Louis Moinet isn’t exactly a brand that is very well known in Malaysia, let alone often talked about within the enthusiast circles I am a part of. For me, I can’t seem to put a finger on it, not because it is not a good brand, but there is still a lot of mystery shrouding the brand’s local presence that I have yet to uncover myself.
I first heard about Louis Moinet when I was still reading the UK Bar in London. I remembered Ken Munoz, who works with Watchanish at the time, showed up at one of the local Red Bar meet-ups wearing a Louis Moinet piece unique in Lapis Lazuli with a WatchAnish logo. It was later that evening after the get-together I did some googling and eventually came to learn that Louis Moinet is actually the inventor of one of my all-time favourite complications. I never really thought much about them after that, let alone come in contact with any pieces because their watches weren’t exactly my cup of tea.
Last week, we received an email invitation by Ms Wan Xi of Sincere Fine Watches to attend a press event featuring Louis Moinet’s latest offerings. I figured that this may be a good opportunity to learn more about their pieces.
During the event, we were given the opportunity to check out some of their offerings. Again, my feelings about the brand pretty much remained the same as before. They are still not be my cup of tea due to their sheer size and massive proportions (generally my wrist prefers much classical sizes now than before). That said, their latest Time to Race collection caught my attention.
The aesthetics seen here on this collection are quite interesting. What I really liked about these watches (apart from the more wrist friendly 40mm case size) is the chronograph mechanism which are fully visible from the front and encased within a lightweight titanium case. It is a spectacular looking movement that is the Cal. LM96, the column wheel and lateral clutch mechanism is laid out bare for all to admire at the 12 o ‘clock position. Another point to note is that collectors who purchase the watch are able to personalize their pieces by selecting a unique number that will appear at the front of the watch. With the combination of these aesthetic and technical elements, it is not hard to see why the Time to Race is a candidate for the GPHG 2022 “Chronograph” category.
Overall, we had a really fun and engaging evening at the event, we bumped into some familiar faces and some old friends as well. To wrap this up, I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Sincere Fine Watches again for inviting Vincent and I for an evening of cocktails and to come check out their latest offerings and meet the people behind the brand. We look forward to seeing the team back in KL again soon and al the best for the upcoming GPHG in November!
For Team Matick
Marshall
THEMATICK.BLOG 