Linde Werdelin Debuts a New Oktopus with a Bold Moon Phase Complication and Stark Contrasts

Last time we brought you news of a Linde Werdelin Oktopus, it was to highlight a limited edition project with Black Badger that took what can only be described as a maximalist approach to luminescent material. As a bonkers expression of independence and personal style, I’ve always been a fan of this type of watch, and Linde Werdelin in particular does a nice job of doing exactly their own thing (and maybe picking some well thought out collaborators along the way). The latest Oktopus, a nearly monochromatic expression of the Oktopus Moon with a case made from a space age carbon material, is an under the radar statement piece for a very specific type of watch nerd that finds big, bold sports watches from the usual suspects just a little too middle of the road. 

The Oktopus Moon 3DTP White Black Ink starts with the case, specifically the material, which is a three dimensional, thin ply carbon (3D, TP, naturally). Linde Werdelin says this material differs from other carbon composite materials or forged carbon in that it uses a technique of layering ultra thin layers of carbon atop one another to achieve the desired strength while remaining very light weight. This technique apparently also allows for maximum design flexibility, and lets Linde Werdelin do its thing with the case shape of the Oktopus, which is a complex 8-sided structure with broad facets at the top of the case, adjacent to the bezel. We’ve seen a lot of highly angular, sculptural, integrated bracelet sports watches come to market in recent years, but there’s nothing quite like the Oktopus, and in black 3DTP with a white ceramic bezel, it leaves a strong impression. 

The skeletonized “black ink” dial is composed of a total of five layers, with a prominent, and fully lumed, moon phase display running on a sub-layer around the dial’s perimeter. It’s a nontraditional execution of perhaps the most traditional complication in watchmaking, the mechanics of which were originally designed by Svend Andersen of Andersen Geneve in 2009. In spite of the dial’s skeletonization and the additional information being brought to the fore by the moon phase display, everything remains surprisingly legible. This is thanks in large part to the oversized Arabic numerals at 12, 3, and 9 and the broad titanium hands that immediately help you to localize the current time at a glance, at least in an approximate if not completely precise manner. 

The Oktopus is exuberantly, almost comically, oversized, coming in at 44mm in diameter and 15mm tall. As mentioned up top, this is a statement piece through and through, and with such a distinct case shape with all those angles (not to mention the strong black/white contrast), the Oktopus is a watch that I’d imagine you’d have to be comfortable chatting about, because it seems like the type of thing people (even non-watch people) might want to discuss. That said, it’s also a real sports watch, with a water resistance rating of 300 meters and plenty of tech forward materials throughout, beyond the 3DTP used in the case (titanium is used on the caseback, crown, and in the screws holding the bezel in place, in addition to the already mentioned ceramic bezel).

The retail price of the Oktopus Moon 3DTP White Black Ink comes in at $22,141. Linde Werdelin