How to set up Fossil "sun and moon" and moon-window watches
Short answer: On sun-moon dials (movement PC39A) the disc shows day or night, not the moon phase. Set the time at crown position 2 and check the sun shows in daytime. On VX43 day-date models the round "moon" window is the weekday: set it at position 2 clockwise, and the time and date at position 3.
Fossil "sun & moon" / moon-window watches at a glance
| PC39A | Sun-moon disc turns with the hands and shows AM/PM. Time at crown position 2. |
|---|---|
| VX43 | Round window shows the weekday: solid on Sunday, a shrinking crescent Monday to Friday, empty on Saturday |
| VX43 crown | 2 = day (clockwise), 3 = time (anti-clockwise) and date (clockwise, 24 hours per day) |
| Moon phase? | Neither movement has a real moon phase |
What do you need to set on the Fossil "sun & moon" / moon-window watches?
Set up the date on the Fossil "sun & moon" / moon-window watches
- 1
VX43 date: crown to 3
Fully out. Turn clockwise: each 24 hours of hand travel moves the date one day.
- 2
VX43 day: crown to 2, clockwise
The round window is the weekday: solid on Sunday, a shrinking crescent Monday–Friday, empty on Saturday.
- 3
Push the crown in
Back to 1.
Set the time on the Fossil "sun & moon" / moon-window watches
- 1
Sun-moon dial (PC39A): crown to 2
One click out.
The sun-moon disc turns with the hands and only shows AM or PM. It is not a moon phase. - 2
Set the time, checking AM/PM
Sun showing = daytime, moon showing = night. Then push back to 1.
- 3
Day-date (VX43): crown to 3
Fully out. Turn anti-clockwise to set the time. Back to 1 when done.
What owners run into
- Trying to "set the moon" on a sun-moon dial: it only follows the hour hand, so if it shows the moon at noon, turn the hands 12 hours.
- On VX43 models the crescent looks like a waxing moon, but it changes with the day of the week, not the sky.
How the Fossil "sun & moon" / moon-window watches differs from similar watches
These look like moon phases but aren't. For a real moon phase set with the crown, see setting a moon phase with the crown.
Quick answers
Does my Fossil sun and moon watch show the moon phase?
No. On PC39A models the disc shows AM or PM and moves with the hands.
What does the moon window on a Fossil VX43 mean?
It shows the day of the week: full on Sunday, shrinking through the week, empty on Saturday.