Simply Abu Dhabi Magazine XVI

9 5 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I W ith celestial mysteries inspiring scientific quests for centuries, it’s no surprise that our senses have always been captured by the serenity and beauty of theMoon. Fascinating and alluring, mankind has looked towards the heavens since the beginnings of history to be inspired and enthralled. Now fromGrahamWatchmakers comes Geo. Graham, TheMoon – a celestial manual flying tourbillon featuring a perpetual Moon retrograde function and embodying the mastery of astronomy with the accomplished craftsmanship of a superior timepiece. Seventeenth-century London watchmaker George Graham, for whom the manufacture is named, had a lifelong love of observing theMoon and found it inspiring whilst creating his exquisite watches. Often spending hours looking into the night sky as he solved complex mechanical watchmaking problems, he was also fascinated by the work of the great astronomers and worked on Sir Isaac Newton’s theories of gravitation involving very precise mechanisms that blended the magic of the sky with precise watchmaking science. The Moon remains an object of curiosity which has greatly influenced life on Earth. It has helped to determine physical locations through navigation, to track time and create tables of the tides, and more generally to propel mathematics and science to new heights. Geo. Graham, The Moon is an innovative and unique history-making celestial representation. Its name pays tribute to the Graham tradition and heritage descending from George Graham himself who engraved his signature on each of his handmade and exclusive creations since 1695. This is a singular watch that combines a flying tourbillon with a high-precision retrograde Moon-phase perpetual function, with the cycle itself calculated on the Moon’s exact synodic period for a duration of 122 years. At the end of each synodic period, the retrograde mechanism ensures that the Moon jumps back to the beginning of a new Moon-phase cycle to continue keeping perfect time. Visually stunning, this eye-catching watch is hand-painted by craftsmen in Le Locle, Switzerland. To avoid damage to the beautiful lunar disc and accentuate the retrograde fall, a double absorber system has been developed exclusively for Graham by Christophe Claret in Le Locle. The synodic period is equal to 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes and 2.9 seconds which corresponds to 2’551’442.9 seconds. Once correctly set, this high-precision Moon phase will only require adjustment once every 122 years by a single push on the corrector, meaning its accuracy is infallible for over a century. Great historical scientists like Isaac Newton or George Grahammade major discoveries as they became aware that combining astronomy and timekeeping would lead to remarkable advancements in horology. The main complexity of the watch lies in the delicate and complex flying tourbillon. It challenges Newton’s law of gravitation and also pays tribute to his remarkable findings by ingeniously rotating on a ball bearing to substitute rolling for sliding friction. The movement is coated in blue and adorned with multiple constellations of glorious diamonds such as Camelopardalis, Perseus, Cassiopeia, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor and, at the centre point of the design, the North Star’s position is found. To magnify the Moon phase, the rose gold case with faceted horns is crowned with a Milky Way sapphire painted bezel. This provides a unique and magical view of the universe through a refracting telescope. Geo. Graham, The Moon is the ultimate representation of the long-forged association between astronomy and extraordinarily high-quality watchmaking. With subtle beauty and classic yet groundbreaking design, this watch is an item of both luxury and history that has a story to tell. Paying genuine tribute to the early 18th century, this stunning timepiece evokes feelings of renewal, mystery, intuition, and wonder – the very essence of the Moon itself.