Astronomical navigation goes back thousands of years with our species. We know of early crossings on both land and water which utilized the night sky as a guide to ensure we arrive at the destinations we intend to, even if we can sometimes be a little off. Much has already been written about this topic and while we can appreciate the depth to which the constellations and astronomy has played in the evolution of human civilization, we’re particularly focused on how we’ve created timepieces in that image. Through this lens, we’ll have a brief look at the watches which mimic the night sky in ways that seem to capture our eyes and imaginations. Navigating the each day with the stars in mind is something the watch world has only recently embraced. What material makes this possible?
Enter aventurine.
But, what is “aventurine” anyway? Well, the short answer is that it’s a type of quartz, usually with a greenish hue. Though other colors of the material exist, it’s often found in that deep, dark midnight blue color with the typical specks of chrome mica which emulate the night sky so well. I do have a few geologist friends who likely have more sophisticated explanations of what creates this signature look and how it forms within the Earth, but we’re really here to check out the watches. I’ve compiled a short list of a few of my favorite aventurine-dialed watches out there. This list isn’t exhaustive by any means, but it can provide a starting point to explore this genre of watch if the style happens to be to your liking. Let’s ORDER BY price, ascending. (That’s the only SQL joke in here, I promise)
Christopher Ward C1 Moonphase
Photos from www.christopherward.com
Starting with Christopher Ward seems logical in the sense that they offer quite a bit at price points that many find agreeable. This particular model features a movement with a 128-year perpetual moon-phase. We’ll get the specs out of the way first so I can then wax poetic, per the CW website:
- 40.5mm Stainless Steel Case
- Aventurine Dial
- 3-Hand with Moon-phase
- 13.3mm Height
- 47.9mm Lug-to-Lug
- 20mm Lug Width
- 92g Total Weight
- 30m Water Resistance
- Sellita SW220-1 with JJ04 Module Movement
- 38 Hour Power Reserve
- 4 Hz (28,800 P/Hr)
- Sapphire Crystal
Now that we have the essential pamphlet stats out of the way, let’s take a look at what’s behind these numbers. What does your $2,325 get you? A reliable movement, aventurine looks, a moon-phase you can set once and not fiddle with for 128 years, undeniable good looks, and an overall aesthetic that looks far more expensive than it is. Since many of the other watches on this list are order of magnitude more expensive than the C1, it’s worth re-iterating, without using that tired phrase “value proposition,” that this is a great entry into aventurine. If you’re unsure whether aventurine is for you or that you’ll like it long terms, this is the way to go. Yes, it won’t have the fit and finish of some of the other pieces on this list, but it will scratch the its for a night sky on your wrist. You won’t be out a large chunk of change and if you decide down the road that you’re ready to move on, you won’t be cursing depreciation like you might with some of the other brands we’ll explore later on.
The image of the moon on this C1 is large, front-and-center, and beautifully done. From a quick glance, there’s no way you can miss it. With Super LumiNova, it’ll glow (almost) all night and let you show off to your friends that your prominent “night sky” watch is complete with it’s own large moon. While this is a great thing to have on a watch, if you look too closely at the moon, you might notice some of the printing to be, well, a little cheaper looking than you’d see on other pieces. What’s more, the fact that the moon is what Christopher Ward chose for lume application is a tad puzzling, as the hands and dial are oddly devoid of any low-light lume. It might have made more sense for the hands to have some sort of nighttime legibility in addition to the moon since we all enjoy glancing down at night to see what time it is. I definitely would have liked to see some indices on the dial have a pinch along with the hands to add some legibility. Perhaps in the future during a revision, we’ll see some of those features added to an otherwise wonderful watch. It could simply be that the economics of producing this watch and keeping it at the price point listed meant that indices and extra lume on the hands was simply not going to happen.
Ulysse Nardin Marine Torpilleur Moonphase Aventurine
Photos courtesy of www.ulysse-nardin.com and @todayonthewrist
Oh, Ulysse Nardin. A brand with history and importance which appeals to the absolute individualist collectors among us. These folks don’t care about your mainstream watch purchase, they appreciate things that aren’t on everyone’s wrist at the boat show and take great care to ensure what’s in their collection is something truly unique to their tastes. One could likely say with confidence that if it weren’t for the chronometers Ulysse Nardin produced, some ocean crossing voyages may have set off and disappeared, never to be heard from again. Finding a UN in the wild is a fun experience and the folks that patronize this brand will more than likely be far more interesting than your average Submariner owner. You might learn something useful if you’re willing to sit and discuss. Let’s do the numbers, per the Ulysse Nardin website:
- 42mm Stainless Steel Case
- 11mm Height
- UN-119 Caliber Movement
- 60 Hour Power Reserve
- Moonphase, Hours, Minutes, Small Seconds
- 4 Hz (28,800 P/Hr)
- Sapphire Crystal
- Limited Edition of 300 Pieces
The Marine Torpilleur Moonphase Aventurine scratches the itch for aventurine in a way only Ulysse Nardin could achieve. The long Roman numberals, the small seconds which hearkens back to the deck clocks of yore, and the gorgeous balance that ties it all together make for something that looks irresistible. This is aventurine for the collector who’s willing to spend a little bit more for the aesthetics, history, and exclusivity of a brand that doesn’t show up everywhere. That moon-phase complication also sits handsomely within the small seconds sub-dial, which ensures the balance is unbroken while offering that kind of functionality.
