’s collection.

Fast forward 200 years, and Louis Moinet lights up the heavens once more in Geneva, 2016, with a new Memoris wristwatch. The “Memoris 200th Anniversary” is the first limited edition release that marks the start of a series of commemorative pieces dedicated to the bicentenary of the invention of the chronograph.

The special timepiece sports a new hour dial made in enamel for the first time in the history of the piece. It also has a new mainplate decorated with a star constellation, as well as a new translucent flange and counter bridge. Combined, they produce a truly one-of-a-kind dial.

The mesmerizing effect on the dial is the result of a fixed graver engraving technique - unprecedented in the history of watchmaking – and each star is worked individually onto the watch. Devised by one of Louis Moinet’s craftsmen, this involves attaching a specially-made lathe to a traditional rose engine (also known as a guillocheuse). The result differs from traditional milling or stamping because it is focused on a tiny area with varying levels of depth. Individual stars are all fashioned to feature different angles and depths, and as a result each one captures as much light as possible, producing the special shimmer of the watch.

For the flange and counter bridge, Louis Moinet has used a revolutionary translucent material that remains a closely guarded secret. All we know is that the effect is achieved by combining a number of composite materials and high-temperature vacuum moulding. The end result is quite something: it is through-coloured, and yet the same time maintains a certain degree of transparency. By using it on the Memoris, the designers have successfully added a great sense of depth on the watch.

Much like the rotation of a planet around its star, Louis Moinet has also come full circle with its new Memoris wristwatch. What started off as a complication to trace celestial bodies 200 years ago, now pays homage to them on the watch dial itself. A must have for any serious collector.

  Technical specs:

Features and functions

• Monopusher chronograph with column wheel
• Hours and Minutes (at 6 o’clock), Seconds (at 9 o’clock)
• 60-second chronograph (central hand), 30-minute chronograph counter (at 3 o’clock)

Dial and hands

• Chronograph hand, “Monogram” design
• Hour & Minute “Gouttes de Rosée” dew-drop hands, blue-tinted with luminous coating
• Hand-painted mainplate, engraved with fixed graver technique

Movement and finish

• 302-component LM54 caliber, designed and manufactured by Louis Moinet
• Winding: Automatic, bi-directional
• Oscillations: 28,800 vibrations per hour
• Balance wheel: Glucydur, chronometer quality
• Power reserve: 48 hours
• Jewels: 34
• Diameter: 30.40 mm; Height: 8.90 mm
• Decoration: Côtes de Genève, diamond-polished facets, diamond-cut chamfers and circular gears with 5N colour finish and straight-line steel.

Case and strap

• Case: Original Louis Moinet®, composed of 52 pieces, design with two-part bezel and 6 screws, assembled at a 17° angle
• Monopusher: “Clous de Paris” pattern
• Diameter: 46 mm, Thickness: 15.75 mm
• Water resistance: 50 meters
• Crystals: Two convex sapphire crystals with non-reflective coating on both faces
• Strap: Hand-sewn Louisiana alligator leather with alligator lining
• Buckle: 18K gold folding clasp with “Fleur-de-lis” motif, two-strand, black DLC-treated steel