Louis Moinet Maya Eclipse Watch Review
The Louis Moinet Maya Eclipse is a magnificent ‘pièce unique’, created by the high-end Maison based in Saint-Blaise. Appropriately revealed at the Salón Internacional Alta Relojería in Mexico in Oct 2022, the Maya Eclipse pays horological homage to the historic wonders of Mayan architecture. Carl Eady shares his thoughts.
Image – Les Ateliers Louis Moinet, Saint-Blaise
Les Ateliers Louis Moinet depuis 2004
Since 2004, Les Ateliers Louis Moinet has been producing exquisite mechanical timepieces under the stewardship of its flamboyant CEO and Creative Director, Jean-Marie Schaller. The inspiration for the brand was the French master horologist, Louis Moinet (1768-1853).
Image – Louis Moinet (1768-1853)
Compteur de Tierces (1816)
Moinet invented the chronograph and is widely regarded as one of watchmaking’s significant historical figures. He completed his ‘Compteur de Tierces’ in 1816, which at the time was the most accurate timepiece ever created. With a frequency of 30Hz, it enabled him to accurately measure the passage of planetary objects using a telescope.
Image – Compteur de Tierces (1816)
Cosmic Art and Mechanical Wonders
With such a rich celestial history, it is no surprise that Mr Schaller has repeatedly employed his company’s considerable talents into creating a body of work he refers to as ‘Cosmic Art’. Celebrating man’s desire to understand and explore the ‘final frontier’, these pieces often incorporate images of the night sky and contain extra-terrestrial fragments, such as meteorites. The Cosmic Art pieces complement the Maison’s ‘Mechanical Wonders’ collection, an eclectic mix of contemporary horological art. Fantastic tourbillions and intricate open-worked chronographs sit alongside chiming sonnerie’s and elaborate dials. Schaller and his team proudly structure their horological inspirations around the theme of ‘Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow’.
Louis Moinet Maya Eclipse – inspiration
The Louis Moinet Maya Eclipse was inspired by the culture and architecture of the ancient Mayan people and their phenomenal understanding of astronomy. They were exceptional mathematicians and architects, using their celestial observations to create complex and accurate calendars that enabled them to determine the phases of the moon and its relationship with the sun during eclipses, solstices and equinoxes.
Nathanaël Schaller
The ‘Maya Eclipse’ is the brainchild of jewellery artist, Nathanaël Schaller, national winner of the French Prix des Métiers d’Art in 2020. He has clearly relished the creative freedom conferred with working for an independent brand. This embraces the company’s core values, namely creativity, uniqueness and exclusivity.
Nathanaël’s artistic creation is housed in a highly polished 43.5mm rose gold case, featuring contrasting satin-brushed and polished surfaces. To the rear, a crescent-shaped pane of sapphire crystal affords views of the hand-wound movement, the Calibre LM105. A function selector, positioned adjacent to the glazing, allows the owner to select either the time setting or manual winding mode, obviating the need to pull out the crown.
To the front of the watch, a narrow bezel holds a domed sapphire crystal, providing a generous window into a spectacular Mayan world, inviting light to flood the dial to dramatic effect.
Mayan temples
Mayan temples were often constructed above a cenotes (natural water filled lime sink holes). The Mayans believed that these wells were a gateway to the underworld and would therefore gather at them to perform rituals to their God of Rain, ‘Chaac’, in the hope they would be provided with water for their crops. To emulate this, a shimmering aqua-tinted mother-of-pearl disc serves as the dial base. Emanating from its centre is a striking depiction of the Pyramid of Kukulcán at Chichén-Itzá. Kukulcán was the Mayan ‘Feathered Serpent’, a deity that symbolised resurrection and reincarnation. Nathanaël fashioned his representation of the nine stepped levels of the pyramid and its four staircases in 18k rose gold. Geometric guilloché patterns depict each level, leading the eye to a Jade-topped ‘tenth’ level from which the hour and minute hands emanate.
Image – Pyramid of Kukulcán at Chichén-Itzá
Two tourbillons with ‘reversed rotation direction’
For many high-end brands, just the vision of the Pyramid and the materials used in its creation would be enough to make a timepiece highly sought after. For Les Atelier Louis Moinet, however, the brand is about creating spectacular compositions and the twin orbital tourbillons certainly fulfil this criteria. Rotating in opposite directions, the tourbillons feature first class finishing with mirror polished bridges and balances. The counterweights of the tourbillons encompass a gilded Sun and rhodium-plated Moon, respectively, each with Mayan-inspired engraving. Passing one another every 3 minutes 20 seconds (432 times per day) this mechanical depiction of the Mayan’s most celebrated celestial encounter is a spectacle that will undoubtedly bring much delight to the fortunate owner of this pièce unique.
Calibre LM105 – 3 years to develop
To power the Maya Eclipse, the brand selected the aforementioned calibre LM105. This tried and tested hand-wound movement has been previously deployed in other Louis Moinet models, including the ‘Astronef’ and ‘Space Revolution’. The calibre LM105 took some 3 years to develop and boasts 471 parts. Visible through the exhibition caseback, the 3Hz manually wound movement has two large barrels. Assuming both mainsprings are fully tensioned, the watch will run autonomously for 48 hours. As you would expect of such a high-end timepiece, the finishing is exemplary. The mainplate features Côtes de Genève, polished sinks and polished chamfers, while the gear train is circular satin-brushed.
The Louis Moinet Maya Eclipse is presented on a rich blue Louisiana Alligator strap with hand-sewn stitching and alligator lining. The folding clasp is finished in 18k rose gold and incorporates a curved Fleur de Lys emblem, Louis Moinet’s classical logo.
The creative freedom of an independent watch brand
This is the second time Louis Moinet has celebrated Mayan Culture within a watch. In the ‘Wonders of the World’ collection, the magical Kukulcán Pyramid of Chichen Itza was depicted on a gold dial, surrounded by precious gems.
This new interpretation, presented within the Maya Eclipse, proves even more spellbinding, largely due to the animation of the two tourbillon cages and the elliptic exchanges of the counterweights.
Image – Jean-Marie Schaller
In recent years, Louis Moinet has attracted a strong following of brand devotees, no doubt mesmerised by the brand’s mechanical artistry. The freedom that independence confers has allowed the Maison to create incredible watches such as the Maya Eclipse, a timepiece that blurs the lines between mechanical art and high horology. For designer Nathanaël Schaller, this watch represents a bold statement which I suspect will lead to further collaborations in the future.
An exclusive ownership proposition
Sadly, by definition, this ‘pièce unique’ is an exclusive ownership proposition and, in this instance, the watch has already been sold. However, the Maya Eclipse serves as a fitting demonstration of the Maison’s incredible creativity and watchmaking know-how. I hope the fortunate owner of this watch shares my appreciation for the inspirational legacy of Mayan culture.
One can’t help but feel that if the Mayan people who created the Kukulcán Temple were presented with the Louis Moinet Maya Eclipse they would pause in admiration for an extended period before reluctantly offering it to their gods.
Further reading
Technical specifications
- Model: Louis Moinet Maya Eclipse
- Case: 18K 5N rose gold case, diameter 43.5mm, height 18.3mm, water resistance 1ATM (10 metres), sapphire crystal to the front, exhibition caseback
- Functions: hours, minutes
- Movement: Caliber LM105, hand-wound movement, frequency 21,600 vph (3Hz), 56 jewels, power reserve 48 hours, 471 components
- Strap: Louisiana alligator leather strap paired with a matching triple-blade folding clasp.
- Price on application
- Pièce unique – SOLD