A complete guide about the Moonphase Watches & how they work?

Moonphase watches are one of the most unique wristwatches liked by unique and complex watch collectors. It is a beautiful way of displaying the lunar cycle on the dial of your wristwatch. A moonphase watch is a true piece of master craftsmanship of watchmaking. These types of watches are around since the 19th century. In the beginning, moonphase function is only available in pocket watches but in this modern era of technology, you can buy a moonphase wristwatch.

There is a small aperture or sundial on the inner dial of a wristwatch, which displays the current moon phase as it appears in the sky. It is a unique way of displaying some extraordinary features in a wristwatch. There are many complex parts like gears, discs, jewels, etc. behind this complex feature functionality.

If you are one of the people who are looking for a moonphase watch but don’t know how it looks and works, this guide is for you.

What is a moonphase watch?

These are remarkable watches that highlight and display the current phases of the moon as they occur in real-time. These watches not only provide accurate time but also highlight your astronomical skills. You can see different phases of the moon like a full moon, new moon, half-moon, etc. There are two moon phases painted on a disc, one white and one black. This miniature disc is the main component of moonphase watches that helps to display different moon phases as they are sited.

The mechanism of this watch tracks the lunar cycle and rotates this miniature disc to display the current position and phase of the moon around the earth. In the past sailors, fishermen, farmers, and astronauts kept an eye on or navigate during different moon phases. Today, these watches are not only helpful for these people but also liked by watch enthusiasts and collectors.

How does a moonphase watch work?

As you know, the basic purpose of moonphase watches is to track the lunar phases from time to time. Are you interested to know how these watches work? Let’s start exploring the functionality of a moonphase watch.

There are many tiny gears behind the functionality of moonphase function. Several tiny gears rotate in a special and specific period to track the exact phase of the moon. There are basically two main gears that control the entire moon phase function, one is connected with hours hand gear and the other rotates the moon phase disc.

There are eight moon phases: new moon, waxing crescent moon, first quarter moon, waxing gibbous moon, full moon, waning gibbous moon, third quarter moon, and waning crescent moon. According to astronomy experts, each phase of the moon lasts for 29.5 days (approximately).

To track the exact phase of the moon on the watch dial through day and night there are two identical moons are printed on the rotating disc. You can track all these phases of the moon with the help of this disc display.

Reading the current moon phase on a wristwatch needs some skills. To track the exact moon phase, you will need to set your watch. You should need to know the exact date of the last full moon; otherwise, there could be a misleading or inaccurate display of the next moon phase.

5 Best Moonphase Watches

1. Christopher Ward C1 Moonglow
2. Montblanc Star Legacy Moonphase
3. Cartier Ballon Bleu Moonphase
4. Omega Speedmaster Moonphase
5. Patek Philippe SA 5146G