There are many complications which no longer serve their original purpose, or at least, which are no longer as crucial as they were when they were first invented. For example the moonphase or tide tracker. There are others which are utterly pointless in wristwatches even though the visual spectacle they produce is mesmerizing. For example, the ubiquitous tourbillon many high-end brands insist on manufacturing even though it was created to counter the gravitational distortion of hairsprings in pocket watches which most folks haven’t worn in a long, very long time. Some would argue, of course, that watches in 2026 no longer make sense and are in fact useless since we are surrounded by digital timekeepers. And that is true: we don’t need watches but we like to wear them to keep track of time or express our inner-selves. So putting a tourbillon in a watch is equally fine as it is to have a moonphase nowadays. All have become spectacles we relish to gaze at and which make us see the world around us differently. 

Many centuries ago tracking the phases of the moon was key in situating ourselves in time over a period of several weeks and months whilst tracking the movement of the sun helped us measure time in hours and days. Since the 16th century, navigators tracked moon phases to calculate their longitute—by way of complex maths which go beyond my intellectual paygrade—so that they could locate themselves on a map and track how long they had been journeying for. We haven’t needed moonphases since the democratization of marine chronometers in the 19th century however they have maintained a strong presence on wristworn timekeeping devices, at all prices of the horological spectrum, and from brands from all four corners of the planet. Which is why we’re going to take a look at a moonphase today, something we rarely do on Mainspring, by way of the Nordic Marine Instruments Lunør Atlantic Blue. The latter will be available for purchase directly from the brand’s website starting March 25, 2026, at the price of $899 USD. 

Specifications 

Just as timekeeping instruments have become more affordable over the centuries and that extremely complex complications (ah ah) which were once reserved for a chosen few are now at the reach of everybody and anybody, horological technology has become much more attainable as well. Of course, if you were to buy a tourbillon you will have to dish out a certain elevated amount of cash, but more and more brands are finding inexpensive ways to create custom modules to serve a specific purpose, which they tack on readily available calibers. Whether it be a GMT which can be read in a 24 or 12-hour formats, mono-pusher chronographs, or indeed moonphases which can track the cycles of the moon over a period of 29.5 days as it generally is the case (and to be scientifically exact), as well as to offer a revolving animation which symbolizes something specific. With the Lunør it is the interplay of the moon cycles with the Northern Lights in the Nordic Night Sky which make for a very unique spectacle this watch cleverly puts at our reach. 

In order to do so, Nordic Marine Instruments started from the trusty and popular Miyota 9015 (4Hz/42 hours of power reserve) which is complemented by a custom-made moon phase driving wheel module equipped with 59 teeths to accurately simulate the 29.5-day lunar cycle. The moonphase disc moves forward by more or less one click every 24 hours, making about five full rotations every time the disc moves “five minutes” on the dial. (Moonphases generally do not come with “clicks.”) I hope this makes sense, or at least I think it does. The goal here again was to not only create a traditional moonphase complication but more so to generate a visual spectacle which I do find to be rather mesmerizing, especially when the light goes out. Besides the custom module, the Lunør is a complete everyday sports watch (I know making the transition from the moonphase to something else wasn’t easy) as it is equipped with great specifications which Nordic Marine Instruments, and by extension Travis Tan, RZE’s founder, knows very well how to do. 

So the specifications are as follows: the Lunør borrows the modern, muscular, and angular case of the Søværn we looked at many moons ago (I know, lame pun) but in a slightly trimmer format, as it measures 39mm in diameter, 48mm lug-to-lug, 11.6mm thick and comes with a 20mm lug width. The crown measures a healthy 6.3mm in diameter, is endowed with fine rows of sharp knurling to make it easy to grab and operate, and which screws down. The case-back does as well which means the Lunør boasts a more-than-enough 100 meters of water resistance. As you might have noticed, the case-back is see-through and made of a flat piece of sapphire crystal, and we also find this material atop the dial and complemented by several layers of inner anti-reflective coating. On the dial there are generous applications of SuperLuminova BGW9 on the hands and applied hour markers whilst the moonphase disc was given C3 lume in an Aurora-Borealis kind of application. (Which we will go back to later on.) Lastly, there is a bracelet which I didn't get to try. 

