'Who would dare to call the sun wrong?' may be Martin Braun's philosophy, but it's apparent in the level of detail that's demonstrated in his Selene line of watches that the moon isn't far behind in the pecking order of the universe.
Now a horological heavyweight known for his exceptional astronomical complications, Martin got a taste for watchmaking while working with his dad who produced custom watch cases for many high-end watch houses. Much of his work to date centers around solar calculations - particularly those that feature the equation of time. With the introduction of the Selene, the focus has been moved to the moon and the precise calculation and display of it's phases.
The Martin Braun Selene is a striking watch. Your eyes gravitate immediately to the photo realistic image of the moon, tastefully recreated in glass, that takes up residence on a huge piece of dial real estate where the 9 usually resides. To indicate the moon phase, a disk with two dark circles revolves beneath the transparent glass moon - slowly and precisely eclipsing it during each lunar cycle. The advantage of the transparent glass is that even when the moon is new (between the sun and the earth), a very subtle shadow of it's image is still clearly visible on the dial. In person, this is much more impressive and memorable than the cutaways used in traditional moon phase displays.
Equally as majestic as the image of the moon on the dial of the Selene is the accuracy to which the display can be adjusted and maintained. A case side corrector at 8 o'clock rotates the 'eclipse' disk and allows the moon phase display to be set to the exact minute of a full moon. Once adjusted correctly, the display is accurate to within one day of moon phase over 122 years - clearly an impressive fete in precision micro-engineering.
The Selene, taking it's name from the Greek Goddess of the Moon, is shod with a crocodile strap and available in several metal and dial configurations. Fit and finish are excellent and I can personally attest to the exceptional level of customer service that you can expect from Martin Braun to compliment the experience of owning this watch.
I saw this watch in white gold with a black dial - it was fantastic! Also interesting is the Meteorite (authentic) dial option which adds a nice extra degree of authenticity.
If you are thinking about a watch that has a unique complication and very distinctive dial, check out the Martin Braun Selene - it's a great watch!
