umanity is about to return to the Moon! In 1972, the Apollo program made history with Eugene Cernan becoming the 11th and last man to walk on the lunar surface. It took 50 years and the Artemis mission to reignite the dream of space exploration. And what better way to commemorate such an event than with a watch?

Mu:n has done it. This young and promising brand is about to launch its second series, Orion, featuring a bold design and remarkable specs. Trajectory set; target confirmed - get ready for an amazing journey as the brand wishes to take you to the Moon.

For the uninitiated, here is a quick reminder. Launched in 2017 by NASA, the Artemis program aims to send humans back to the Moon by 2026. This time, the goal is to establish a sustainable base and use the Moon as a springboard for deep space exploration.

Leading the charge is the Orion spacecraft, the successor to the Apollo capsule. It is the cornerstone of this program, aiming to establish a permanent presence in space and push the boundaries of humanity. Inspired by this pioneering mission, Mu:n named its latest collection after this iconic spacecraft.

From left to right, we have Orion Blue, dressed in the NASA colors (blue and red), paying tribute to the program’s masterminds. Then comes the Green edition, celebrating the European Space Agency (ESA), crucial in building Orion’s service module. Next are the Grey and White editions, inspired by the dark lunar surface and the white-blue hues of the Orion spacecraft.

Back in 2022, Mu:n first amazed us with a realistic moon disc and an exquisitely crafted Milky Way on its first limited series, which sold over 300 units in 29.5 days. But with this new moonphase, the brand has taken it to the next level.

This unique timepiece is the result of extensive research and development in collaboration with AJS Production, experts in horological miniaturisation. The workshop, awarded the prestigious EPHJ Grand Prize in Geneva in 2016, has created a fully luminescent moon, revealing every crater with a relief perceptible to the naked eye on a porous-like texture.

To achieve this, AJS developed a patented manufacturing method: structural projection. Without getting too technical, a luminescent sticker is applied to a raw metal disc, followed by several layers of decal white and blue paint. A femto laser, with micron-level precision (0.001 mm), burns through these paint layers with varying intensity. The deeper the laser cuts, the more the underlying luminova glows, creating unprecedented luminescent zones.

The uniqueness of this timepiece extends beyond the moon. The starry sky is an accurate mapping of the celestial vault around the Orion constellation. Like the Moon, the primary stars of Orion and neighboring constellations (Lepus, Canis Major, Taurus, etc.) illuminate at night.

In addition to the lunar disc, the brand has reinvented the dial’s construction, made of three parts assembled on two levels. The lower section features a satin grain reminiscent of the lunar surface, with lunar graduations created using ‘diamond cut’. Semi-floating Super-Luminova markers rise from the lower section, pointing towards the central moon. The overall harmony and the interplay of textures result in a complete yet minimalist design.

The case also alternates between brushed and polished finishes, enhancing the light effects. The series is built with a 38mm diameter, a 46mm lug-to-lug length, and a thickness of only 10.6mm - an impressive feat for a moonphase complication.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Complication: Hour, minute, second, date, moon phase
• Dimensions: 38mm (diameter) × 46mm (lug-to-lug) × 10.6mm (thickness)
• Calibre: Sellita SW288-1m: manual with manual winding, 28,800Hz frequency, 42-hour power reserve, 19 jewels
• Water resistance: 10 ATM (100 meters) 316L stainless steel
• Strap: Harrison leather from France or 316L 5-link steel
• Price €1,550 / €960 (excl. VAT) on Kickstarter