Hands-On With The CIGA Design Moon Walker
The Moon has always been fertile ground for watch design. From classic moonphase displays to bold tributes, brands have tried to capture the Moon’s mystery and symbolism in different ways. CIGA Design takes a more literal approach with the Moon Walker, a watch that puts a miniature astronaut on your wrist and lets him wander across a detailed lunar landscape. It’s bold, unconventional, and not the sort of thing you’d call a traditional daily wearer. But in the right context, it’s also a lot of fun.
Having followed this line of watches for a while, I was curious to see how it translated from the screen and into the hand. When CIGA Design offered me the chance to go hands-on, I jumped at it. Would it be more gimmick than watch, or would it offer something genuinely engaging on the wrist?
Unboxing a different kind of experience
The Moon Walker doesn’t arrive in a standard box. Instead, it comes in a book-style package, with the watch head and strap separate for you to assemble. It’s a small touch, but it hints at CIGA’s approach. This isn’t meant to be a conventional experience.
With the watch in hand, my doubts quickly softened. The unusual display looked like it might be awkward to live with, but reading it soon became second nature. The astronaut gliding over the lunar surface immediately drew me in. For a watch priced at US$1,699, the detail is impressive, and it’s hard not to smirk once you strap it on. Sure, it may be slightly gimmicky, but it’s fun too.
Big on paper, balanced on the wrist
On paper, the Moon Walker’s 46mm diameter is intimidating. In reality, it’s more manageable. The lugless case means the length is equal to the diameter, which helps it sit more compactly than the numbers suggest. The smooth, pebble-like titanium case is rounded and comfortable, avoiding the top-heavy feel you might expect from a watch with a 17.05mm profile. That measurement is at the thickest point, but the watch tapers towards the edges, making it feel slimmer on the wrist than it sounds.
The supplied fluororubber strap suits the Moon Walker’s futuristic style and does its job well enough. Still, I’d be tempted to swap it for something more technical, perhaps a black Artem HydroFlex strap, just to see how far the design can be pushed. The combination of rubber and sailcloth would suit the watch’s space exploration vibes to a tee.
Learning to tell time with an astronaut
The million-dollar question: is it legible? Well, it’s not instantly, but it’s better than you might expect. This isn’t a read-at-a-glance tool watch. It asks you to pause for a moment, read the astronaut’s position, and enjoy the novelty of the display. That’s the point. The Moon Walker is about storytelling, not lap timing, and it delivers on that promise.
The lunar dial is detailed without being cluttered. Craters and ridges give the astronaut a convincing playground, while micro-engraved Easter eggs — Armstrong’s footprint, the Apollo 11 coordinates, and the exact landing time — hide beneath the surface, only visible under magnification. You could dismiss these as gimmicks, but in practice, they feel charming. Even my partner, usually skeptical of watches that stray too far from tradition, admitted this one was “kinda cool.”
Details that matter (and some that don’t)
For the price, the Moon Walker offers a solid package. The titanium case has a clean polish, and the curved sapphire crystal frames the dial nicely. The Swiss automatic movement (Sellita SW200-1 base) with CIGA’s Asynchronous-Follow display is visible through the case back. While it runs smoothly and reliably, it isn’t much to look at. I’d prefer a non-display back with a lunar engraving, which would tie the theme together better. This watch lives and dies on its dial, not its movement.
Why the Moon Walker works
CIGA Design has already proven it can deliver bold ideas with real credibility. The brand’s Blue Planet model won a GPHG Challenge Watch Prize, showing the industry takes notice of its approach. The Moon Walker feels like a continuation of that spirit. It’s not a watch for everyone, but it doesn’t need to be. It’s playful, thought-provoking, and far more wearable than its specs suggest.
At US$1,699, the CIGA Design Moon Walker feels fairly priced for what it offers. It won’t be your daily beater, but it doesn’t aim to be. Instead, it’s a conversation piece — a reminder that watches can be about joy, imagination, and storytelling as much as about precision. It’s a watch that will spark conversations with friends and family. For most of us, we like to talk about our watches and share our hobby with others, so surely that’s a good thing? The biggest surprise for me was that I found myself enjoying it more than I expected. That in itself is a giant leap in the right direction.
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