The last year’s Perrelet Big Central Moonphase is now reintroduced in titanium as (ref. A5000/2) model. Resurrected only six years ago, when the brand was sold to Miguel Rodriguez of the Festina Group, Perrelet is doing its best to reestablish itself as a haute horlogerie brand.
Of course, they still use third-party calibers to power their watches. However, those are unique, built to specs jobs, and, truth be told, at this time their timepieces are the most elegant and bright among the second-tier players.
The Perrelet Big Central Moonphase first appeared a year ago at the Baselworld 2009.
Unlike most “moon-phase” watches that allot to the complication a pretty modest part of the dial, the Big Central Moonphase does just the opposite: the huge white disk that represents the moon takes more real estate on the dial than an average moon phase subdial as a whole and it travels its path across the star-stricken sky from 9 to 3 o’clock.
The first thing that you notice while stealing a glance at the watch is the complication, not the dial itself or even the hour and minute hands.
Perhaps, trying partly to subdue the complication, Perrelet decided to present the 2010 model with a new, much more energetic, and aggressive-looking dial. While the first versions featured rather classic, almost Barocco-styled, faces, the new iteration introduces a completely reworked dial that looks surprisingly organic, almost like an extension of the brand’s trademark case.
The ref. A5000/2 comes equipped with the Caliber P-211, a made-to-order mechanism manufactured by Perrelet’s partners — MHVJ (Manufacture Horlogerie de la Vallee de Joux.)
Just like the last year’s Chopard L.U.C Lunar Big Date, the Perrelet Big Central Moonphase’s movement sports a moon-bearing disk with whole 135 teeth.
In theory, it means that the moon-phase complication will not need correction for about 122 years. A nice touch if you plan to pass this watch to your future grandchildren.
Of course, the mechanism gets its power from a customized winding rotor, which is built of four parts, fitted on ball bearings, and features a sand-blasted Perrelet logo. The rotor is perfectly visible through a transparent display back, which is covered with an AR-treated mineral glass.
Well, while the antiglare coating is truly welcomed here, the brand that is positioned as a competitor for such ultra-premium names as Ulysse Nardin, Chronoswiss, Hublot, and Zenith should have spent a couple of dollars more and ordered a sapphire crystal, which is less prone to scratches and looks better in general.
The model pictured is delivered in a 43.5 mm titanium case with its sapphire crystal slightly tinted to provide an even more mesmerizing view of the slow progress of the moon disk across the night sky. The sporty timepiece also features a black rubber strap with a titanium deployment buckle.
See also: A New Must-Have: Rolex Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona
Photos: Perrelet
Perrelet Big Central Moonphase A5000/2 specification
Price range: $6000 – $6500 (Retail)
Movement: Perrelet P-211, automatic, diameter 26.2 mm, height 5.95 mm, Swiss Made
Jewels: 29
Cadence of balance: 28,800 vph
Functions: Hours, minutes, central seconds, circular date indicator, moon-phase
Power reserve: 42 hours
Case: Titanium
Shape: Round
Size: 43.50 mm
Case height: 14.00 mm
Dial: Different shades of gray
Numerals: Arabic
Hands: Luminous
Water resistance: 100 meters
Strap: Natural black rubber strap with titanium deployment buckle
Crystal: Sapphire
Back: Mineral glass, glare-proof