H. Moser & Cie.
Moser is a billionaire walking on the sidewalk. Someone with importance, opulence, secrets, and a world of knowledge blending into the crowd. Sometimes dressed in casual minimalistic streetwear, and sometimes vibrant and colourful like Elton John. Most wouldn’t recognise that billionaire (Moser), but if you know about them (Moser), you would understand the traditional, rich, and traditional aspects of the brand and what hides behind the seemingly minimalistic watch (and you’re probably into watches).
H. Moser & Cie. is an independent watchmaking brand without fear of doing something unique, working with collaborations, unique materials, and testing the boundaries of watchmaking. With an estimated production of 1500 watches per year with 15 in-house calibers, Moser watches are limited, and their special edition watches are usually more so.
Let’s dive into some of our favourites from Moser in 2022, not in any particular ranking. This list does not include everything released from Moser in 2022, but I believe the 4 watches we will talk about will summarise the uniqueness, craftsmanship, and technical superpowers H. Moser & Cie. hold.
1) Pioneer Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton
The pioneer cylindrical tourbillon was inspired by the industrial world, housed with a HMC 811 movement, a three-dimensional manufacture calibre made of 171 components. The heart is the fully skeletonized movement measuring 34mm in diameter which showcases the one-minute flying tourbillon equipped with a cylindrical hairspring.
What is stunning about this watch is not just the tourbillon, but the cylindrical hairspring, which is in the limelight for this watch. A cylindrical hairspring is a unique type of hairspring that is shaped like a cylinder, rather than the traditional flat spiral shape. One of the main advantages of a cylindrical hairspring is that it can oscillate in a more stable and consistent manner than a traditional hairspring. This allows for greater precision and accuracy in timekeeping. The cylindrical shape also allows for the hairspring to be more easily adjusted and regulated, which can further enhance timekeeping performance.
The cylindrical hairsprings are shaped by hand, which makes the process ten times longer compared to traditional hairsprings, created with the assistance of specialised machinery. Another advantage is the beautiful craftsmanship and aesthetics of the domed case to accommodate the cylindrical hairspring, somewhat resembling a miniature pod, housing a horology world of its own.
The watch’s indices are lumed with a globolight lume, a ceramic-based material containing super-luminova. At 12 o’clock the watch features a Funky blue fumé domed sub-dial showcasing a beautiful sunburst pattern. The watch is water-resistant up to 12 ATM (120m) and utilises a sapphire crystal.
Specifications
Brand: H. Moser & Cie.
Model: Pioneer Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton
Reference: 3811-1200
Visuals
Diameter: 42.8mm
Case: Steel with a domed sapphire crystal
Strap/bracelet: Black alligator leather strap
Dial: Funky Blue fumé domed sub-dial with sunburnt pattern (12 o’clock)
Lume: Yes, Globolight
Indices: Globolight
Water resistance: 12 ATM
Movement
Caliber: HMC 811, self-winding, three-dimensional manufacture caliber with an automatic bi-directional pawl winding system, cylindrical hairspring with 2 Breguet curves, one-minute flying tourbillon with skeletonised bridge; hand-beveled balance bridge featuring diamond bevelling.
Function: Hours and minutes
Parameters: 34mm in diameter, 5.5mm in height (Without tourbillon)
Power Reserve: 74 hours
Frequency: 21,600 vbh
Jewels: 28 jewels
Price: CHF 79,000
Available here
2) Minute Repeater Tourbillon
A melodic chime for the hours, quarter-hours, and minutes, a hammer and gong twirl pronounced in a consummate ballet, a showcasing of the one-minute flying tourbillon in the centre. Built in red gold or titanium with the sound of the chime in mind. This is the minute repeater tourbillon by H. Moser & Cie.
In a 40mm diameter case, features a Grand Feu Enamel dial with stripped logo and indices for a minimalistic minute repeater tourbillon (a philosophy of H. Moser & Cies).
For a seemingly simple shape, the minute repeater tourbillon houses levels of hidden complexity, the 40mm diameter case middle has been widened to accommodate movement and space to create a sound box, which enhances the chime of the two gongs. The 40mm case size retains a classic and perfectly balanced dimensions and proportions to house the minute repeater tourbillon, this was definitely not an easy task to fit all this watch in a 40 mm diameter case.
The dial, the Grand Feu Enamel is a dial where no two are the same, features the painstaking task of a combination of four different pigments washed, crushed and applied. The master enameller applies the pigments one by one to then finish in a heated furnace twelve times to meld together, to create the signature H. Moser & Cie, fumé effect.
Specifications
Brand: H. Moser & Cie.
Model: Endeavour Concept Minute Repeater Tourbillon
Reference: 1904-0400 (Red Gold), 1904-0500 (Titanium)
Visuals
Diameter: 40mm
Case: 18ct Red Gold or Titanium
Strap/bracelet: Hand-stitched alligator leather
Dial: Aqua blue fumé “Grand Feu” enamel with hammered texture
Lume: No
Water resistance: No
Movement
Caliber: HMC 904 hand-wound caliber, partially skeletonised
Function: Hours, minutes, minute repeater with hour, quarter-hour, and minute chimes
Parameters: 33mm in Diameter, 9.62mm in Height
Power Reserve: 90 hours
Frequency: 21,600 vbh
Jewels: 35 jewels
Price: Price upon request (SOLD OUT)
20 pieces in each colourway (Red Gold & Titanium)
3) Endeavour Small Seconds Total Eclipse
The Armoury is a menswear brand, featuring custom and bespoke clothing from their very own brand or chosen Artisans. The Armoury has a potent presence online, with an incredible YouTube channel to show for it. The brand also features brick and motor shops in Hong Kong & New York.
