Three well-concealed complications
While modern watches are crown-wound, their design trends remain those of old-timer pendulum clocks: swinging from one extreme to the other. Twenty-five years ago, watchmaking aimed for the superlative and the showy: xxl sizes, busy dials and cases on steroids. These days we are seeing quite the opposite: minimalist diameters, carefully concealed complications and whispered luxury. Such is the nature of collectors: when pushed too far into a corner, they bounce back even farther in the opposite direction.
The path taken by H. Moser & Cie. does not follow this trend, as the Maison relaunched in 2013 blazes no trail other than its own: that of unconventional horology intended for connoisseurs; technical and imbued with a touch of foresight that consistently foreshadows what tomorrow’s watchmaking may bring. Such is the case with the Endeavour Flyback Chronograph Dual Time Date. Its name reflects Moser’s philosophy and at first glance, you might think you already know everything about it as a flyback chronograph watch also equipped with a GMT function and a date display. That would however be an oversimplification, as this timepiece has much more to offer – starting with its beating heart.
The base movement is that of the AgenGraphe: the self-winding flyback chronograph caliber created by Agenhor in 2017 that features a peripheral hours and minutes display. The team has replaced these two elements with two new ones: the date and the GMT. The space freed up by removing the self-winding mechanism made it possible to add these displays to the collection for the very first time, as no Moser watch had thus far combined a flyback chronograph, date and GMT function.
This first is nonetheless not celebrated with any kind of fanfare; quite the opposite, in fact. H. Moser & Cie. embraces the principle of maximum simplicity. The date aperture remains in its conventional position at 6 o’clock. The two-tone dial is subtly fumé gray and turquoise: an unmistakable hallmark of Schaffhausen’s creations. In another brand tradition born of its perpetual calendar models, the central rotating disk features a function: in this instance, the 12-hour jumping GMT indication with its slender white pointer. The timepiece displays only hours and minutes. Of the two tapering hands, the red one is dedicated to measuring seconds, while the gray counterpart shows the jumping minutes – of which the chronograph can measure 60 at most. H. Moser & Cie. has kept the case as compact as possible.
Since Caliber HMC 730 is inherently large (34.4mm), the case housing it measures 42mm x 13.2mm – which is still smaller than the Streamliner model featuring the same movement (42.3mm x 14.2mm). The choice of stainless steel reinforces its urban, everyday appeal while also keeping the price in check.
A splash of color for the new season
Also known as wonderberry, the sunberry is a fascinating dark blue-purple fruit bearing the Latin name Solanum retroflexum. In its honor, two vibrant colors take center stage on the new Pioneer Centre Seconds Sun Berry: intense purple for the dial and sunny yellow adorning the flange and strap.
The idea goes beyond seeking to impress and is far more ambitious: namely to contradict conventional wisdom by demonstrating that elegance isn’t necessarily associated with dull restraint. That one can be vibrant and colorful, yet at the same time chic and stylish.
The new Pioneer is therefore designed for everyday life with a steel case, water resistance to 120m and a signature rubber strap. Under the hood is tried-and-tested Caliber HMC 201 (based on the HMC 200 movement with open bridges featuring the same anthracite finish as on the mainplate), which is also found in certain colorful three-hand models from the Streamliner collection. One final notable point is the fact that the 40mm case endows it with undeniably unisex appeal – as well as the risk of your partner “borrowing” it. Fortunately, H. Moser & Cie. has thought of everything to preserve harmony between couples: the Pioneer Centre Seconds Sun Berry is not a limited edition and it comes at a very reasonable price for a 100% in-house creation. Who doesn’t need a little more of such a sun-drenched berry in their life?
