Tudor’s First Crack at This Popular Watch Type Is Absolutely Gorgeous

It only took 99 years, but Tudor has finally added a common and currently hyped complication to its lineup: a moonphase.

Created in collaboration with Taiwanese multi-hyphenate pop sensation Jay Chou, the 1926 Luna looks like it could easily have been one of the Swiss watchmaker’s earliest designs. Yet, the dial’s refined detailing aligns with modern watch design.

Tudor

American readers may not be familiar with Jay Chou, but he is known as the “King of Mandopop” and is one of the most culturally influential figures in the Chinese-speaking world.

Having applied his vision to a multitude of highly successful artistic endeavors, Tudor recruited Chou to collaborate with its design and watchmaking teams.

The exact extent of his influence is not disclosed, but Chou’s love for classical music is reflected in the dial’s early-twentieth-century aesthetic.

Tudor

The 1926 Luna is part of a relatively obscure Tudor collection named for the year the brand was founded. The collection distinguishes itself by a simple time-and-date dial with leaf hands and alternating numeral and index hour markers.

Look how they shine for you

Compared to Tudor’s robust and distinctive tool watch collections, the 1926 collection has been pretty bland, which explains its obscurity. But adding a moonphase turns the uninspired dial into a clean background for a beautiful complication.

Tudor

The moonphase display is dominated by the figure of clouds hanging in the night sky, which is decorated with the same radial brushing as the dial. The brushstrokes align with those on the dial, showing excellent attention to detail.

Behind the clouds, a moonphase wheel turns with a matte textured coating etched to reveal depictions of the moon and stars underneath in a radially brushed texture.

Tudor

The dial comes in a brilliant blue with silver detailing, black with yellow gold detailing and champagne with black detailing, which is Chou’s signature reference.

All three come in the same 39mm polished steel case with the same seven-link steel bracelet found throughout the 1926 collection.

With a little help from my friends

Tudor has increasingly been developing its own manufacture movements with its partner, Kenissi, but for the 1926 Luna, the Swiss watchmaker decided to source a movement from a well-respected third party: Sellita.

Tudor

Developing a new movement is time-consuming and expensive. To maintain the relatively approachable price that customers expect from Tudor, particularly the entry-level 1926 line, it’s far more economical to outsource a movement.

The 1926 Luna is powered by the caliber T607-9 automatic movement, based on the stock Sellita caliber SW280-1. It is a chronometer-grade variation, produced to Tudor’s specifications, with an accuracy of -4/+6 seconds per day and a 41-hour power reserve.

Notably, even with the addition of the moonphase, the date complication standard to the 1926 collection is still present at three o’clock.

Tudor

The timing and general appearance of the 1926 Luna are drawing comparisons to the first TAG Heuer Carrera moonphase, which debuted at this year’s Geneva Watch Week. While there are many visual similarities, the two watches satisfy very different tastes.

Tudor’s first moonphase is rooted in classical watch design with a modern finish. It is far less daring than the Space Race-inspired Carrera Astronomer, which makes it more versatile. It is also nearly half the price of the TAG Heuer.

Availability and price

The Tudor 1926 Luna is available now from Tudor and authorized dealers for $2,800.

All three references join the standard 1926 collection with no limit on the production numbers.

Tudor

Tudor 1926 Luna

Specs

Case Size	39mm
Movement	Sellita caliber SW280-1 automatic
Water Resistance	100m

• $2,800 at Tudor

Want to stay up to date on the latest product news and releases? Add Gear Patrol as a preferred source to ensure our independent journalism makes it to the top of your Google search results.

Related Topics