Since its release we’ve been wanting to bring you a proper hands-on review of the Arnold & Son Luna Magna and see what all the hype around it was really about. Without hesitation, we think that Arnold & Son makes the best moon phase indication watches out there and the Perpetual Moon by Arnold & Son is without a doubt our favorite moon phase watch in the market. The oversized realistic moon phase disc of the Perpetual Moon arching between 10 and 2 o’clock is something really captivating and there is no other watch that does it this well.

When it comes to the Arnold & Son Luna Magna, we were expecting the same level of grandeur but we feel that the oversized three-dimensional moon —the first of its kind in the watch world— made of marble and aventurine falls short when compared to the realistic moon indication in its predecessor the Perpetual Moon.

Things to Know About the Watch

The Arnold & Son Luna Magna is equipped with an 18K red gold case measuring 44 mm —2 mm bigger than the Perpetual Moon— in order to accommodate the three-dimensional moon indication at 6 o’clock. For this watch, Arnold & Son has chosen an aventurine dial and an off-centered hour and minutes dial with Roman numerals at 12 o’clock. Against the aventurine backdrop, the time and moon indication are easily read.

The spherical moon measures 12 mm in diameter and is made of marble and aventurine to represent the bright and dark sides of the moon. Perhaps this combination of materials is what we don’t love about this watch as the fusion between the two of them seems a little forced and not perfectly seamless. At the same time, the reading of the moon phases on the front of the watch doesn’t seem as intuitive as it should be for a watch of this caliber.

Now as far as the complexity of the movement itself, the lunar sphere appears halfway up the movement, perfectly positioned between the top and bottom. The upper part is encased in a glass box. This technique has been repeated on the case-back side, where the sapphire crystal rests on the wrist. By placing most of the volume in these sapphire crystals, the Luna Magna’s case has a total height of only 15.9 mm.

The Movement

The Arnold & Son Luna Magna is powered by the manual wound A&S1021 calibre, which has been fully developed, manufactured, assembled and adjusted in-house. Turning the watch over reveals a display case back that allows for full visibility of this new movement. The movement beats at a frequency of 21,600 vph and provides a power reserve of 90 hours when fully wound. It also includes a secondary display detailing the phases of the moon. Since accuracy is key, it will take 122 years for the movement’s display to deviate from the correct moon reading by one day. The correction required at this time can be easily adjusted via the crown.

On the Wrist & Price

On the wrist, the Arnold & Son Luna Magna wears true to its size and with remarkable wrist presence. The spherical three-dimensional moon indication takes the center stage at the bottom of the dial, turning the watch into an absolute conversation piece. The Luna Magna is available in a limited edition of 28 pieces. If you ask us which Arnold & Son moon phase indication watch we prefer, we’d have to go with the Perpetual Moon hands down. Nevertheless, the Luna Magna is a stunning watch but just not for us.

Sticker Price CHF 43,900 Swiss Francs —approximately $47,700 USD. For more info on Arnold & Son click here.