eteorites that fall to Earth represent some of the original, diverse materials that formed planets billions of years ago. Christiaan van der Klaauw’s latest Real Moon Joure contains a specially made Green Meteorite dial bearing the most accurate 3D moon phase in the world ever incorporated in a mechanical watch.

The timepiece represents a special interpretation of the brand’s rotating 3-dimensional real moon indicating the true moon phase. The moon orbits around the earth every 29,530588853 days. The hand-made 3D miniature moon indicates the moon phase so accurately that it deviates only one day in 11,000 years.

A meteor is a space rock - or meteoroid - that enters Earth’s atmosphere. When meteoroids enter Earth’s atmosphere, or that of another planet, like Mars, at high speed and burn up, they are called meteors. This is also when we refer to them as “shooting stars.” When a meteoroid survives its trip through the atmosphere and hits the ground, it is called a meteorite. Most space rocks smaller than a football field will break apart in Earth’s atmosphere. Traveling at tens of thousands of miles per hour, the object disintegrates as pressure exceeds the strength of the object, resulting a bright flare. Typically less than 5 percent of the original object will ever make it down to the ground. These meteorites, pieces of meteors that are found, typically range between the size of a pebble and a fist.

Several meteors per hour can usually be seen on any given night. When there are lots more meteors, you’re watching a meteor shower. Some meteor showers occur annually or at regular intervals as the Earth passes through the trail of dusty debris left by a comet (and, in a few cases, asteroids).

Meteorites that fall to Earth represent some of the original, diverse materials that formed planets billions of years ago. By studying meteorites we can learn about early conditions and processes in the solar system’s history. These include the age and composition of different planetary building blocks, the temperatures achieved at the surfaces and interiors of asteroids, and the degree to which materials were shocked by impacts in the past.

Meteorites may resemble Earth rocks, but they usually have a burned exterior that can appear shiny. This “fusion crust” forms as the meteorite’s outer surface melts while passing through the atmosphere. There are three major types of meteorites: the “irons,” the “stonys,” and the stony-irons. Although the majority of meteorites that fall to Earth are stony, most of the meteorites discovered long after they fall are irons. Irons are heavier and easier to distinguish from Earth rocks than stony meteorites.

Most meteorites found on Earth come from shattered asteroids, although some come from Mars or the Moon. In theory, small pieces of Mercury or Venus could have also reached Earth, but none have been conclusively identified. Scientists can tell where meteorites originate based on several lines of evidence. They can use photographic observations of meteorite falls to calculate orbits and project their paths back to the asteroid belt. They can also compare compositional properties of meteorites to the different classes of asteroids. And they can study how old the meteorites are – up to 4.6 billion years. It is the oldest known example of magma from space.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Movement: CVDK7382, automatic winding, 35 jewels, twin barrel, power-reserve; 96 hour max., complication; CVDK Real Moon Joure module.

Functions: Hours, minutes, complication; 3D moon phase; the watch is equipped with the most accurate 3D moon phase in the world.

Case: High quality steel, ø 40 mm, sapphire crystal, sapphire crystal case-back.

Dial: Green Meteorite with white rhodium plated indexes.

Strap: Black leather.

Buckle: Logo engraved steel folding clasp.

Price: €39,950