old is a material sent from heaven – in the purest sense of the word. Unlike diamonds or other gemstones, the origins of this coveted precious metal are quite literally out of this world. Gold is the product of an abundance of energy like nothing found on Earth or even in the Sun. To create gold, two extremely high-energy stars need to collide to spark a fusion reaction. Millions of years ago, this is precisely what happened, and the gold created was catapulted into outer space, where it eventually made its way to the Sun, our moon or the Earth.

When it came to finding the perfect frame for the moon phase display of the new Teutonia IV Moonphase Gold, an 18 carat gold case was the ideal choice. With a diameter of 41 millimetres, the perfectly dimensioned case contains an impressive total of 47 grams of fine gold. As is typical of the Teutonia family, the middle of the case features a vertical finish applied carefully by hand. The top surfaces of the volute-shaped lugs, on the other hand, are finely polished and harmonise perfectly with the straightforward design of the bezel of the Teutonia IV watch family.

The elegant shine of the valuable case is complemented by its contrast with the matt black face of the Teutonia IV Moonphase Gold. Against the face as black as the night sky, applied and gold-plated indices sparkle like shooting stars, reflecting the case material just like the gold-plated lance-shaped hands for the hours, minutes and seconds. With their perfectly coordinated length, these hands point the way to yet more gold: in the clearly marked minute graduation with gold-coloured second and minute numerals.

At the six o’clock position, the dazzling golden moon emerges from the depths of outer space as an eye- catching feature of the matt black face. Underneath the specially formed window on the face of the watch, a lunar disc with a diameter of around ten millimetres rotates, completing a full cycle in 59 days. The golden moon appears not once but twice on the disc, which is therefore able to provide a day-by-day insight into its lunation from a new moon to a full moon and back to a new moon over a period of around 29.5 days. Although enhanced with a golden shine, the image of the moon is also extremely realistic. When depicting the Earth’s trusty satellite, Mühle-Glashütte focused on precision at its very best, meticulously reproducing craters both large and small.

The powerhouse behind this beautiful timepiece is a reliable SW 280-1 Mühle version automatic movement, fitted with a shockproof woodpecker neck fine regulation, the matching balance cock and an efficient Mühle rotor. Once its components have been carefully finished and assembled, the movement is put to the test in six different positions and set to achieve accuracy values of between 0 and a maximum of +8 seconds per day. This in-house precision target complies with the German chronometer standard and has the main aim of ensuring that the Teutonia IV Moonphase Gold reliably displays the time in hours, minutes and seconds without requiring any moonlight magic. After all, the ultimate priority at Mühle-Glashütte is making sure that its watch wearers are never too late because of their time measuring instruments.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Movement: SW 280-1, automatic; Mühle version with shockproof woodpecker neck fine regulation, efficient Mühle rotor and characteristic surface finishes. Stop-second. Fast date and moon-phase correction. 41-hour power reserve.

Case: 18 carat brushed/polished gold. Domed and anti-glare sapphire crystal. Transparent case back. Ø 41.0 mm; H 12.6 mm. Water-resistant to 10 bars. Crocodile leather strap with an 18 carat gold pin buckle. Screwed strap attachment bridges.

Dial: Black. Applied indices, gold-plated. Gold-plated hands. Limited edition: 100 pieces.