Compass Skeleton Automatic Wristwatch with Dual Time Registers
You must be a subscriber, and be logged in to view price and dealer details.
Subscribe Now to view actual auction price for this item
When you subscribe, you have the option of setting the currency in which to display prices to $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.
- Moon Dial - If we imagine life in the 17th century, the only source of ascertaining the time of day or night would have been the local church or municipal clock striking every quarter hour, and able to be heard by all in the village. In England, when longcase clocks became popular and more affordable in the late 17th century, the function of timekeeping and source of time was moved to within the home.
An additional feature on some longcase clocks was to display the phases of the moon, that is the new moon, the full moon and the waning moon over the lunar 29 ½ day cycle. This information was important for farmers for working out cropping schedules; for travellers to know the amount of moonlight on a night they planned to travel; and for those who lived near the sea required knowledge of the tides.
Where included, the moon dial is usually in the form of a disc incorporated into the main dial plate, usually in the arched top section. The lunar cycle starts with the new moon displaying, which is a dark night sky and no man-in-the-moon face being displayed, and then progresses to the full moon face showing on the 15th day of the lunar cycle, and back to no face displaying as the moon wanes. Most lunar dials are partially concealed on each side of their opening in the main dial plate by semi-circular "humps" that allow the painted face to emerge slowly just as the real moon goes out of and back into the earth's shadow.
Nowadays, details of the lunar cycle is published in diaries, almanacs, and newspapers and although some modern longcase clocks are still manufactured with working moon dials, they are more for decoration than for use.
Visually similar items
A Stuhrling original automatic wristwatch, ref, LR1, cal. St-91011 in stainless steel with black dial, 2 registers for dual time, moonphase, visible escapement, transparent back, 22 jewel movement, leather band, new unused item, boxed with instructions, wo
A Croton Imperial automatic time zone wristwatch, ref, TS3011 in stainless steel with black dial, centre seconds, 6 time zone registers, transparent back, leather band, boxed with instructions, unused working.
A Raymond Weil Amadeus 200 chronograph automatic wristwatch, dark violet dial, centre seconds, 3 subsidiary dials, date, gold plated case, 25 jewel Eta cal. 7750 movement, new leather band, fine condition, working.
Audemars Piguet, an 18ct pink gold automatic dual time zone wristwatch with date, day/night and power reserve indication case F44122 no 108/450 Millenary Maserati 90th Anniversary limited edition circa 2004, automatic winding movement, fully jewelled, two-