Press Release
Black Moon Watch by Jean Marie Schaller Is Granted the Platinum A' Design Award in Watch Design
Jean Marie Schaller honored for watch design by the international grand jury of the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 18, 2025 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has announced that Black Moon Watch by Jean Marie Schaller, designed for Les Ateliers Louis Moinet, has been granted the Platinum A' Design Award in the Watch Design category. The award was conferred within the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition and was decided through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who scored anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
What the Platinum A' Design Award Means
The Platinum A' Design Award is recognized for honoring designs that stand at the forefront of creativity and innovation. It is the highest accolade bestowed by the A' Design Awards, acknowledging works that blend remarkable innovation with impactful societal contributions. These designs not only showcase exceptional artistic and technical proficiency but also highlight their creators' commitment to advancing the boundaries of art, science, design, and technology. Recipients of this award are celebrated for their role in shaping the aesthetics and trends of our time, contributing significantly to the enhancement of quality of life and promoting sustainable development.
About Black Moon Watch
Black Moon is a wristwatch with an astronomical moon display. The lunar indication uses fragments of two lunar meteorites set on a slightly domed central disc. The new moon is cut from the dark Dhofar 457 meteorite, and the full moon from the lighter Gadamis 005. The current lunar phase is read at three o'clock, where the index is framed in red. A 135 tooth gear drives the moon complication, which deviates by only one day every 122 years. The case is polished grade 5 titanium with a domed sapphire crystal.
About Jean Marie Schaller
Jean-Marie Schaller created Les Ateliers Louis Moinet in St-Blaise (NE) in 2004. The fully independent firm was established to honour the memory of Louis Moinet (1768-1853): master watchmaker, inventor of the chronograph and high frequency (216,000 vibrations per hour) (certified by two Guinness World Records™). Louis Moinet was a watchmaker, artist and astronomer. He is the author of the Traité d’Horlogerie, a watchmaking treatise published in 1848 that remained a definitive work of reference for a century. Today, Ateliers Louis Moinet is perpetuating this legacy.
Award Record
This recognition makes Jean Marie Schaller a winner of 2 A' Design Awards. The awards were granted between the 2021 - 2022 and the 2024 - 2025 editions of the A' Design Award & Competition.
About the A' Watch Design Award
The A' Watch Design Award is an international watch design competition recognizing good watch designs by leading watch designers and manufacturers worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to watch designers, luxury goods manufacturers, industrial designers and product designers from all countries. Typical entries include chronographs, dive watches, dress watches, quartz watches, automatic watches and smartwatches. The awarded watch designs are published at https://designers.org/design-category/watch
About A' Design Award & Competition
Organized annually since 2008, A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The philanthropic mission of the A' Design Award is to advance society through good design, by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Nominations are peer reviewed and evaluated anonymously by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. Eligible laureates receive the A' Design Prize, which includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, uploading a work and receiving a preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. More information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://designers.org/164242
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/164242
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!164242
- Laureate Profile: https://designers.org/d/328987
- Further Information from the Laureate: https://bit.ly/4enFsLX
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Black Moon Watch
- Function
- Watch
- Category
- Watch Design
- Discipline
- Industrial Design
- Industry
- Luxury and Fashion
- Colors
- Black, Dark Slate Gray, Dim Gray, Dark Gray and Silver
- Images
- 5
- Client
- Les Ateliers Louis Moinet
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Jean Marie Schaller
- Country
- Switzerland
- Recognition
- Platinum A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2024 - 2025
- Design ID
- #164242
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- The Black Moon features, on a slightly domed central disc, the full and new moon represented by two lunar meteorites. Each comes from a different type of lunar rock; Dhofar 457, a dark meteorite, and Gadamis 005, a lighter one. The mechanism behind this innovative display is an astronomical moon complication, distinguished by its remarkable precision, deviating by only one day every 122 years, thanks to a sophisticated 135-tooth gear mechanism.
- Inspiration
- The central concept of the Black Moon is the reinvention of the lunar display, marking a first in watchmaking. This idea is inspired by several sources. First, the deep connection between Les Ateliers Louis Moinet and the Moon. Louis Moinet, the great watchmaker passionate about astronomy, created the world’s first chronograph specifically for his celestial observations. Then, Jean-Marie Schaller, CEO and Creative Director of Les Ateliers Louis Moinet, with his passion for collecting rare meteorites, including lunar fragments. The Black Moon is also the result of innovation and technical mastery, featuring an astronomical moon display.
- Research
- The Black Moon research focused on creating an innovative lunar display, blending mechanical engineering with the natural beauty of lunar meteorites. Les Ateliers Louis Moinet collaborated with meteorite hunters to source rare specimens. Master artisans sculpted these fragments for placement on the central lunar disc. The movement driving this astronomical moon complication was designed and developed by the LAB of Louis Moinet in collaboration with Concepto.
- Challenge
- The main creative challenge for the Black Moon was to reinvent the lunar indication with clean and refined lines, focusing on the essential—the new and full moon. The design had to showcase the technical complexity of the mechanism while maintaining a sleek look. Placing the lunar disc at the center and working with volume on the dial were key. Details like the openworked zone, sector seconds with longer and shorter ends, domed sapphire crystal, openworked lugs, integrated strap, and oscillating weight all reflect this modern approach.
- Realization and Technology
- The Black Moon timepiece combines advanced horological engineering with extraterrestrial materials. Its astronomical moon mechanism, driven by a 135-tooth gear, ensures exceptional precision. At the centre, two expertly cut lunar meteorites are placed on a slightly domed disc, representing the full and new moon. The surrounding dial, designed with an aventurine base, features floating indexes that create a sense of depth and mystery. The watch is housed in a polished grade 5 titanium case, topped with a domed sapphire crystal.
- Operation and Interaction
- The Black Moon innovatively indicates the moon’s. An index at 3 o'clock, framed in red, points to the current state of the moon. The timepiece announces the full moon when the fragment circled in red aligns with the indicator. The subdial at 9 o'clock displays sector seconds with a compass-inspired hand: the longer end counts the first 30 seconds, and the shorter end the next 30. This innovative design enhances the overall aesthetic, while luminescent hands and indexes improve visibility at night.
- Project Duration and Location
- The Black Moon project began in 2022 at Les Ateliers Louis Moinet in Switzerland, led by Creative Director Jean-Marie Schaller. It took two years to develop, from concept to final timepiece. The watch was officially unveiled in early 2024 at Watches and Wonders, released as a limited edition of 60 pieces.
- Specifications
- The Black Moon is assembled in a grade 5 polished and satin-finished titanium case of 40.7 mm diameter. It weighing it weighs only 18 grammes. The domed sapphire crystal is a high-tech feat in itself that enables one to appreciate the depth and detail of the dial. Limited edition: 60 pieces Moon Disc: two lunar meteorites: Dhofar 457 and Gadamis 005 Movement: Self-winding mechanism, screw balance Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds Complication: Central astronomical moon Power reserve: 48 hours
- Keywords
- watch, astronomical moon, timepiece, luxury, meteorite, aventurine
