It seems that the tattoo theme in high-end watchmaking is really trending this year! After the RJ Romain Jerome x Mo Coppoletta Tattoo DNA watch i reviewed recently, I present the Linde Werdelin Oktopus Moon Tattoo; a totally different take on interpreting the art of tattoos in the context of horology.
The first Oktopus collection was launched in 2009, and marked the Danish duo’s first dive watch. In 2010, LW released the Oktopus Moon, a dive watch with a unique luminous moon phase indication. At this point you might be wondering why anyone in their right mind would include a moon phase indication in a dive watch, but if you’ve ever done night diving you’d know how the moon’s phases directly impacts visibility during night dives; not to mention the ebb and flow of tides. Then in 2012 we saw a revamped Oktopus II with an updated case construction and the use of more avant-garde materials like titanium coupled with ceramic. And finally at the start of this year and during Baselworld, LW brought out the Oktopus II Moon to complete their diver line.
As befits a dive watch called the Oktopus, the Tattoo edition features an elaborate tattoo-style engraving all throughout the case; paying tribute to the watch’s namesake and one of the most intelligent marine invertebrates, the octopus. From the photos it appears that the engraving on the rose gold case is done by hand, with varying degrees of depth to give a more 3-dimensional look to the watch. I’m normally not the biggest fan of ornate cases, but I must say the Oktopus Moon Tattoo somehow works. The engraving remains relatively subtle, and I quite like how the octopus theme is brought to life, especially on the case back.
The Oktopus Moon Tattoo features the same multi-layer skeleton dial as the other Oktopus II Moon pieces but with a twist: instead of plain luminous moons on the disk, each moon is hand-drawn with a different face; adding to the “tattoo” hand-decorated theme. The upper part of the dial is also decorated with an engraved octopus. Again, very discreet.
Limited to 59 pieces (the number signifies two moon cycles of 29.5 days), the Oktopus Moon Tattoo comes with a price tag of CHF 42’500 and will be available at Linde Werdelin retailers as of this month.
Stay tuned for a hands-on review with live photos.
More information on www.lindewerdelin.com
