iW Magazine Winter 2019 | Page 38

BOUTIQUE LOUIS MOINET SpaceWalker This impressive new watch celebrates Alexey Leonov’s place in history as the first person to exit a space capsule and float free in space, which the cosmonaut did on March 18, 1965, when he exited his spaceship on the Voskhod 2 mission. Representing this achievement, Louis Moinet placed a geodesic faceted diamond on the perimeter of the carousel tourbillion cage representing Leonov’s call name “Almaz 2” (Almaz means diamond in Russian.) Joining the diamond on the dial is an aventurine background that the brand claims is enhanced with an exclusive and secret graphic composition that represents the ‘infinite cosmos of space including distant nebulae and stars in a lustrous display of blue and lavender.’ At 6 o’clock, Louis Moinet’s trademark “dewdrop” hands indicate the hours and minutes, extending across a sapphire dial offering a small window into the mechanics of the movement. The back offers an unobstructed view, with a sapphire crystal revealing SpaceWalker’s highly distinctive bridges. In celebration of those twelve minutes Leonov spent in the freedom of space, Louis Moinet has produced two limited editions, each comprising twelve engraved watches in rose gold or white gold, alongside two other limited editions comprising eighteen non-engraved pieces, also in white gold or rose gold. Retail price for the engraved edition shown here is $199,900. IW RATING Design: 8 (out of 10) Out-of-this-world design. Innovation: 7 Custom tourbillon with mounted diamond and secret graphic application on the aventurine dial. Finissage: 8 Superb application of finishes on case and movement. Legibility: 7 Blued stub hands contrast with a white steel backdrop. Rarity: 9 Only twelve in rose gold and twelve in white gold will be made. Value: 10 Already trading at a premium above retail. Overall iW rating: 49 (out of 60) 38 | INTERNATIONAL WATCH | WINTER 2019