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Named for its function, the SPEED OF SOUND chronograph features a special scale that displays the speed of sound by measuring the distance of an audible event. Taking centre stage is a moonphase indication that has been entirely reimagined, offering a display never before seen in watchmaking.
Following the success of its first edition, Les Ateliers Louis Moinet have once again risen to the challenge of revisiting the historic Valjoux 88 with three contemporary SPEED OF SOUND masterpieces, each limited to just three pieces.
“The SPEED OF SOUND stands out as a complete work of art: around a reimagined historical movement, traditional craftsmanship enters into dialogue with modern expertise and extraterrestrial materials. The result is a richly detailed contemporary timepiece, offered in striking shades of orange, green, or black.” – Jean-Marie Schaller, Owner and Creative Director
At the heart of SPEED OF SOUND is the Valjoux 88, a historic calibre built in the 1940s. Louis Moinet’s master watchmakers have used all their skills to modernise this icon of Swiss watchmaking and place it inside a timepiece with a unique contemporary style.
Key to this intelligent and inventive transformation is the moon indication that has been entirely redesigned to offer a display never seen before in watchmaking. Its large, slightly domed disc features a lunar motif drawn by hand using luminescent paint that vividly recalls the splendour of our nightly celestial companion.
A fragment of the Dhofar 457, a rare lunar meteorite, was placed on the same disc to symbolise the full moon. This fragment comes from a lunar crater. The two pointers positioned at 3 and 9 o’clock indicate the current state of the moon. The moon is full whenever the fragment is aligned with one of these pointers.
Connoisseurs will notice that the date markers have been removed, a deliberate choice to reinterpret this calibre in a resolutely modern spirit.
The SPEED OF SOUND’s contemporary signature is expressed through a carefully crafted artistic design elements.
The dial comes in three versions — orange, green, or black — each limited to only three pieces. Crafted using traditional engine-turning techniques on Yann von Kaenel’s historic machines, the guilloché pattern evokes the appearance of advanced materials in deep, lustrous tones. Depending on the light, it bursts into brilliance or fades subtly into shadow.
The chronograph counter and the small seconds dial feature the Aletai iron meteorite, adding both texture and a touch of mystery.
The picture is completed by carefully designed hands and indexes, which were kept purposely sober to avoid disturbing the aesthetic balance of the piece. The SPEED OF SOUND is housed in a 40-millimetre, grade 5 titanium case. It is elegant and light on the wrist. The sapphire dome, a technical feat in itself, magnifies every detail of the dial. The openworked lugs integrate perfectly with the rubber strap.
The transparent case back of the SPEED OF SOUND reveals the engraving, a traditional motif with floral curves and delicate scrolls reminiscent of lace. It bears witness to the ancestral art of hand engraving. This enchanting ensemble adds a touch of poetry to the mechanics of time.
This chronograph features a very special scale that can show the speed of sound by measuring the distance of a sound event. In the case of a thunderstorm, for example, the wearer starts the chronograph when lightning strikes and stops it when the thunder is heard.
Discover Louis Moinet timepieces at the Sincere Fine Watches boutique at Takashimaya S.C., Singapore or at the SHH boutiques at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore and Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
