MICRO MONDAYS: The Funder Måne delivers a modular moonphase collection in a single watch
Matt PickeringWhat is great about the independent watch market is that there is more room to do things differently. By offering more value for less money or by making unique watches. Or by making both things available at the same time. And it seems that some of the best watches come from single-owner brands that are backed by the watch community. If you are familiar with Watch Angels, you already know what it does; making it possible to bring to life unique watchmaking projects. If you are not, know this: Watch Angels supports independent watchmakers by crowdsourcing and crowdfunding interesting horological projects.
In that spirit, let’s put the spotlight on Thomas Funder’s latest project, the Måne modular moonphase collection. At its core, the Måne is a sporty everyday watch that comes with a moonphase complication. One can either buy the entire watch or each part separately: the case, the module, and the bracelet. The module in question constitutes the entire watch head and can be removed from a case and placed in another. The goal, I imagine, is for one to have more than one type of module to switch things around. Or to make an unlimited amount of combinations.
Before we get into the details of how the Måne works, let’s talk about basic specifications. The mono-bloc case is made of sandblasted titanium, measures 40.5mm in diameter, and comes with different colours. One can choose from one of the following: titanium grey, gunmetal grey (darker,) blue, black and bronze. The case shows a predominance of matte finishes and comes with polished bevels running along the case sides. The latter comes with an integrated minute track on the rehaut that matches the case colour. Hence the unlimited possible combinations.
Regardless of which module you go for, it is equipped with the Swiss-made Sellita SW288-1 caliber. This caliber comes with 26 jewels, 38 hours of power reserve and beats at 28,800 BPH (4Hz.) What differs between the modules is how the moon-phase complication is integrated. On some, the different stages of the moon are visually represented. On others, a combination of words and a date indicate which phase the moon is in. Regardless of which version you go for, they all come with a date window at the 6 o’clock.
From a design perspective, the dials of the modules are resolutely modern and nod to the Danish aesthetic tradition. By that I mean the layout is clean, simple, and effective. The hands are mostly skeletonised and resemble pencil hands that narrow down toward the tip. The entirety of the dial has a satin finish and a subtle sunburst effect. Both the hands and hour markers are filled with lume. Lastly, the modules come with 100 metres of water resistance which is plenty for an everyday timepiece.
Although I had never handled a modular watch before, I can see the appeal of this concept. The Måne collection comes with 14 already made configurations showing different combinations of modules, bracelets, and cases. One can also buy the modules separately and there are seven of them. As we saw above, there are also five cases to choose from and, lastly, two rubber straps—black and grey. What’s great about Watch Angels is that it makes fine Swiss horology available to a broader portion of the watch community.
The Funder Måne full specs, pricing, and availability:
The Funder Måne is available now here. Price: CHF 955 – CHF 990 depending on your configuration
Prices Måne complication module price: CHF 675
Funder grade 5 Titanium case. CHF 195 (Natural) – CHF 230 (Blue, Gunmetal, Brown-Bronze and Black)
Funder strap: CHF 95 By combining the elements a Funder Måne watch is priced at CHF 955- CHF 990.
Technical Features:
Diameter: 40,5mm
Case: Grade 5 Titanium
Case finishing: Horizontal brushed case side; Polished case bevels; Sandblasted top of case; Polished bezel; Engraved case-back with the moon phases engraving
Module: 316L Stainless steel module container with screw-in crown and sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating. Sellita SW288 Moonphases mechanical movement
Dial: sunburst dials with circular brushed dial ring; luminous H, M hands and hour indexes
Strap: natural rubber strap with genuine leather inlay
Water Resistance: 10 ATM / 100m / 333ft Movement Sellita SW288, Swiss made Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date and moon phases with rapid correction
Jewels: 26
Winding: Mechanical, self-winding, 28’800 bhp/4Hz Power Reserve: 41 hours