How it started
In January 2025, I presented a moonphase watch to my colleagues at STERNGLAS as part of our weekly Watch of the Week format. It's something we do regularly to share interesting watches, discover new ideas and discuss different approaches to watch design.
I've always liked moonphase complications. They're among the oldest complications in watchmaking and, although they have little practical relevance today, there's something fascinating about seeing the lunar cycle displayed on a watch. It's a rather poetic way of showing the passage of time.
The presentation sparked a discussion within our team about developing our own moonphase watch. STERNGLAS had previously released one as part of a collaboration, but we wanted to explore the idea for our regular collection.
Our Naos model seemed like a good fit. Named after a star in the constellation Puppis, it already had a connection to astronomy, which gave us a natural starting point.
Choosing the movement
We quickly settled on the Miyota 6P20, a Japanese quartz movement with a moonphase display at 6 o'clock, a weekday indicator at 9 o'clock and a date display at 3 o'clock.
We already had a good relationship with Miyota, and the movement was readily available and suited our intended price range.
For the design, the main challenge was integrating the additional displays without losing the familiar character of the Naos. The movement determines the position of the displays, so I worked around those fixed proportions when developing the first dial layouts and prototypes.
Developing the dial
The first prototypes worked well in terms of proportions and overall layout, but I felt the design still needed something more distinctive.
Together with my team, we started refining the details. A colleague developed a custom moonphase disc featuring a stylized constellation inspired by Naos. When the moon isn't visible, the stars appear in the aperture instead. I particularly liked this idea because it connected the complication to the name and identity of the watch.
For the dial construction, I built on some elements we had already introduced with the Naos Pro, including its curved shape and luminous hour markers. The moonphase version received a two-part dial with recessed subdials, adding more depth to the overall design.
Another important change was switching from a satin finish to sunray brushing. It brought out the curvature of the dial much better and gave the Moon Silver and Midnight Blue versions a more elegant appearance. We also added an engraving of the lunar cycle to the caseback.
Launching the collection
We launched the Naos Moonphase on March 10, 2026, just over a year after the initial idea. The response was very positive, and the first production batch sold out within a week.
Later that summer, we introduced the Naos Moonphase Edition Neuwerk. This version explored the relationship between the moon and the tides, taking inspiration from the island of Neuwerk in the North Sea. We adapted some of the familiar colors and design elements from our previous Neuwerk editions to the new model.
Within a few months, the original idea had grown into a collection of three different watches.
Looking back
What I particularly enjoyed about this project was the opportunity to develop an existing model in a new direction.
The Naos is one of our established designs, and we've introduced many variations over the years. But I think it's important to explore more than new colors, materials or limited editions.
Adding a complication like the moonphase allowed us to introduce a traditional element of watchmaking to a wider audience while keeping the design recognizable and accessible.
I'm especially happy with how the dial turned out. The combination of its curved construction, recessed displays, sunray finish and custom moonphase disc gave the watch the character we had been looking for during development.
You can also explore the Naos Moonphase as a portfolio project, with more images and details about my role in the design and development process.
