The new Imperiale showcases the moon, the Big Dipper, Little Dipper, Cassiopeia, Cepheus and Draco constellations set against dozens of sparkling diamonds representing the stars at night.
The dial of the this timepiece consists of two blue plates made of aventurine glass, also known as goldstone and recognisable by its typical sparkling inclusions or spangles. This long-lost know-how was first discovered in Murano, where legend has it that a glassmaking artisan accidentally dropped iron and copper filings into his molten glass. Once cooled, the molten glass revealed unique, shimmering reflections, reminiscent of the night sky.
Its moonphase display offers astronomical accuracy as well, reducing the precision error in the duration between two successive new moons (known as a lunation) to just 57.2 seconds, and hence taking 122 years to accumulate a mere one-day difference between the measured and actual lunar cycle.
Technical Specifications:
The case, in ethical 18kt white gold, measures 36mm x 9.8mm. It has an AR-coated sapphire crystal, a sapphire display back, and it is water resistant to 50 meters. Bezel, crown, lug covers and lugs in ethical 18kt white gold set with diamonds (3 carats).
Movement is the Swiss automatic Chopard in-house caliber 96.25-C with 32 jewels, 28,800 vph and a power reserve of 65 hours. Chronometer-certified by the COSC. Functions are: Central display of the hours and minutes. Small seconds at 6 o'clock. Moonphases at 12 o'clock.
Aventurine glass dial studded with the five main northern hemisphere constellations. Central diamond-set white gold decorative fillet. Diamond-set white gold hour-markers. Openwork, rhodium-plated sword-shaped hours and minutes hands. Rhodium-plated IMPERIALE-motif small seconds hand. Aventurine glass moon disc.
It comes on a glossy blue alligator leather strap with an 18kt white gold pin buckle.
MSRP is $61,000.
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