In 2017 Mühle-Glashütte presented their new Lunova collection. The name is based on the Latin words “lumen” and “nova,” light and new. The watches in this range all have cases made by Mühle-Glashütte, with a total polished finish or a high proportion of surfaces with polished finish. They also have graded dials and a pilot’s watch simplicity, as in this piece, the Lunova chronograph.
Dial
The graded effect gives the dial a sense of depth. The snailed subdials catch the light at different angles adding more visual interest. The 30-minute chronograph counter at the top and the 12-hour chronograph counter at the bottom are visually differentiated from the small seconds subdial at 9 o’clock by the burnt orange colour used for the numerals, and the burnt-orange-tipped hands, which have the same finish as the chronograph seconds hand. The Mühle-Glashütte designers have chosen to keep things simple, with a chapter ring with just seconds and no fractional seconds scale, and no tachymeter scale either. The combination of the brand’s logo with the day and date at 3 o’clock works very well, and the dial looks balanced. The only thing that contrasts with the overall perfection is the way that the 12 and 6 numerals are cut by the two chronograph subdials. Lots of brands do this, and there’s nothing wrong with it. It’s just that I have always preferred Renaissance perfection to the Baroque with its broken pediments, but this is a question of personal taste. Take a look at how IWC do it in their IW3777 chronographs: no numeral at 6 o’clock, and the pilot’s watch triangle at 12 o’clock.
Case
The Lunova chronograph has a case in brushed and polished stainless steel, 42.3 mm in diameter and 14.2 mm thick. The anti-glare watchglass, with both surfaces coated, works extremely well. The watch has a screw-in crown and this enables it to have a water resistance of 10 bars. Even though the overall looks are sort of classy office, this water resistance enables it to survive sportier situations such as cycling in the rain, or being thrown into a swimming pool at your graduation party. The pushers are very discreet. The strap is in crocodile leather with a stainless steel pin buckle.
Movement
The MU 9413 self-winding movement seems to be based on the Sellita SW 500, itself a version of the trusty ETA Valjoux 7500, but Mühle-Glashütte have done a lot of work on it. It has the brand’s patented woodpecker neck regulation, the classic Glashütte three-quarter plate, and a personalized oscillating weight. Surfaces are finished with Glashütte solarization and perlage. Blued screws add an extra touch of colour. It’s an attractive view through the sapphire caseback. The movement runs at 28,800 vibrations per hour, 4 Hertz, and has a power reserve of 48 hours.
Price and reference
The Mühle-Glashütte Lunova Chronograph is reference M1-43-06-LB. It costs €2,990. The obvious comparison is with the above-mentioned IWC IW3777 family of pilot’s chronographs, which confirm that Mühle-Glashütte give you a lot of watch for your money. The IWC pieces have the same base movement, a lower water resistance, a solid caseback, and they cost over €2,000 more than the Lunova Chronograph. More information at the Mühle-Glashütte website.
MU 9413 calibre, detail of the patented woodpecker neck regulation
