Meteorite might not be in any danger of being supplanted as the oldest substance used in the manufacture of watches, but Louis Moinet’s latest watch makes for a compelling new addition to the ranks of historic materials.
The Jurassic Watch is based on the company’s Mecanograph, winner of an International Chronometry Competition prize for outstanding precision, and uses 150 million-year-old fossilised dinosaur bone from the Jurassic era as a dial material.
The dinosaur bone in question was discovered in North America and has been authenticated by renowned geologist Dr Andreas Stucki in association with the Aathal Dinosaur Museum in Switzerland. The dinosaur bone is from the family of large herbivores, which also includes the Diplodocus.
Jean-Marie Schaller, CEO of Louis Moinet, said: “This type of masterpiece is highly charged with emotion. For one thing, together with our craftsman Mr Daniel Haas, we’re working on an extremely rare material – fossilized dinosaur. In addition, just like the meteorites we already work with, this legacy from millions of years ago has come down to us today in excellent condition. Even though it’s 150 million years old, this fossilized dinosaur looks quite contemporary. Its texture recalls that of an abstract canvas; it’s a real honour to be able to work with a material like this.”
The Swiss watch manufacturer specialises in unusual materials and states it was the first to “include fragments of lunar meteorites and other rocks from the far-flung corners of the universe”. Its Treasures of the World collection features fossilized stones of mineral or plant origin, including petrified exotic wood.