What would you expect to pay for aventurine with Ulysse Nardin on the dial? Well, glancing at the price sheet with this reference, we’re looking at $13,000 which, to me, doesn’t seem like an outrageous price for something as limited as this is. You and 299 other people are walking around on the surface of the planet with one of these and with *checks notes* 8 billion people total, that’s a pretty good ratio of owners to non-owners. That’s a percentage so small, we’ll need more than a handful of zeros after the decimal point (0.0000000375% of people could potentially own this watch, if all were accounted for). For exclusivity at a price point that won’t make you take out a second mortgage, that’s impressive.
Again, a negative aspect for me is there isn’t much lume here. I’m left thinking that checking your phone for the time at night might be what you have to do as the days get shorter here in the northern hemisphere and you’re not trying to be late to dinner. That’s not a deal-breaker, but having some legibility in lower lighting situations is something I believe could easily be accomplished without sacrificing the beauty of the aventurine’s natural twinkle. Maybe my old dive watch addiction is showing here, but I do love being able to read my watch in the dark if I need to.
A. Lange & Söhne Little Lange 1 Moon Phase
Photos from www.alange-soehne.com
When we talk about watches and we mention A. Lange & Söhne, the conversation usually continues in hushed tones or in vivid excitement. Rightfully so, this name carries a certain weight to it that few others can compare to. Whether you’re on the hype train for Lange or not, they’ve created an interesting aventurine piece that warrants a once-over, even if the dimensions are on the smaller side of this list. How small? Let’s see:
- 36.8mm White Gold Case
- 10mm Height
- L121.2 Manually Wound Movement
- 72 Hour Power Reserve
- 3 Hz (21,600 P/Hr)
- Outsize Date
- Moon Phase
- Power Reserve Indicator
- 30m Water Resistance
- Sapphire Crystal & Caseback
When you’re in a position to buy a Lange, you know you’re getting something special. Special enough that when you check the website for a price, you’re met with “Price Upon Request.” This could be one of those “if you have to ask, you can’t afford it” things but I found that these tend to go for about $51,000 new. Not pocket change for most of us but, let’s remember, this is a Lange we’re considering here. If you want something from a “big” brand (Richemont owns Lange these days) that still has that “small” brand look and feel, this is the way to go. If you value the things that make a Lange special, such as the dial finishing, the movement being hand-wound, then this is the aventurine to guide you through each and every Monday from here to the rest of your days. They don’t come cheap, even if they don’t’ tend to hold their value as well as Patek Philippe does, but they have a presence unlike 99% of everything else out there.
If you have a smaller wrist, this could be the right aventurine-dialed watch to pursue. Sure, the 36mm mark used to be the standard for men, but with most brands pushing 40+mm for most of their watches, 36mm seems antiquated and like a product from a bygone era. That may be true for most observers, but with the plethora of wrist clocks out there, sizing down might be just the right move. How often have you had a cringey moment when you see someone with a watch that is laughably too large for their wrist? If you spend any amount of time online perusing the watch groups and forums, you’re likely to run into someone who thinks the look suits them. With this in mind, when you look at how beautifully the Little Lange 1 is proportioned, it’s easy to see why you should ditch the 47mm wall clock and go with one of these.
The deep, dark dial sets the stage perfectly for the hours and minutes. The offset small seconds incorporates that lovely moon-phase complication without being overly distracting. Those large, easy-to-read date windows instantly let you know the day of the month, and frame each numeral in white gold perfection. It may seem like an oxymoron to call this quiet luxury when you’re talking about a watch at this price point, but with all the focus on size and wild new designs, Lange made a statement that timeless design is what matters most. Some of the hour indices are applied stars, further adding to the depth of detail you see. It’s almost as if the longer the look at this watch, the more is revealed. That kind of aesthetic brought me back time and time again to this model, and I think it would be my pick if asked to choose my favorite. This is German watchmaking at its absolute peak.
