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Good evening everyone!
This column talks about mechanical watches from an engineer's point of view. This is the 10th installment.
"The Structure and Appeal of Moon Phases"
I will talk about this topic.
The "Moon" plays an essential role in the existence of humanity, and by extension, the Earth. Humans have utilized the existence and movement of this important satellite in various areas of life. Today, with the evolution of technology, many people have come to recognize the Moon as a mysterious entity, such as the "Super Moon" and "Total Lunar Eclipse," rather than something that is useful in daily life.
And when it comes to moon-related functions in the world of watches, there's the "moon phase." It's a romantic function that tells you the waxing and waning of the moon on that day.
So, in this article, I would like to introduce you to the mysterious and fascinating structure of the moon phase and how to actually set it! Please read until the end!
"What is lunar age?"
As the word "age" suggests, "lunar age" represents the number of days that have passed since the birth of that month.
A "new moon (a night when the moon is not visible)" is counted as 0, the next day is counted as 1, the day after that as 2, and so on, with a "full moon" occurring around the 15th day, after which it wanes again, and the next "new moon" occurring around the 30th day. This cycle varies slightly within a range of approximately 29.3 to 29.8 days, and is not constant, but when it comes to understanding the "moon phases," you can think of it as roughly 29 and a half days.
With this in mind, let's move on to explaining the main subject of the watch: the moon phase mechanism.
The Anatomy of a Moon Phase
"Moon Phase" is a popular design featuring a deep blue color reminiscent of the night sky with sparkling moon and stars.
Although there are some unusual types, most feature a semicircular window through which a disk depicting the moon or stars can be seen.
The way to see it is that a disk with two moons drawn on opposite poles slowly rotates, and the moon that was displayed is gradually covered by the round part at 3 o'clock, and on the day when it is completely hidden, neither moon is displayed (new moon). The next day, the other moon begins to peek out a little from the 9 o'clock side, and gradually the whole moon becomes visible, and when it reaches the top, the whole moon is visible (full moon).
In addition, the gear of the disk has 59 teeth, and is designed to make one revolution in 59 days (clockwise direction) in 29.5 days, which is an odd number. By doubling this to 59 days, the complexity of the gear design is eliminated.
This is the Omega x Swatch "MISSION TO THE MOONPHASE" that I purchased the other day.
Perhaps to maximize the presence of Snoopy on the moon, the design also allows you to see the other side of the moon that is usually covered. If you look at this, you may find it easier to understand the structure of the moon phase.
How to set the moon phase
The moon phase changes in tandem with the time on your watch, but it can get out of sync due to subtle fluctuations in the lunar cycle or if the watch itself stops. However, if you can check the age of the moon on the day on a website, it's surprisingly easy to set it.
*The specific adjustment methods (crown and push buttons) and prohibited time periods vary depending on the model and movement, so please check the instruction manual for your watch.
First, I would like to check the current age of the moon.
If you search for "moon calendar" on the web, you will find many different sites, so you can choose the one you like. This time, we will use the publication date of this article, "Sunday, July 28, 2024," as the basis, so first look back from today to find the most recent "new moon" or "full moon."
In this case, that would be the full moon on Sunday, July 21st.
Next, adjust your moon phase so that it displays the full moon. Then, advance the moon phase for seven days from July 21st (Sun) to July 28th (Sun) and you're done.
By the way, if the new moon is closer than the full moon, looking back from the day you want to adjust it, first display the new moon and then advance the moon phase by the number of days until that day.
summary
What did you think?
The "moon phase" is a mechanical watch that incorporates the mysterious phases of the moon through a great deal of wisdom and ingenuity. Perhaps there are some people who think, "I already have a watch with this display, but I never paid attention to it!" or "It seems difficult, so I've never played with it."
Once you understand it, I think it's easier than you'd imagine, so please take this opportunity to try it out!
And, while writing this article, information has been released about the release of a new "Omega x Swatch" product!
Two beautiful moons are perfectly depicted!
This model will only be on sale during the "blue hour" from 5pm onwards from August 1st until the full moon on August 20th, so I'm sure there will be a fierce battle to get it, but I definitely want to buy one!!
We hope that this article has been useful to you and has piqued your interest in luxury watches! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us directly and we will answer them thoroughly. We look forward to your visit and inquiries.
Look forward to the next one! See you next time!
