You are looking at the one-of-a-kind Meteoris from watch maker Louis Moinet. Meteoris is a set of four watches and this artfully-made mechanical planetarium. The set is for the serious astrological and horological connoisseur. Clearly very expensive, the set has some interesting features that are worth knowing about. Looking at the planetarium it is clear that the table-like structure is on a pedestal with an ornate mechanical planetarium on it surrounded by four pillow sections for the watches. Actually, given the complexity of the planetarium, I wish that Louis Moinet would have put more effort into giving the watches more appropriate housings. You have four piece unique watches that are each beautifully made tourbillons that are just sitting there on a pillow. At least give them a dust cover.
The planetarium weighs about 100 kilos and is 150mm tall, and about 91cm in diameter. The table and mechanics where done by the mechanic Rémy Chauvin. Like all good stubborn watch makers, Louis Moinet refuses to let go of Pluto as a planet in the solar system, so it is right there along with the rest of the planets as well as the Sun. The contraption features the Sun in the center with each of the planets moving around it in real time. The planets and Sun where made by artist Jean-Yves Kervévan. Each of the paints and varnishes used are hand made, and dust from meteorites is used on some of the orbs . Only the Earth has its moon represented which revolves around the Earth. There is a scale for the zodiac that show was period we are in. Each of the constellations of the zodiac is covered in gold dust and top Wesselton VVS diamonds (154 of them totaling 5.6 carats). The planetarium mechanics are a bit of a mystery to me right now. I know they are all well made, but I am not sure if the device is electrically powered, or somehow manually wound. It is a pretty neat item to have in one's study or foyer, but I would dare not place the Meteoris with the watches in a place where people can snag one of them easily. The Meteoris also has a foot switch that can be activate to show you the rotation of the plants sped up, as simply watches them move in real time would be very slow.
While the planetarium part of the Meteoris is relatively impressive, the watches are more my thing. Maybe I would be more into the planetarium if it didn't look like places for the watches were an afterthought. The set comes with four piece unique watches that are each slight different versions of the Louis Moinet Vertalis Tourbillon watch. The case and overall design is carried over, but each watch here is a bit different. The pudding is all in the dials. Be it in 18k white gold or rose gold, the watches all come down to their astrological dials.