Author Archives: Timmy Tan

IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar: Blue Moon Arising

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The IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar Ref. 503401 features a midnight blue dial, the double moon display. A new design element is the railway track style chapter ring that is inspired by the original Portugieser. The image of the actual Moon and the actual night sky with stars was taken on 28 July 2015 at around 10pm as viewed from Singapore. The Moon is in a waxing gibbous phase and is approaching its full moon phase. Image of IWC watch: © IWC. Photo of Moon: © TANG Portfolio. Elfa / Timmy. July 2015

The IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar Ref. IW503401 features a midnight blue dial, the double moon display. A new design element is the railway track style chapter ring that is inspired by the original Portugieser. The image of the actual Moon and the actual night sky with stars was taken on 28 July 2015 at around 10pm as viewed from Singapore. The Moon was in a waxing gibbous phase and was approaching its full moon phase which will take place on 31 July 2015. Image of IWC watch: © IWC. Photo of Moon: © TANG Portfolio. Elfa / Timmy. July 2015

Today, Friday 31 July 2015, is the “once in a blue moon” day for it is the second full moon of this calendar month.

A blue moon will take place tonight. Defined as the second full moon in a month, it is a rare event. The last blue moon took place on 31 August 2012 or almost three years ago.

If you were to miss tonight’s “Blue Moon” experience, then you’d have to wait till the next blue moon which will only happen more than two years later, on 31 January 2018.

As the Moon takes 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes and 3 seconds for each moon phase – the time required to orbit Earth, you can understand why it is really rare to have a blue moon as it would have to fall, or should we say appear, mostly in months with 31 days.

A full moon means that the Moon is reflecting the maximum sunlight (from the Sun). This allows us on Earth to better appreciate the view of our Moon – its terrain and craters for instance.

Wristwatches which have the moon phase display will indicate a complete, rounded moon on this day.

Interestingly, the IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar Ref. 503401 for example (seen above), will display two full moons on its dial. This is not because it is a “blue moon phase” display; rather, it is because this watch, with what is termed the “double moon”, displays the phase of moon for both the Northern and Southern hemispheres.

What’s more, this particular Portugieser Perpetual Calendar Ref. IW503401 is an apt watch to be on your wrist as you witness today’s full moon as it features not only the moon phase display but a midnight blue dial.

Now speaking of two moons on the dial, perhaps that may even be an idea for the good folks at IWC to create their signature perpetual calendar movement in a watch named the “blue moon” that can be launched during the next blue moon occurrence – in January 2018?

Slim d’Hermès Perpetual Calendar: Many, many Moons thereafter

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The Slim d’Hermès Perpetual Calendar, introduced in 2015 and designed by Philippe Delhotal, features an original typography font created by Philippe Apeloig used for the Arabic numerals. It is powered by the ultra-thin Manufacture Calibre H1950 automatic movement with the micro-rotor. The perpetual calendar module is by Agenhor. Photo: © TANG Portfolio. Elfa / Timmy. 2015 BaselWorld. Special thanks to Jérôme Souman and Lyn Chan.

The Slim d’Hermès Perpetual Calendar, introduced in 2015 and designed by Philippe Delhotal, features an original typography font created by Philippe Apeloig used for the Arabic numerals. It is powered by the ultra-thin Manufacture Calibre H1950 automatic movement with the micro-rotor. The perpetual calendar module is by Agenhor. Priced at SGD55,180. Photo: © TANG Portfolio. Elfa / Timmy. 2015 BaselWorld. Special thanks to Jérôme Souman, Lyn Chan and Kimberley Ong.

The term “once in a blue moon” refers to something rare because the occurrence of a Blue Moon is simply just that – rare.

Now if you want to see something really rare, the opportunity is right around the corner, and it comes this Friday, 31 July 2015.

Why? On 31 July 2015, there will be a blue moon. Best of all, this blue moon experience is free as all you have to do is to look up to the sky.

A blue moon occurs when there are two full moons in a month.

For those who own and enjoy wristwatches with the moon phase display, July is the month to wear one as you will experience two full moon phases this month, if the moon phase mechanism is set accurately.

The first full moon for July occurred on 2 July 2015 and the second one happens this Friday, 31 July 2015. The full moon that will be seen this Friday is known as the blue moon.

How rare is the blue moon? Put it this way, the last blue moon occurred on 31 August 2012 and for the next one, you will have to wait many moons thereafter as it will be more than two years later, in January 2018.

The moon is in mother-of-pearl and the sky is in aventurine on the Slim d’Hermès Perpetual Calendar. It also features a second time zone at the six o’clock position for home time and an accompanying day and night display via an aperture on the dial, positioned between 12 and 1 o’clock above the second time zone sub-dial. Photo: © TANG Portfolio. Elfa / Timmy. 2015 BaselWorld. Special thanks to Jérôme Souman and Lyn Chan.

The moon is in mother-of-pearl and the sky is in aventurine on the Slim d’Hermès Perpetual Calendar. It also features a second time zone at the six o’clock position for home time and an accompanying day and night display via an aperture on the dial, positioned between 12 and 1 o’clock above the second time zone sub-dial. Photo: © TANG Portfolio. Elfa / Timmy. 2015 BaselWorld. Special thanks to Jérôme Souman, Lyn Chan and Kimberley Ong.

One such wristwatch with the moon phase display is the Slim d’Hermès Perpetual Calendar. At the three o’clock position is the moon phase display. The moon is depicted in mother-of-pearl while the sky is in aventurine.

This watch is part of the new Slim d’Hermès collection designed by Philippe Delhotal who is the creative director at La Montre Hermès. What is also new is the use of original typography that was created by Philippe Apeloig.

Take note of slim, stencilled-type Arabic numerals. Stencil fonts are normally more of the casual type. Perhaps that is because many will be more familiar with army stencil fonts.

For the Slim d’Hermès, this is what we would describe as an elegant stencil font. The brand explains that: “The light, airy outline of the numerals imparts a lively rhythm that gives time a pleasing cadence.”

The Slim d’Hermès Perpetual Calendar is a practical traveller’s watch with the second time zone display. The information displayed is highly legible, be it the date (twelve o’clock), month (nine o’clock), leap year indication (nine o’clock), second time zone (six o’clock) or moon phase. Photo: © TANG Portfolio. Elfa / Timmy. 2015 BaselWorld. Special thanks to Jérôme Souman and Lyn Chan.

The Slim d’Hermès Perpetual Calendar is a practical traveller’s watch with the second time zone display. The information displayed is highly legible, be it the date (twelve o’clock), month (nine o’clock), leap year indication (nine o’clock), second time zone (six o’clock) or moon phase (three o’clock). Photo: © TANG Portfolio. Elfa / Timmy. 2015 BaselWorld. Special thanks to Jérôme Souman, Lyn Chan and Kimberley Ong.

Other features include the second time zone display at six o’clock with the day and night indicator seen through the small circular aperture on the dial.

As a perpetual calendar watch, the Slim d’Hermès will provide not just the time and moon phase but accurate displays of the date and month without the need for manual resetting even during leap years for a long time, if the watch is kept properly running.

The next manual resetting of the calendar displays of the watch will be many, many moons thereafter and we are talking about the year 2100.