Mark Cho, one of the co-founders of The Armoury collaborated with H. Moser & Cie for this watch. Mark is a connoisseur of watch collecting, one who is partial to classic watch sizes, hence the 38mm case shape (Which I think, is perfect). To say the least, I think Mark knows a thing or two about fashion, and his impeccable taste is evident through this collaboration.
Moser & Mark experimented with the Ventablack dial once again (the darkest material in the world), a material that blocks 99.965% of sunlight. This watch was created with inspiration from pocket watches, featuring a simplistic dial with a small second sub-dial at 6. The watch also features a power reserve indicator on the display back, providing more of a minimalist face in true Moser fashion.
The Endeavour Small Seconds Total Eclipse was available online and in Armoury stores in New York and Hong Kong, offered in two limited editions: all steel or steel with 5N red gold inner bezel. The 5N red gold inner bezel represents the sun’s corona in a total solar eclipse.
This was available as a limited edition, featuring 28 pieces for each edition Steel & Steel w/ Red Gold.
Specifications
Brand: H. Moser & Cie.
Model: Endeavour Small Seconds Total Eclipse
Reference: 1327-1200 (Steel) & 1327-1201 (Steel w/ red gold)
Visuals
Diameter: 38mm
Case: Steel or Steel with Red Gold Inner bezel
Strap/bracelet: Hand-stitched black calf leather
Dial: Vantablack with 12 indices
Lume: No
Indices: Marker dots
Water resistance: NA
Movement
Caliber: HMC 327
Function: Hours, minutes, small seconds, power reserve indicator (back)
Parameters: 32mm in Diameter, 4.5mm in height
Power Reserve: 3 days
Frequency: 18,000 vbh
Jewels: 29 jewels
Price: CHF 23, 900 (SOLD OUT)
Limited Edition: 28 pieces per variation (SOLD OUT)
4) The Perpetual Calendar Tutorial
A watch which defines H. Moser & Cie’s philosophy of a minimalist, complex yet simple watch brand, with however, an exuberant twist on their limited edition model, the tutorial.
H. Moser & Cie created a perpetual calendar where you can adjust the time both forwards and backward in 2005 and launched this updated version in 2022. The Perpetual Calendar tutorial is a perpetual calendar with an in-built cheat sheet (tutorial) on the dial. Yup, the picture you see isn’t edited to showcase the different functions of the watch, but in fact on the physical dial.
Perpetual calendars are one of the most practicable complications in watchmaking. In spite of that, if you ever set it down or forget to wind it, rebooting the watch is a time-consuming and daunting task. Setting the watch too far forward on a traditional perpetual calendar means you can’t wind it back, one way to is to send it back to the watchmakers to reset (which will cost you a pretty penny), and the other is to set it down and wait, and if you wind it too far forward, you could be waiting years.
Here comes the ‘baby-proof’ Perpetual calendar by Moser, which you set yourself with ease with a double-pull crown that you adjust, any time of the day, both forwards and backward!
This specific edition is 42mm with the logo applied in a transparent lacquer and the brand’s iconic fumé dial, the tutorial dial was a limited edition of only 20 pieces. The normal Endeavour Perpetual calendar Funky Blue isn’t a limited edition, however, due to the low quantity of watches Moser produces, you’ll be lucky to spot one.
Specifications
Brand: H. Moser & Cie.
Model: Endeavour Perpetual Calendar
Reference: 1800-0205
Visuals
Diameter: 42mm
Case: 18K White Gold
Strap/bracelet: Hand-stitched Beige Kudu Leather
Dial: Funky Blue Fumé dial
Lume: No
Water resistance: 3 ATM
Movement
Caliber: Hand-Wound HMC 800
Function: Hours, Minutes, Seconds, Power-Reserve, leap year cycle indicator, Perpetual Calendar, Big Date display, month indicator
Parameters: 34mm in diameter, 6.3mm in height
Power Reserve: 7 days
Frequency: 18,000 vbh
Jewels: 32 jewels
Price: CHF 59,000 (SOLD OUT)
Limited Edition: 20 pieces (Normal Endeavour Perpetual Calendar (1800-0204) still available here)
Overall, H. Moser & Cie. is a highly respected brand in the world of luxury watches. Its commitment to traditional techniques and innovative designs make it a standout in a highly competitive industry. If you’re in the market for a high-quality, unique, and, reliable watch, H. Moser & Cie is definitely a brand worth looking into.
P.S. I’ve always wanted to discover and learn about H. Moser & Cie, and after writing and looking into some of their watches, they have quickly climbed up now to one of my favourite brands. I honestly, can’t wait to see more from Moser in 2023, perhaps they’ll release their first grand complication?
What do you think about the brand? Let us know what you think about the brand!
