If you’d witnessed the large replica of the Richard Lange Perpetual Calendar “Terraluna” at the A. Lange & Söhne booth at SIHH, you would’ve been bound to stop, take a second and explore in greater detail this magnificent masterpiece by the brand from Dresden, Germany. Possibly the highlight from the brand for 2014, the Terraluna can be called the ultimate expression of the brand’s artistry, and of high-end Saxon watchmaking. Why is this so?

Take a look at the detailed dial crafted after a regulator design by Johann Heinrich Seyffert in 1807. The latter represents a time when Dresden was a centre of precision watchmaking in the early 1800s. The silvered dial expresses a perpetual calendar with a minute circle at the top supported by hours and seconds registers below it. It is believed that a regulator design allows for more accurate time synchronisation through a more accurate display of these time units. The apertures for the outsized date, day, month, as well as leap year indicator work in accordance with the aforementioned registers and move forward instantaneously – and we do mean instantaneously – at the strike of midnight. Then, there is the power reserve indicator at six o’clock, which reflects the mind-blogging 14-day power reserve made possible through the deployment of a constant-force escapement fitted in this Calibre L096.1. The in-house created remontoir spring of the escapement helps to bring the full potential of the twin barrels for the watch, thus achieving accurate timekeeping all the way through a fortnight’s worth of power reserve.

However, we believe that the centre stage belongs to the patent pending and world’s first orbital moon phase display, as well as the day and night indicators that are placed at the back of the watch. It shows the local constellation on this side of the galaxy in the context of the Sun, Earth and Moon. The balance wheel of the watch is given the apt task of playing the role of the Sun, and three solid gold discs house the Earth, the Moon and a detailed celestial display of more than a thousand stars. The discs are made more glorious with a special coating that absorbs all colours save blue, and the Moon displays the correct phases as per its relative location to the other two members of the triumvirate. Furthermore, the synodic month on display is made so accurate that the watch only needs to be adjusted every 1,058 years.

As you discover this method of displaying the moon phase, it becomes apparent that the Terraluna offers an ultimately elegant solution that is simply so beautiful to gaze upon. And as a bonus, the Calibre L096.1 is made up of a mind-blogging 787 parts including 20 jewels, and given the legendary Lange hand-decorated movement treatment.

The Richard Lange Perpetual Calendar “Terraluna” comes in a 45.5mm pink (S$309,200) or white gold (S$311,000) case that is 16.5mm thick. We want both.