A fragment of the Jbilet Winselwan meteorite majestically dominates the upper part of the STARMAN’s dial and competes visually with the tourbillon. This beautiful black stone, spangled with little brown dots, was discovered in the western Sahara Desert. It bears amino acids and is thus a silent witness to the first sparks of life spread throughout space.
The STARMAN’s dial is a genuine feat of artistic and technical prowess. Let’s begin with the base cut from the Gibeon meteorite, which fell to earth in prehistoric times and is famous for its emblematic Widmanstätten pattern. The fragment was dyed in a deep blue using an intricate – and secret – process. A second disc made of sapphire crystal features a map of the stars. In the foreground are the constellations carefully painted by hand using a luminescent material. They appear on the backdrop of the map’s longitudinal and latitudinal lines.
At night, the STARMAN reveals a magnificent stellar panorama, creating an appearance of depth that draws us into the immensity of the universe itself. This nightly display is enhanced by the vibrant blue hands and indexes that provide a touch of technical elegance to this exceptional timepiece.
The STARMAN defies gravity in a riveting manner thanks to its flying tourbillon in an off-centre cage. The hand-wound movement is equipped with two barrels in parallel. The system, called “volte face,” has one of the barrels turned upside-down or head-to-tail, so they deliver their energy simultaneously, producing a power reserve of ninety-six hours.
It comes in an 18-carat gold case with a diameter of 47.4 millimetres. Its architecture is opulent and complex, mixing brushed and polished surfaces and a stepped bezel that gives it a unique character.