In the history of wristwatches, the 1960s could in many ways be likened to the Wild West in terms of design and functionality. Thanks to the the prevalence of contract manufacturing, any small brand could produce watches in limited runs, taking a dial from here and a case from there, adding obscure complications and functions simply because they could. Though contract manufacturing has by no means disappeared, the 1960s were perhaps the true golden age for this spirit of innovation and industry. 

Reflucta, from what we can gather from a brochure that accompanied this watch, was a small brand, based in Essen, Germany.  Boasting in their brochure that: "Not everyone will be able to own a Reflucta because their production is limited.", the author probably didn't know that 40 some-odd years later they would be a true oddity on the market. The brochure goes on to say that "every part of a Reflucta is made in Switzerland by people who have devoted their lives to the production of good watches. There are people who know that the manufacture of a watch is not just a profession, but an art." 

To be sure, there's undoubtedly a touch of whimsy in a person who'd construct a watch with a moonphase indicator. There's a particular use for it that honestly doesn't see much application in today's world, unless you're a farmer or a fisherman. Most likely Reflucta intended this watch to be used by a fisherman, hence the presence of not only a moonphase indicator, but a tide indicator as well.

And because this was the 1960s, after all, the movement--an ETA 2836 movement--is housed in a chunky Movado-style cushion case with crisp bevels, pointed crown guards,and a rotating timing bezel. This is a concept reminiscent of the , only without chronograph functionality, and with an aesthetic that's entirely its own. Where the Seafarer contains the tide indicator in a register at 9 o'clock, the moonphase indicator of this Reflucta is dead-center in the dial, encircled by the tide indicator--an unusual placement that certainly makes an already-unusual watch just that more unique. 

Information on Reflucta is scarce, save for what we've managed to glean from the bits of the brochure we were able to Google-Translate. No doubt it's one of those German brands that went out of business after the fall of the Wall. But examples like this watch survive, a relic of an age when manufacturing, a careful hand--and clarity of vision--was king.