Louis Moinet traveled in time to determine the 8 most impressive masterpieces of humanity survived to today with a watch by looking past from today. The Blue Mosque is also one of the magnificent monuments that reinterpreted by Swiss watchmaking.
Based on the idea that put forward by Herodotus, known as the father of history, Antipatros of Sidon described the first seven wonders of the ancient ages in the 2nd century BC in his book On the Seven Wonders of the World. As is known, these are Great Pyramid of Giza and the Lighthouse of Alexandria in Egypt, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon in Iraq, the Statue of Zeus in Greece, the Colossus of Rhodes in Rhodes, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus in Bodrum and Izmir in Selçuk Being the Temple of Artemis in Turkey is seven masterpieces of architecture, art, and engineering, but some of them has disappeared.
Louis Moinet watch specialists always inspired by a story and reconstruct watches as a symbolic artifact in line with this story. For once, instead of an abstract idea, they inspired by the stories of real architectural world. The case, dial, and parts of movement also form the mortar of a miniature structure on this.
These eight masterpieces were determined by the travels of Jean-Marie Schaller, owner of Louis Moinet. The five watch are in 47 mm and three are 45.4 mm in diameter. Seven of watches are in pink, the other one is in white gold. All watches have the hand-wound Caliber LM35 tourbillon movement with a 72-hour power reserve, which won the gold medal in Louis Moinet’s International Chronometry Competition.
[1] Blue Mosque (İstanbul, Turkey), 47 mm
Louis Moinet reinterprets each of the 8 most beautiful art and engineering masterpieces of humanity survived to today as a mechanical watch. One of these watches are interests us more than others because it is inspired by Blue Mosque.
Turkey‘s first mosque with six minarets (sixth minaret added after seventh minaret added to Kaaba), Blue Mosque was built by Sultan Ahmed I between the years 1609-1620. The mosque by the architect Sedefkâr Mehmed Aga, is a unique place of worship with its six minarets and splendor interior decorations. It is known for its green, white but mostly blue colored Iznik tiles and mostly blue hand-drawn on its domes, therefore it is known as the Blue Mosque by Europeans.
The dial base consists of 13 pieces of mother-of-pearl inlaid in different shades of blue. The background symbolizes the motifs of the main dome. Details are enriched with miniature painting; the other motifs of the Blue Mosque are displayed on the bezel and case by hand-carved technique.
[2] Christ the Redeemer (Brazil), 47 mm
The most colorful watch in the collection. The case sides are decorated with stylized tobacco and coffee leaves motifs. The dial is engraved with enamel processing techniques such as micro painting and champlevé.
[3] Great Wall of China (China), 47 mm
The Great Wall is depicted as dragon figure with perspective play. The dial has 129 sapphires and 11 diamonds to display the sky. The mountain figure is in white gold.
[4] Pyramid of Khufu, 47 mm
The dial has hieroglyphics that are not seen at first glance and attract attention when the eye gets used.
Besides, depicting the Pharaoh Khufu, dial features the figure of the Pyramid of Cheops cutting from jasper, which attracts attention with its rough texture resembling sand dunes. Stylized lotus is embroidered on the side of the case.
[5] Taj Mahal (India), 47 mm
The Taj Mahal appears as a miniature painting drawn on a white marble level. For depth effect, rhodium-plated grilled wings have been added to both sides of the dial.
[6] Colosseum (Rome), 45,4 mm
The trunk of the case symbolizes the walls of arena. The center of the arena is made of black onyx stone.
[7] Machu Picchu (Peru), 45,4 mm
A hand-carved golden sun figure is at 12 o’clock.
The gold carved ancient city is seen at the foothill of the two-colored mountain. All images on the dial are perceived as moving towards the sun.
[8] Petra (Petra ancient city, Jordan), 45,5 mm
It is the only white case in the collection because it is the gold-colored depiction of one of the rock-cut structures in Petra on the dial.
The case is made of white gold for contrast.
