Orfina Moon Phase Chronograph in 18ct Yellow Gold
You must be a subscriber, and be logged in to view price and dealer details.
Subscribe Now to view actual auction price for this item
When you subscribe, you have the option of setting the currency in which to display prices to $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.
- Moon Dial - If we imagine life in the 17th century, the only source of ascertaining the time of day or night would have been the local church or municipal clock striking every quarter hour, and able to be heard by all in the village. In England, when longcase clocks became popular and more affordable in the late 17th century, the function of timekeeping and source of time was moved to within the home.
An additional feature on some longcase clocks was to display the phases of the moon, that is the new moon, the full moon and the waning moon over the lunar 29 ½ day cycle. This information was important for farmers for working out cropping schedules; for travellers to know the amount of moonlight on a night they planned to travel; and for those who lived near the sea required knowledge of the tides.
Where included, the moon dial is usually in the form of a disc incorporated into the main dial plate, usually in the arched top section. The lunar cycle starts with the new moon displaying, which is a dark night sky and no man-in-the-moon face being displayed, and then progresses to the full moon face showing on the 15th day of the lunar cycle, and back to no face displaying as the moon wanes. Most lunar dials are partially concealed on each side of their opening in the main dial plate by semi-circular "humps" that allow the painted face to emerge slowly just as the real moon goes out of and back into the earth's shadow.
Nowadays, details of the lunar cycle is published in diaries, almanacs, and newspapers and although some modern longcase clocks are still manufactured with working moon dials, they are more for decoration than for use. - Chronograph - A chronograph is a watch that also incorporates the features of a stopwatch, to measure elapsed time. Most chronographs are operated by two buttons, one to start and stop the chronograph second hand, and the other to return that hand to the starting position.
This item has been included into following indexes:
- chronographs 683
Visually similar items
Panerai, a limited edition large stainless steel cushion form two-Time Zone automatic wristwatch with date no HO172/2900 BB1140534 Ref Op 6633 Luminor Gmt Ocean Chronometer, circa 2000 automatic nickel lever movement, 21 jewels, black dial with luminous Ar
A gentleman's gold wristwatch, circa 1920's, yellow gold, 32 mm.
A Maurice Lacroix Croneo chronograph automatic wristwatch, ref, 39721 in stainless steel, green dial, 3 registers, day at 3 o'clock, date at 6 o'clock Eta 7750 movement, sapphire glass, folding clasp, with boxes, spare links, and papers. C - 2002.
Maurice Lacroix Gent's chronograph wrist watch, Ref, Mp 6318, Masterpiece Croneo no. AN52179 with black dial, split centre seconds, 3 subsidiary dials, day and date on a automatic movement, transparent screw back in stainless steel to leather band with dep