9 of the best moonphase watches making the most of the romantic complication

Zach Blass

Watchmaking is a profession born from the need to keep time, the core obsession being making mechanical watchmaking as precise as possible. Due to the inherent beauty of astronomy and the science within it, a natural evolution in watchmaking was to relay astronomical information on the dial of a watch – the most common of which is the moonphase. And with any complication for that matter, there remains to this day a horological arms race to boast the most beautiful and accurate moonphase on a wristwatch (spoiler alert for what’s to come). Sure, most people are not really bothered with the current status of the phase of the moon, but the aesthetic value-add, as well as the complication-add, has long enticed watch buyers to seek one out for themselves. And if you do decide to purchase a watch with a moonphase complication, make sure you know how to actually use one – thankfully, it’s not too difficult to grasp.

Swatch x Omega MoonSwatch Mission to the Moonphase

Shrug and scoff all you want, MoonSwatch fatigue aside, this is a cool and fun watch that presents an interesting twist on a classic complication. The Swatch x Omega MoonSwatch Mission to the Moonphase is available in both white and black configurations, with Snoopy gracing each of the dials’ double moonphase apertures that also glow in the dark! Every other bit of the watch, aside from the moon phase indication, is exactly the same as prior MoonSwatch designs. Price: US$310

Farer Baily Moonphase

Fortunately, the entry point for a quality, mechanically driven moonphase watch is less steep than you may expect. The Farer Baily Moonphase does not only have the allure of being a moonphase watch priced at under US$2,000, it also notably utilises a natural aventurine dial. Its steel cushion case is very wrist-friendly, offering a sense of modern presence with its 38.5mm diameter but a classic fit due to its 43.8mm lug-to-lug span. It is relatively slender at 11.5mm thick, and as you look at its side profile, you will notice textured detailing on the case flanks adding further flair. A real stand out about this Sellita-driven moonphase is its larger aperture and disc, adding more depth and scale to the depiction of the Moon in a very cool way. Tho secure this one, you’ll have to act fast, as it’s limited to 200 pieces. The first batch of 100 is currently open for pre-order via Farer’s website. Price: US$1,925

Longines Flagship Heritage Moonphase

Longines has long produced more affordable moonphase watches, and affordable complications watches across the board. Available in sunray blue, silver, and sunray silver configurations, the Flagship Heritage Moonphase has a comfortable 38.5mm steel case, and is driven by the weekend-proof, 72-hour automatic L899 movement with a silicon hairspring. The Easter egg, however, is its solid caseback. You might bemoan its lack of an exhibition window, but what you get is actually better – a caseback with a solid gold medallion painted with enamel. Price: US$3,050

Frederique Constant Classic Moonphase Date

Another dominant force in approachably priced complications is Frederique Constant, and its recent Classic Moonphase Date Manufacture offers handsome green, blue, and silver options. With a 40mm steel case, it is a bit larger than its style might suggest, but its lug-to-lug length mitigates the fit a tad for smaller wrists. It’s powered by an in-house, automatic FC-716 movement, exhibited via the caseback and nicely decorated, with 72 hours of power reserve. Price: US$4,095

Baume & Mercier Clifton Baumatic Moon phase Date

A near-perfect watch in my eyes, the first Baume & Mercier Clifton with moonphase was a stunning entry in the midst of the green dial craze. The latest iteration was launched at this year’s Watches and Wonders, further cleaning up the dial and, most importantly, shrinking down to 39mm in diameter. Apart from its pretty looks, an equally compelling selling point of this Clifton Moon Phase is its five-day automatic calibre that offers 120 hours of power reserve. Price: US$4,900

Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Moon

I should be impartial, but if you care, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Ultra Thin Moon is probably my favourite watch on this list. Sure, it does not have a groundbreakingly novel aesthetic, but it is a masterclass in traditional execution. In particular, the blue sunburst dial is as stunning as it gets, and the clean layout with dauphine hands is superb in my book. While colour availability varies by size within the collection, the watch can be purchased in a 36mm or 39mm size. As its name suggests, the 39mm version is slender, considering the complication, at 10mm in thickness (9.4mm thick for the 36mm version) and its lug-to-lug is only 45.5mm across the wrist – so very wrist-friendly. Both watches are powered by a wonderfully decorated and slim in-house automatic 925 calibre that offers a near-weekend proof 70 hours of power reserve. Price: US$10,900 (36mm), US$11,100 (39mm)

Glashütte Original PanoMaticLunar

Are you a fan of the Lange 1 Moon Phase? Well, you are going to love the PanoMaticLunar from Glashütte Original then. In steel, it’s nearly 25% of the price of a Lange 1 Moon Phase – but by no means 25% of the quality. This 40mm watch offers the off-centred, Panorama-style big date window, larger hours and minutes sub-dial, and smaller running seconds sub-dial, along with a moonphase indicator all harmoniously spiraled across the galvanic dial. Its movement, a 42-hour in-house automatic, is finely decorated with striping, bevelling, and a hand-engraved balance bridge. Also, the winding rotor uses a 21k gold for its mass. Price: starting at US$11,200 (on synthetic strap)

Breitling Premier B25 Datora 42 Copper

Inspired by its complete calendar watches of the 1940s, the Breitling B25 Datora 42 Copper made a splash upon its announcement a few years ago – notably in the weeks just before Watches & Wonders began. Those clued into the watch community are probably not shocked as to why. Described as “copper”, the dial really looks like the collector-coveted salmon colour, and its parallels to the famed Patek Philippe 5270P definitely did not hurt either. The only common detraction that is noted about its 42mm steel case is its rather beefy 15.35mm thickness, but at its larger size, it does have the advantage of a 100-metre depth rating. This complete calendar chronograph is powered by Breitling’s B25 automatic calibre developed with Concepto, and offers day, date, month, moonphase, and chronograph complications with a 48-hour power reserve. Price: US$13,500

Omega Speedmaster Moonphase Blue Side of the Moon

The Speedmaster is known for having gone to the Moon, but not typically for being a watch with a moonphase. The Speedmaster Blue Side of the Moon gorgeously leans into an outer space theme with a blue ceramic case, and an aventurine dial that mimics a vision of starry outer space. Even the moonphase disc is made of aventurine, and the Moon on the moonphase disc is fashioned in Omega’s rosy Sedna gold. I appreciate how the two chronograph registers each neatly pack in two indications, the 9 o’clock register displaying both the running seconds and date and the 3 o’clock register indicating both the elapsed hours and minutes. Inside, you have the in-house, automatic, Co-Axial, METAS-certified calibre 9904 with 60 hours of power reserve. The only caveat to the watch, it’s on the larger side at 44.25mm in diameter and 17.1mm thick. So, not the easiest to slide under a shirt cuff – but c’mon, aesthetically speaking it’s a blue beaut. Price: US$15,000

T+T Timeless Pick: IWC Portugieser Eternal Calendar

Released to much fanfare at Watches and Wonders 2024, the Portugieser Eternal Calendar not only improved the famous Kurt Klaus IWC perpetual calendar module with a secular calendar, but also introduced the most accurate moonphase made to date. The rest of the inclusions on this list are degrees of magnitude more affordable, but there’s only one best moonphase. The T+T Timeless Pick is normally reserved for some ultra-rare, limited-edition or never-seen vintage piece – but I don’t think there’s much of an argument to be had about not having the Eternal Calendar in this spot – because what is more timeless than eternity? Price: US$155,000