Sun and Moon XL

A modern revival of a very old watch design

This is the XL version of our Sun and Moon watch. The 45mm case is just the right size for the larger wrist, it's not too big and not too small.

How to read the time

The crescent shape on the watch represents 12 hours, with the time running from left to right.

To find the hour, you’ll need to check the position of the sun or moon inside the crescent shape.

At 6am the sun rises on the left. It reaches the middle of the crescent at midday, then continues until it reaches the last marker on the right at 6pm. After 6pm the moon rises on the left while the sun sets. The position of the moon then marks the hours from 6pm until 6am.

The minute hand is in the middle of the watch face, and this runs in the conventional way. Each marker represents five minutes.

A variety of animals populate the day and night sides of the watch, roughly mapped to the times of day when they would naturally appear.

This watch is XL size, however this design is also available in medium (unisex) and small (ladies).

The history of the Sun and Moon watch

Sun and Moon watches were first produced in Britain in the late 1600s, during a period of experimentation with ways to show the time.

Crispin Jones explains his inspiration for the design:

"I am interested in the history of horology and I'm particularly drawn to examples of watches that pre-date the concentric hour and minute hands.

We take for granted this standardised representation of the time, but there was a period when different schemes competed for supremacy.

One of these alternatives dates to the 17th century and was called the Sun and Moon watch.

I thought this was a beautifully elegant way of showing the time. It gave a context to the passing hours, which on a most fundamental level, relate to the cycle of the sun and moon and the sky. We released our first Sun and Moon watch in 2012 and since then have produced a number of variations on this theme."

Other designs within our Sun and Moon collection include: Sun and Moon ladies, Wanderlust, Nuage, Miyamoto, and The Observatory.

An English made Sun and Moon watch dating from 1695 made by John Trubshaw.

Sun and Moon XL details

Size:  large / mens

Strap: 22mm 100% real leather - black with white stitching

Mechanism: Seagull 1622, 21 jewel automatic movement - this means the watch has no battery, instead it is powered by your movement

Waterproof: yes! 5ATM (however leather will wear out faster if exposed to water)

Guarantee: 12 months - any problems after this time, we’re happy to help

Width (3 o’clock to 9 o’clock): 45mm

Height (from lug to lug): 53mm

Thickness: 13mm

Glass: sapphire crystal (hard wearing)

Case: 316L stainless steel