Wow Watch Wednesday: New Romain Jerome CEO Unveils Moon Invader at Baselworld 2010
Taking the reins during the early part of this year, Manuel Emch, the new CEO of Romain Jérôme, did not have much time to add to the company’s watch collection before Baselworld 2010 in March. He was, however, able to design and finish one watch to unveil at the fair. Aggressively titled the “Moon Invader”, the form and function of the piece has been inspired by actual Moon landings, resulting in a very unique looking timepiece.
New CEO, New Approach (Well, Sort Of)
It’s fair to say that this latest release departs considerably from the look of previous DNA of Legends timepieces, which have become quite visible in the media during the past couple of years, but still remains true to the RJ ideals. The most obvious difference occurs on the 46mm case. It is not exactly round, has a less pronounced bezel, and is actually a cushion shape, like a square with rounded sides.
In fact, at first glance it almost appears square like a Bell & Ross Instrument.
One thing that remains the same as prior RJ models is the use of extremely rare materials. Spare parts from the Apollo 11 mission are integrated into the case components and represent just one of the numerous aspects that link the Moon Invader to lunar landing missions.
The case itself is actually modeled after a lunar landing pod with the specialized corners depicting the landing gear and work somewhat in the same way by pivoting to adjust to the terrain. In this case the terrain is the wearer’s wrist. This feature is meant to have the function of increasing comfort by automatically adjusting the shape of the case-back to your wrist.
It was hard to tell from the prototype how effective this function will actually be as the pivoting feet were not fully operational, but I can imagine how it could prevent the considerable size of the watch from rolling or bouncing around too much on the wrist.
The back of the case displays more lunar landing symbolism. The most obvious element is a silver medallion that is embedded into the steel. This object is made of pure silver that is infused with authentic moon dust. It is sculpted to resemble the moon’s surface and purposely left untreated and prone to oxidization. Oxidization is a concept that RJ is very fond of thanks largely to the influence of former CEO Yvan Arpa.
The dial of the Moon Invader displays the distinctive RJ “X.” It is applied on a metal mesh that is inspired by the material used to make the tires of the lunar roving vehicles. The subsidiary dials, RJ logo, X structure, and graduated outer ring of the dial are applied to the mesh and offer a cool, robust-looking relief.
The quality of the construction and finish of all the dial’s elements are recognizable as high-grade. Although the mesh background ties in well with the overall concept and has a peculiar charm, I would love to see what the face would look like with a more exotic-looking material like carbon fiber as its background.
It’s All In The Design
There is a specific category of luxury watches where plenty of attention is paid to the manufacturing of the case. Romain Jerome fits in this league with the likes of Graham and Hublot watches. RJ goes a step further by sprinkling extremely rare substances into the mix. It is obvious from the finishing and the complexity of the case that a lot of ingenuity and work is packed into the body of the Moon Invader.
Also in accordance with other brands making this style of watch, the mechanical movements inside the watches are comparably mundane, albeit reliable and of high quality. Like all RJ calibres, the ones that power the Moon Invader models are modified third-party movements, provided by ETA in this case.
The Romain Jerome Moon Invader series is composed of several different variations combining black PVD coated stainless and 18 karat gold. Each model will be produced in limited numbers as is usual with the company’s creations.
The Final Word
Whether it was intended or not, the Moon Invader also represents a formal introduction of Romain Jerome’s new CEO to the market and gives some insight as to what we might be able to expect going forward. Obviously he remains supportive of the use of extremely rare materials in the construction of their timepieces, such as moon dust and spare parts from the Apollo 11 mission in this instance.
At the same time, this watch very much distinguishes itself from previous “DNA of Legends” models, allowing Emch to step out from the shadow of his predecessor and squarely make his mark on the brand. Based on this latest model perhaps the future will hold a shift to a more eclectic design approach for this young company?
We will certainly be watching.
Matt Baily – Watches Canada
Category: Wow Watch Wednesday
Hey Marco, nice review! Didn’t know you wrote for TWL – What’s the price range on this beauty?
Hey, I just write about ‘em, I don’t buy ‘em! heheh. I don’t have the price, but if I had to guess I would say VERY roughly $9K for the non chrono in steel and $13K for the chrono. I don’t usually write about watches that we don’t sell at the store, but the RJ watches are really cool. Sorry I couldn’t answer your question. Great interview, by the way!
I had the pleasure of seeing and handeling the Moon Invader watch in Basel 2010, and it looks great!! I personally like the SS/18KR. But you can’t go wrong with any watch from Romain Jerome. I also had the pleasure of visiting with Manual Emch in Las Vegas,and his ideas are as exciting and daring as the previous CEO for RJ. The volcano watch watch was his creation and what a creation!! All the best to Manual Emch.