Sarpaneva releases the next generation of his absolutely crazy Lunations, as a new model which he calls Eclipse. All steel. All madness.
Get our commentary and release details here!
New: Sarpaneva Lunations Eclipse
The Sarpaneva Lunations Eclipse retails at EUR 44,500 before tax.
Commentary
Always interesting. Always crazy. That is Stepan Sarpaneva for you. This latest version of his Lunations (hinting at both lunacy and lunar) is called the Eclipse. In 2019, he released the Lunations. This watch had the then signature Korona case. It had a dial which was skeletonised and made to look super complicated. It was large, and attracted tons of presence on the wrist. We caught up with Stepan at WWG26, and he was wearing the first generation of Lunations.
But with this Eclipse, he has gone absolutely the other direction. Simple. Clean. The Korona case remains. And actually as does the complex lattice worked dial. But now it opens up to a solid steel place, covering the movement. The hands are also in steel, exactly the same hue, offering very little contrast, so little, that it almost disappears into the lattice. No seconds hand. No date. He eliminated the very cool frosted glass which used to display the moon phase.
The moonphase is stil there. It is his signature, after all. But it is only seen on the case back. The same moonphase calculated by Andreas Strehler to only accumulate one day of error every 14,000 years. He calls the movement the Moonment.
I like this move to simplify. And his quote – “The moon does not need to be seen to be present.” Very cool.
Release details
My Kind of Madness
I’ve always liked simple things. Steel. Good tools. Honest watchmaking. Maybe that is the Finnish side of me.
Years ago, while working at Parmigiani, I learned from my fellow countryman Kari Voutilainen how complicated watches should be made. Later, working with Vianney Halter, I learned something entirely different.
“There are no rules. Everything is possible.”
That combination can be dangerous. The result is Lunations.
At first glance, it is simply a Sarpaneva. A steel watch. Helsinki dial. Hours and minutes. The familiar Korona case. Nothing moving across the dial. No rushing seconds hand. No distraction.
Just steel.
“For me, steel has always been alive. Light moves across it. Shadows appear and disappear. Surfaces change character throughout the day. The watch is never completely still.”
Over the years, I have become more interested in removing things than adding them. Making a watch quieter. Slower. Allowing space to breathe. The dial shows only what is necessary. Time is almost secondary. The real madness lives on the other side.
Turn the watch over and you will find the Moonment® calibre and a moon phase mechanism so precise that it will accumulate a single day of error only once every 14,000 years.
An unnecessary achievement. Which is probably why it was worth pursuing. Most moon phase watches place the moon at the centre of attention. This does not. “The moon does not need to be seen to be present.”
It remains where it has always been. Pulling tides. Illuminating darkness. Quietly influencing the world around us whether we pay attention to it or not. The moon lives on the reverse side of the watch, known primarily to its owner.
Constant.
Faithful.
Hidden in plain sight.
Somewhere between Finnish practicality and independent watchmaking, I stopped worrying about doing things the obvious way. I became more interested in doing things because they felt right. Lunations is my expression of that.
A steel landscape on one side. The moon on the other.
My kind of madness.
Sarpaneva Lunations Eclipse specifications
Movement • Sarpaneva in-house movement, Moonment® calibre, 21,600 vph (3 Hz) • Hours, minutes, phases of the Moon • Sarpaneva Moonface relief in Yellow, Red or White Gold • Mechanical manual-winding • 60 Hours power reserve • Ruthenium plated, Matt finishing • 20 jewels
Case • Sarpaneva case in high-grade Outokumpu stainless steel from Finland (SUPRA 316L/4435) Brushed and polished. • Case size: 42 mm • Case thickness: 9.8 mm • Lug to lug length: 46 mm • Front sapphire crystal with multi anti-reflective coating on the inside • Open caseback with sapphire crystal • Two-part crown at 4 o’clock with signature Sarpaneva moon face motif • Water-resistant to 5 ATM
Dial • 3 Part Stainless Steel, hand finished, with or without hand painted Swiss Super-Luminova® • Handmade StainlessSteel hands with or without Swiss Super-Luminova®
Strap • Handmade Sarpaneva leather strap in various colors • Sarpaneva stainless steel pin buckle 18mm • 22-18mm • Optional Sarpaneva Moonbridge Steel bracelet ( + 2500 € VAT 0% )
More • Sarpaneva App to adjust the phases of the Moon