Design 

In my opinion, there are two ways to look at the design of the Lunør, first as an everyday sports watch and second, as a moonphase. In a way, both aspects of the Nordic Marine Instruments complement each other which is something I didn’t grasp immediately when seeing renderings of this model. But I did like the idea of the moonphase integrated within such a sporty and angular case. I will confess too that I generally don’t look twice at moonphases because I generally find them gimmicky, whether they are equipping a $50 quartz watch or a $50,000 handmade luxury timepiece. However, Nordic Marine Instruments altered the way brands typically offer moonphases by creating two openings on the dial through which we can admire the spectacle. Sometimes, making something boring more interesting isn’t just a matter of completely reinventing the wheel but of making little tweaks, as the brand did with the Lunør, and which works quite well. Moreover, deciding to pair this otherwise elegant complication with the case of a tool watch was clever. 

So on the one hand there is the traditional timekeeping and dial design of the Lunør which we’re going to dissect first. There are applied, polished, and faceted dart-shaped hour markers inhabiting the totality of the hour track which are joined together by a circular incised element, a sort of guilloché pattern if you will which was filled with silver pain akin to what we saw on the Carlingue Military 01. It appears to be highly polished and perfectly matches the finishing of the hour markers, and together they shine brightly with the smallest amount of light cast onto them. These markers are paired with long, narrow, and rounded hour and minute hands which respectively reach the hour markers and minute track with the utmost precision, where it appears as though the longest of the two is close to rubbing against the rehaut. The seconds hand has a similar and elegant profile, as it is long and thin, equipped with an anchor-shaped counter-balance and oblong lumed element. The hands perfectly match the hour marker in a harmonious dance. 

On the left side of the pinion we find the model name applied and polished along with the depth rating, and on the right side, the brand’s logo. And then we notice something else: the dual textured dial, with a glossy central section which is repeated on the minute track and sandwiching a recessed part of the dial composed of a matte texture over which the majority of the hour markers levitate, creating depth. Though most of the dimensionality of the dial stems from the dual aperture moonphase complication. On top of the pinion there is the main crescent-shaped window which lets us admire the decorated disc more generously than most moonphase watches do, and below it, right above the six o’clock marker, there is a porthole aperture Nordic Marine Instrument named “Måneblik” which is a word play on the Danish words “Måne” (moon) and “blik” (view). The brand went as far as printing this word above the aperture. Then there is the glorious moonphase printed in green lume, decorated with two giant moons and a radiating aurora borealis. 

The spectacle during the day is already quite something but when the light dims…hot damn.

But as magical as the dial and moonphase are, I am personally more enamored with the case. It is magnificent, as it wears superbly on my 6.50”/16.5cm wrist and commands an authoritative presence on it (which is something I would only say about watches.) The case is composed of long and sculpted lugs, with vertically brushed upper sections separated from the horizontally brushed mid-case by way of wide polished chamfers which run the entirety of the case, which are matched by prominent polished chamfers on the stepped bezel. Both create outstanding and powerful light plays as well as endow the case with a distinct muscular appearance. Both in the way the lugs are ended by vertical cuts, so is the bottom of the mid-case slashed sideways by angled polished chamfers which disappear against the wrist. The Nordic Marine Instrument Lunør’s case is a real piece of artwork which is, again, strangely paired to a majestic moonphase which commands half of the dial’s design just like the case commands half of the watch’s visual presence. 

The Heart of the Matter

As people who study something for a long period of time often say, there is something new to learn each day with watches. For me it was discovering that I like moonphases even though I didn’t before, because I hadn't found my type of moonphase just like the Maen Skymaster 38 MKIII.MCT M.6.2.1 made me realize I hadn’t come across my type of chronograph and the Anders & Co AC2 Volcán Ice Blue my type of dress watch. As mentioned earlier, I always saw moonphase complications as being gimmicky and even a bit infantile, which is something weird to say about a highly complex mechanism which played a crucial role in navigation and timekeeping. However, Nordic Marine Instruments found a novel and perfect way to integrate it to an everyday sports watch by way of a double-aperture presentation, massive moons, and radiating lume treatment which make it look beautiful during the day and drop-dead gorgeous at night. The brand further paired this complication with a muscular and angular sports case which creates a singular horological experience. 

Conclusion

So mark your calendars: the Nordic Marine Instruments Lunør will be available for purchase on the brand’s website starting March 25, 2026, for the price of $899 USD for which you will also get a stainless steel bracelet with screwed links, a 20 to 16mm taper, and tool-less micro-adjustment mechanism. Alas, I didn’t get to see the bracelet which wasn’t available at the time I wrote this review, only the cool leather strap with matching buckle which you will also get in the box. The Lunør also comes in a total of three color variants by the way: Atlantic Blue as we saw today, a lighter atmospheric blue called Night Sky, and a cool and timeless Shore Grey. I love the Atlantic Blue but the Shore Grey looks quite neat as well! P.S. Shipping is estimated to begin in June of this year. 

Thanks for reading.