CIGA Design Blue Planet

The Blue Planet is the watch that won the Challenge Watch Prize at the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Geneve in 2021 - the first Chinese watch ever to win there. It reads the time with rotating discs over a CNC micro-engraved relief globe instead of hands. King Jewelers stocks it in 43mm and 46mm, in mirror-polished stainless steel or recycled titanium, in the standard and Atlantic views, plus the Label Noir Black Star. $1,199 to $1,980.

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CIGA Design Blue Planet Information and FAQ

About the CIGA Design Blue Planet

There are no hands on a Blue Planet. CIGA Design calls the system Asynchronous-Follow: an hour compass and a rotating minute ring converge on a single point above the globe, so you read the time where the two meet. The dial itself is the Earth's surface, CNC micro-engraved in topographic relief in silver and blue, with coastlines and mountain ranges standing in genuine three dimensions. On the 46mm versions the markers carry Nemoto LumiNova.

The self-developed CD-04-E automatic runs at 21,600 vph with 21 jewels and a 40-hour power reserve. The case is bezel-less and entirely lug-free, mirror-polished in 316L stainless steel or recycled titanium, with a domed sapphire crystal over the globe and a second sapphire opening the caseback. Water resistance is 30 meters. The ocean-blue 22mm fluororubber strap closes on a 316L steel push-button hidden clasp.

History of the CIGA Design Blue Planet

The GPHG win

In 2021 CIGA Design entered the Blue Planet in the Challenge Watch category of the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Geneve, the award reserved for watches below a set price ceiling. It won, making CIGA Design the first Chinese watch brand ever to take a GPHG prize. The New York Times reported the result as a genuine shock to the Swiss establishment. The awarded reference was the 46mm titanium version.

The Atlantic view

The original Blue Planet centers its globe on the Indian Ocean. The Atlantic Edition turns the Earth so the Americas sit opposite Europe and Africa - the same watch, a different hemisphere facing the wearer, and the more natural choice for a customer in Nashville.

Black Star

The Black Star Edition was built with Label Noir, the Geneva atelier known for reworking finished watches in black. It replaces the globe with deep space: an 8.5mm concave pit at the center of the dial coated in a pigment that absorbs more than 99 percent of the light reaching it, hand-painted blue and white stars spiraling around it, and a luminous polar-star hand. It runs the Swiss-made CD-04-S automatic with a 41-hour power reserve in a DLC-coated titanium case.

CIGA Design Blue Planet Models & Variations

Blue Planet 46mm Stainless Steel - The standard globe view in mirror-polished steel. $1,199.

Blue Planet Atlantic Edition 46mm Stainless Steel - The Atlantic view, Americas opposite Europe and Africa. $1,199.

Blue Planet Atlantic Edition 46mm Titanium - The same view in recycled titanium, noticeably lighter. $1,399.

Blue Planet Atlantic Edition 43mm Stainless Steel - The smaller case for narrower wrists. $1,199.

Blue Planet Atlantic Edition 43mm Titanium - The lightest way into the line at this size. $1,399.

Blue Planet Black Star Edition 46mm Titanium - The Label Noir collaboration, DLC-coated titanium over a super-black concave dial. $1,980.

CIGA Design Manufacturer Warranty

Every CIGA Design Blue Planet carries the brand's two-year warranty from the date of purchase, covering defects in materials and workmanship. Water damage is covered provided the screw-down crown was properly sealed. Normal wear and tear, impact damage, loss and theft are excluded, and the warranty is non-transferable. CIGA Design honors it only on watches bought from the brand or an authorized dealer, so purchasing from King Jewelers keeps that coverage intact.

FAQ About the CIGA Design Blue Planet

Where can I buy the CIGA Design Blue Planet in Nashville, TN?
King Jewelers carries the CIGA Design Blue Planet at 4121 Hillsboro Pike, Nashville, TN 37215. Call (615) 724-5464 or shop the line at kingjewelers.com. The showroom stocks the 43mm and 46mm cases in both steel and titanium, plus the Label Noir Black Star.

How do you read the time on a CIGA Design Blue Planet?
There are no hands. An hour compass and a rotating minute ring turn above the globe and converge on a single point - you read the time where the two meet. CIGA Design calls the system Asynchronous-Follow. It takes a few minutes to learn and then reads at a glance.

Did the Blue Planet really win a Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Geneve award?
Yes. The Blue Planet won the Challenge Watch Prize at the GPHG in 2021, making CIGA Design the first Chinese watch brand ever to win there. The awarded reference was the 46mm titanium version.

What is the difference between the Blue Planet and the Atlantic Edition?
The globe faces a different ocean. The standard Blue Planet is centered on the Indian Ocean; the Atlantic Edition turns the Earth so the Americas sit opposite Europe and Africa. Everything else - movement, case, crystal, strap and price - is the same.

Should I choose the 43mm or the 46mm Blue Planet?
The 46mm is the original and the more dramatic of the two, at roughly 17mm thick, and it is the only size with luminous markers. The 43mm is the easier wear on a wrist under about 7 inches. Both are lugless, which makes them sit flatter than a conventional case of the same diameter.

What is the difference between the steel and titanium Blue Planet?
Weight and price. Both are mirror-polished and use the same CD-04-E automatic and the same globe dial. Stainless steel is $1,199 in either size; recycled titanium is $1,399 and is meaningfully lighter, which matters on a 46mm case.

What is the CIGA Design Black Star Edition?
A collaboration with the Geneva atelier Label Noir. The 46mm DLC-coated titanium case holds a dial with an 8.5mm concave pit finished in a pigment that absorbs more than 99 percent of the light reaching it, with hand-painted stars spiraling around it and a luminous polar-star hand. It runs the Swiss-made CD-04-S automatic, 41-hour power reserve, at $1,980.

Does King Jewelers sell authentic, warrantied CIGA Design Blue Planet watches?
Yes. King Jewelers is an authorized CIGA Design retailer, so every Blue Planet is new, comes with the brand's factory documentation, and is covered by CIGA Design's two-year warranty against defects in materials and workmanship.