IWC extends its collection of watches for women with three Da Vinci Automatic Moon Phase 36 models, all of which share the fundamental characteristics of the new Da Vinci range – mobile lugs for easy wearability whatever the wrist size, domed crown, recessed circle on the dial, Santoni strap – along with the moon phase complication. All three are powered by the Sellita SW300-1, that IWC have renamed calibre 35800. It is self-winding, running at 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hertz), with a power reserve of 42 hours. This provides the very simplest type of moon phase mechanism, with a gear wheel with 59 teeth advanced one tooth a day. This approximates the length of the lunar month to 29.5 days, instead of 29.53 days. There is a recessed correction button at 2 o’clock, operated using a pin supplied with the watch, to adjust the moon phase display one day at a time.
Design of the moon phase display
The design has all the purity and grace that hallmarks the new Da Vinci range, but I can’t help asking myself about the moon phase display, placed at the top of the dial and brutally cutting into the numeral 11 and eliminating the 12. The position of the display is determined by the choice of the movement used to power the watch, though, if the identification of the Sellita 300-1 is correct, IWC or another third-party supplier have modified it by adding the moon phase display and removing the date. Why did they design it like this? By way of comparison, here is the Montblanc Bohème Moongarden, which has a case the same diameter, but a differently positioned moon phase display that enables all the Arabic hour numerals to be seen.
The case of the Da Vinci Automatic Moon Phase 36 models is water resistant to 30 metres, and all three versions have a solid caseback engraved with the “Flower of Life” pattern studied by Leonardo da Vinci in his notebooks. The Da Vinci Automatic Moon Phase 36 is available in three variants, stainless steel, stainless steel with diamond-set bezel, and red gold. Only three strap colours are shown in the images below, but in actual fact with this collection there are three new strap colours.
Da Vinci Automatic Moon Phase 36 reference IW459306
Stainless steel case, diameter 36 mm, thickness 11.5 mm. The dial, moon and stars are finished in silver, while dial markings, night sky and Santoni leather strap are dark blue. Stainless steel butterfly clasp. Price 8,700 Swiss francs, €9,000.
Da Vinci Automatic Moon Phase 36 reference IW459307
Stainless steel case, diameter 36 mm, thickness 11.5 mm, with 54 diamonds on the bezel. Dial markings and hour and minute hands have a gold finish, seconds hand is blue, moon and stars are gold-finished. Dark brown Santoni alligator strap, stainless steel butterfly clasp. Price 14,600 Swiss francs, €15,100.
Da Vinci Automatic Moon Phase 36 reference IW459308
Red gold case, diameter 36 mm, thickness 11.5 mm. Dial markings and hands are blue, moon and stars are gold-finished. Bronze-coloured alligator strap by Santoni, red gold butterfly clasp. Price 17,500 Swiss francs, €17,900.
Read more on the IWC website.
