So yesterday I grabbed my Lange 1 Moon watch off the nightstand and noticed the little moon disk looked a tiny bit off – not lining up perfectly with the date window like it should. Kinda bugged me, you know? It’s this fancy complication, and I wanna keep it spot on. Figured I’d dive in and sort it out myself instead of rushing to the boutique.
First Steps: The Setup
Cleared my dining table – nice flat surface, good light. Plopped down the watch, microfiber cloth, and that tiny pin thing Lange gives you for adjusting. No fancy tools; the pin’s all you need.
Checked the time first: gotta make sure it’s not between 9 PM and 3 AM. Adjusting the moonphase while the date’s changing? Big no-no. Could mess up the gears inside. Lucky it was noon.
Getting Down to Business
Flipped the watch over real careful. Found the little recessed button near the case edge – that’s your moonphase adjuster. Pressed it gently with the pin. Click. Saw the moon disk jump forward one notch. Kept pressing till the moon was dead center in the sky on the dial. Took about 14 clicks since it was a couple days behind.
Smudged the crystal with my thumbprint like a dummy wiping sweat. Grabbed the microfiber to polish it off. Note to self: never touch the dial with bare fingers. Oils and dust stick like glue.
Winding It Up Right
Next, winding time. Unscrewed the crown slowly – two full turns till it popped out. Wound it smooth and steady clockwise, about 40 turns. Heard that soft ratcheting sound. Felt the tension build. Stopped before forcing it; no need to overwind these. Screwed the crown back down tight. Water resistance matters.
While winding, checked for weird noises or grinding. Nothing. Just that buttery glide. Good sign.
Long-Term Care Stuff I Learned
- Wipe it down after wearing. Sweat and skin gunk build up quick.
- Keep it away from magnets – laptops, phone speakers, fridge doors. Heard horror stories.
- Shock is bad news. Don’t wear it while hammering stuff or moving furniture.
- Store it dial-up in the box overnight. Stops dust settling inside.
Wrap Up
Whole thing took maybe 20 minutes while sipping coffee. Moon’s perfectly centered now, gliding like it’s on butter. Feels great doing it yourself – saves a trip to the shop and keeps you connected to the piece. Easy peasy. Just go slow, respect the mechanics, and that moonphase’ll stay flawless.