Grand Seiko SBGZ007
Photos from Grand Seiko US Boutique
To the uninitiated, Grand Seiko sounds like it’s just a Seiko with a pretty hand set or perhaps a nicely finished movement that couldn’t possibly command the prices some of their models do. After all, almost all of us can stroll down to the local Macy’s or local department store and find a Seiko watch for sale. If that’s the case, what’s the deal with Grand Seiko and why is it included here? Well, because this is part of the Masterpiece collection. There’s a neat story here which I’ll paraphrase later, but ofr now, just understand that if this is your first exposure to Grand Seiko, you definitely need to take time to explore all the brand has to offer. And, while not the most expensive GS in the line, this one is up there at an eyebrow-raising $79,000. That should give you a clue as to how special this thing is. Anywho, let’s check those numbers:
- 38.5mm Platinum Case
- 9.8mm Height
- 43.7mm Lug-to-Lug
- 19mm Lug Width
- Dual Curve Sapphire Crystal
- Caliber 9R02 Manual-Wind Spring Drive Movement (The smoothest sweeping seconds hand in existence)
- Plus/Minus 15 seconds per month
- 84 Hour Power Reserve
- 30m Water Resistance
- Limited Edition of 50 Pieces
Yes, that’s right, 50 pieces were made. A smaller percentage of people own this not only because it’s the price of a nicely-equipped Mercedes-Benz E Class, but also because the hype these generated upon release meant that they were snatched up incredibly quickly. When you love something that much, right? Anyhow, just look at this thing: the dial is gorgeous, the case finishing is exquisite, and once you see a Spring Drive in person, you’ll forever notice the wildly bumpy Swiss movements and how inferior their sweep seems to be.
The story behind the dial, since that’s what we’re really here to admire, this: the aventurine “conjures the night sky of Achi, a village in the southern part of Shinshu that, due to its elevation, is well-known for its clear skies where the stars above appear to be within arm’s reach.” Quoted directly from Grand Seiko’s US website, it’s easy to see why the artisans at Grand Seiko were as inspired by the night sky as countless other people across the millennia. Much of what you see on this piece is hand-finished by a select few people, all of whom are hand-picked at Grand Seiko for their experience, artistic ability, and attention to even the smallest detail. You could likely count on your hands the number of people entrusted to take part in the production of these pieces and, at this price point with this caliber of material used, that makes sense. It truly is more than just a “fancy” Seiko when you see what the people at Grand Seiko are capable of creating.
Audemars Piguet Code 11:59 Perpetual Calendar
Photos from www.audemarspiguet.com
If you absolutely aren’t worried about the price and you know that you must have a name that everyone will respect on the dial of your watch, you can navigate your meetings with the AP Code 11:59 Perpetual Calendar. This is one of those watches that, if you let it run out of power while you rotate in the others for some wrist time, requires the stars to align to reset. Facetious though that statement may be, ask anyone in the watch service and repair industry and they’ll tell you that these types of watches are ones that should be in a winder when not on the wrist the day. The use of aventurine is of the utmost quality here and it’s clear why the asking price is $109,300. But, let’s see the numbers as reported by Audemars Piguet:
- 41mm White Gold Case
- 10.9mm Height
- 20m Water Resistance
- White Gold Markers
- Caliber 5134
- 2.75 Hz (19,800 P/Hr)
- 40 Hour Power Reserve
When I look at this watch, all I can think about is how gorgeous it looks. Aventurine really is something special when it’s portrayed as a version of the night sky and AP has taken it to the next level. Again, I’m a fan of having some lume so I can read a watch in the darker lighting environments, but I’m also well aware that a watch such as this might look overdone if that were added. There’s already so much going on with the dial that adding in lume pips could potentially push it over the edge into the “ugly” territory if it continued to pile things on. This, like the Lange, is one of those watches that you arrive with and it’s going to be the star of the show. Whether you’re off to trivia night or walking down the carpet at an awards show, something on this level will almost certainly have a good conversation dedicated to it with other watch aficionados.
When a watch like this, from a brand like this, is released into the wild, it seems everyone covers every detail of it within the first 24 hours. There isn’t much I can say about this watch that hasn’t already been said, written, or filmed, but it still gives me the kind of feeling that a Rolls-Royce does. Much like that car, it “arrives” and catches attention. Aventurine would do this on its own, but paired with the legendary AP name and reputation gives it such an elevated stance that us mere mortals simply have to stop and stare, if only to appreciate how astounding the entry fee is. I would venture a guess that when you see one of these, you’re either very much into it or you’re very much repulsed by it. A dial this busy, with that many chrome mica flakes surely will have some purists turning away despite the name and the attention to detail. Such is the case with something like and when you also compare it to something like a Rolls-Royce, you’ll have your camp of people who think it’s overdone and over-hyped. That’s fair, especially if this kind of thing doesn’t do it for you. Either way, if you’ve made it this far down the list, aventurine likely sits somewhere close to the “gotta have one” section of your watch list and, well, this could be the top for most of us.
