The personal collection of Jean-Marie Schaller, Owner and Creative Director of Louis Moinet, contains meteorites that have fascinating stories. One in particular, the Jbilet Winselwan, is noted for the presence of amino acids – molecules that are considered the building blocks of life itself – and is the centrepiece of Starman
A fragment of the Jbilet Winselwan meteorite majestically dominates the upper part of the Starman’s dial and competes visually with the tourbillon. This beautiful black stone, spangled with little brown dots, was discovered in the western Sahara Desert. It bears amino acids and is thus a silent witness to the first sparks of life spread throughout the cosmos.
The Starman’s dial begins with the base cut from the Gibeon meteorite, which fell to earth in prehistoric times and is famous for its emblematic Widmanstätten pattern. The fragment was dyed in a deep blue using an intricate – and secret – process. A second disc made of sapphire crystal features a map of the stars. In the foreground are the constellations carefully painted by hand using a luminescent material. They appear on the backdrop of the map’s longitudinal and latitudinal lines.
At night, the Starman reveals a magnificent stellar panorama, creating an appearance of depth that draws us into the immensity of the universe itself. This nightly display is enhanced by the vibrant blue hands and indexes that provide a touch of technical elegance to this exceptional timepiece.
Turn the Starman around to see a fascinating chart of the solar system. The planets, some of which only measure two millimetres in diameter, have been meticulously painted by hand and are placed on a grid that seems to float over a star-lit sky.
The planets have been precisely positioned as they appeared on March 21, 2013, when the world of watchmaking officially recognised Louis Moinet as the inventor of the chronograph. The public event was held at the Neuchâtel observatory, where Jean-Marie Schaller unveiled the famous compteur de tierces, which had been built by the great French watchmaker in 1816.
The Starman defies gravity in a riveting manner thanks to its flying tourbillon in an off-centre cage. The hand-wound movement is equipped with two barrels in parallel. The system, called “volte face,” has one of the barrels turned upside-down or head-to-tail, so they deliver their energy simultaneously, producing a power reserve of ninety-six hours.
It comes in an 18-carat gold case with a diameter of 47.4 millimetres. Its architecture is opulent and complex, mixing brushed and polished surfaces and a stepped bezel. The Starman is available in two editions limited to twelve pieces each, one in 18-carat red gold, the other in 18-carat grey gold.
