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This Stunning Automatic Moonphase Watch Has No Business Being So Affordable

Young Swiss watchmaker Baillod puts it all together.

Close-up of a luxury watch face with a textured beige dial, black subdial with minute markings, moon phase indicator, date window showing "23," and silver hour markers. The watch case is polished metal, and the strap is brown leather. The text "SWISS MADE" is visible near the 30-minute mark.Baillod
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By Brad Lanphear

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Baillod, stylized as BΛ1110D, is a young watchmaker based in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. If it isn’t on your radar already, it should be.

You can look back at the brand’s catalog of remarkably fair-priced watches for proof, but the only evidence required is the new Chapter 8 Moonphase.

A close-up of a luxury wristwatch with a beige textured dial and a polished silver case. The watch features silver hour markers and hands, a moon phase indicator at the 11 o'clock position, a small seconds subdial at the 7 o'clock position, and a date window at the 4 o'clock position displaying the number 23. The dial is marked with "BA111OD NEUCHATEL" and "SWISS MADE." The watch is paired with a light brown leather strap with visible stitching.
The Chapter 8 Moonphase has a small seconds and date window on the dial.
Baillod

The Chapter 8 Moonphase summarizes everything Baillod does well in one watch, punctuated by the brand’s exceptional bang-for-your-buck.

It offers the daily-wear versatility of the Chapter 7 integrated steel sports watch, the refinement of the Chapter 4 Tourbillon dress watch and the complexity of the Chapter 5 Chronograph.

A luxury wristwatch with a silver case and a textured white dial. The watch features black hour markers and hands, a moon phase indicator at the 8 o'clock position, a small seconds subdial at the 6 o'clock position, and a date window at the 2 o'clock position displaying the number 23. The brand name "BA111OD NEUCHATEL" is printed below the 12 o'clock marker, and "SWISS MADE" is printed near the 4 o'clock marker. The watch has a dark gray leather strap with visible stitching. The background is a gradient of warm beige tones.
The Chapter 8 Moonphase has three dial options, including silver.
Baillod

Baillod’s newest chapter also includes an automatic time-and-date watch with the same dial texture and segmented seconds track. Together, they represent the most approachable and pragmatic designs in the Swiss watchmaker’s short history.

A refreshingly classic dial

Thomas Baillod founded his eponymous watch brand in 2019. He started by designing complex watches that appealed to fans of high horology with skeletonized dials and flashy complications.

A wristwatch with a silver dial and black leather strap. The watch face features silver hour markers and hands, a moon phase indicator at the 10 o'clock position, a small seconds subdial at the 6 o'clock position, and a date window at the 4 o'clock position displaying the number 23. The brand name "BA111OD" and "NEUCHÂTEL" are printed on the dial, along with "SWISS MADE" at the bottom. The watch case is polished silver with a crown on the right side.
All three dial colors are available on a black pebble grain leather strap with a steel folding clasp.
Baillod

Starting with the Chapter 7 in 2023, Mr. Baillod realized the appeal of more subdued and approachable dials. The Chapter 8 collection fully embraces the philosophy that great watch design doesn’t have to show off.

The Chapter 8 Moonphase draws from classical design language with a crescent moonphase window, a brushed small seconds dial and applied baton indices. Only the lance hour and minute hands carry over from the Chapter 7, and are sharpened to match the vintage motif.

The hour hand, minute hand and hour markers are fitted with Super-LumiNova linlays.

All three colors are built on a dial plate with a texture akin to fine-grain sandpaper that appears to shimmer as it reacts to light. It is topped with flat sapphire crystal and framed by a 41mm polished steel case with a concave bezel and rounded lugs.

Close-up of a luxury watch face featuring a textured beige dial, polished silver hour and minute hands, and a moon phase indicator with a black background, white moon, and stars. The watch has rectangular silver hour markers and a subdial with fine markings. The brand name "BALL" and "NEUCH" are partially visible on the dial.›
The Chapter 8 Moonphase Sand has a champagne-colored dial.
Baillod

The Grey reference, which has a black small seconds indicator with a red hand, is more muted than the uniform White reference. The shimmering effect is most potent on the Sand reference, which looks like a champagne dial.

It’s mesh for me

Baillod buried the lead by marketing the Chapter 8 Moonphase on leather straps. The steel mesh bracelet, the base strap for the time-and-date Chapter 8, is a far more alluring option.

Steel wristwatch with a mesh metal band and a beige dial. The watch face features a moon phase indicator at the 10 o'clock position, a small seconds subdial at the 6 o'clock position, and a date window at the 4 o'clock position showing the number 23. The brand name "BA111OD" and "NEUCHÂTEL" are printed below the 12 o'clock position, with "SWISS MADE" at the bottom center. The watch has silver hour markers and hands, with the minute hand pointing near the 3 o'clock mark and the hour hand near the 11 o'clock mark.
The Chapter 8 Moonphase is available with a steel mesh bracelet.
Baillod

It is a Milanese-style steel bracelet, with tightly woven links that create a nearly solid surface with high flexibility. It is the most comfortable type of steel bracelet when properly executed — meaning the links don’t snag arm hair.

The other two strap options for all three dials are a black pebble-grain leather and a soft brown leather with contrasting white stitching. Both leather straps have steel folding clasps.

Baillod produces most parts in-house, aside from the movements. The Chapter 8 Moonphase runs on the Soprod caliber C105 automatic movement, which has a 42-hour power reserve.

Silver wristwatch with a textured dial featuring black hour markers and hands. It has a moon phase indicator at the 9 o'clock position, a small black seconds subdial with a red hand at the 6 o'clock position, and a date window showing "23" near the 2 o'clock position. The watch has a polished silver case and a dark gray leather strap. The brand name "BA111OD NEUCHATEL" and "SWISS MADE" are printed on the dial.
The Chapter 8 Moonphase dial plate has a texture like fine-grain sandpaper that shimmers in direct light.
Baillod

Notably, Baillod created a fresh application of this time-tested movement by rotating it slightly. This retained the brand’s preferred crown placement of four o’clock, shifted the small seconds dial off-center and raised the moonphase window.

Six years in, Baillod introduces its first watch with near-universal appeal. The time-and-date Chapter 8, and more so the Moonphase, demonstrate the brand’s talent for creating luxury-level watches at affordable prices in a form that would look good on any man’s wrist day in and day out.

Availability and price

The Baillod Chapter 8 Moonphase is available for preorder from Baillod for $1,240.

The watch will be available in October, and preorders will ship then. At the time of release, the price will rise to $1,380.

A wristwatch with a beige dial and silver case, featuring a moon phase indicator at the 10 o'clock position, a small seconds subdial at the 7 o'clock position, and a date window at the 4 o'clock position. The watch has silver hour markers and hands, with a brown leather strap stitched with white thread. The dial includes the text "BA111OD NEUCHÂTEL" and "SWISS MADE.Baillod

Baillod Chapter 8 Moonphase

Specs

Case Size 41mm
Movement Soprod caliber C105 automatic
Water Resistance 50m
About the Author: Brad Lanphear is an associate editor at Gear Patrol covering watches and style. Before joining the publication, he previously wrote for Heddels and Men’s Health. Now, he’s on a never-ending quest to find the perfect pair of Japanese denim.

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