Blue time

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Blue time - H. Moser & Cie.
Present for the first time at the SIHH, H. Moser & Cie provides a sort of stepping stone between the new, creative watchmaking aesthetic it represents and the venerable manufactures among which it finds itself at the Palexpo congress centre. The company has crafted its first output of 2016 around these two themes, with three main models to choose from.

H. Moser & Cie has drawn so much attention that it’s hard to know whether to call it a “young brand” or a “venerable manufacture”. Probably both, which is exactly what H. Moser & Cie wants. It is positioning itself as an independent haute horlogerie brand that, in addition to targeting seasoned collectors, is looking to capture a broader and younger demographic.

Less is more
For its first outing at the SIHH, H. Moser & Cie is continuing to showcase the same models that have caused something of a feeding frenzy among collectors. The Endeavour Centre Seconds Funky Blue Concept is one of them.

Here, the manufacture brings together two elements that have become an integral part of its identity: an absolutely stunning electric blue fumé dial, and a total absence of markings. There’s no name, no branding, no indices, no Swiss Made, ensuring that the ‘funky blue’ dial reigns supreme, in splendid isolation. Less is most definitely more.

Blue time

Funky blue all the way
Another model, the Venturer Small Seconds XL, exploits the funky blue dial to full. This time the positioning could not be clearer: it’s for young, urban clients looking for fine mechanical watchmaking that’s a little off the beaten track. The choice of a hand-stitched beige kudu leather strap accentuates the backpacker chic of this new Venturer.

The piece retains the proportions of its predecessor, the Venturer Small Seconds, but the XL version bumps up the size from 39mm to 43mm. Given that the original dial was already generously proportioned, this new extra-large version focuses even more attention on the dial. H. Moser & Cie’s fumé dials hark back to a 1960s aesthetic, something that German brands from the Glashütte valley have also been keen to emulate. The signature electric blue nevertheless resists any imitation.

Blue time

An extremely limited edition
Finally, H. Moser & Cie has unveiled a Perpetual Calendar Heritage model in a limited edition of... one. Just one. The company’s previous unique piece, produced in 2015, was an astonishing Venturer Tourbillon Dual Time Sapphire Skeleton.

H. Moser & Cie is now returning to its roots, with a writswatch that gives pride of place to the artistic crafts: red gold case, grand feu enamel dial and hand-engraved guilloché hunter case in gem-set cloisonné enamel. In the finest pocket watch tradition, it has a generous 46mm diameter.

“It is a faithful reinterpretation of an original piece we rediscovered in Russia, one of the company’s historical marketplaces,” notes Edouard Meylan, H. Moser & Cie CEO. “For us, it represents a very concrete legacy, and we wanted our tribute to be strong and respectful.”

Blue time

The uniqueness is carried through to the movement, a perpetual calendar calibre worked in gold. Far from being a stylistic contrivance, building a movement out of gold is a particularly delicate exercise because the soft and malleable nature of the metal requires the use of specific tools and meticulous precision. The calibre is the HMC 341, the manufacture’s famous “QP” with seven-day power reserve.

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