Tourneau Chronograph Calendar Moonphase V88

Born in New York during the golden age of American watch retail, Torneau became far more than a prestigious name on Fifth Avenue. Throughout the mid-20th century, Torneau commissioned exceptional Swiss-made timepieces under its own signature, often using the same suppliers, casemakers and movements reserved for far more celebrated maisons. This extraordinary full calendar chronograph stands as one of the finest expressions of that era.

Produced most likely in the late 1940s to very early 1950s, this piece perfectly reflects the transitional aesthetic of post-war Swiss watchmaking. The untouched warm lume dial, the applied rose-gilt indexes, the pump pushers, and above all the presence of the legendary moonphase calendar layout powered by the iconic Valjoux 88 place this watch in one of the most collectible families of vintage complications ever produced. The Valjoux 88 was never an ordinary movement: it represented the pinnacle of complicated serially-produced chronographs of its time, combining full calendar, moonphase and chronograph functions within an architecture admired even today by seasoned collectors.

What immediately captivates is the extraordinary balance of the dial. The twin calendar apertures beneath 12 o’clock create perfect symmetry with the triple-register chronograph layout, while the moonphase display at 6 introduces warmth and poetry to an otherwise highly technical instrument. The outer date track, punctuated by aged tritium markers and the vivid red crescent pointer hand, gives remarkable depth and rhythm to the composition.

The steel case remains in incredible condition, retaining strong geometry and beautifully defined pump pushers, while the protruding calendar correctors add mechanical character and visual symmetry to the profile.