Case
At the risk of repeating ourselves, creating a successful classic design with its own identity is far more complicated than it seems. This new model features a 40mm red gold case. Despite its automatic winding and flying tourbillon, the thickness is kept to a minimum so as to ensure beautiful proportions and perfect ergonomics, regardless of the wearer's wrist size. The inner bezel ring features floating rectangular hour-markers swept over by very elegant “sage leaf” hands contrasting with the gray PVD treatment of the movement and ensuring excellent readability for a skeleton watch. As is customary with the brand, there is no need for conspicuous markings to assert its identity. You'll have to turn the watch over and examine the back to make sure it's an H. Moser & Cie. The watch comes with an elegant, richly textured brown crocodile leather strap, fastened by a pin buckle.
Movement
Calibre HMC 814 is a bidirectional self-winding movement with a 72-hour power reserve. Mounted on a flying tourbillon that rotates once per minute, the regulating organ oscillates at a frequency of 3 Hz. The term “skeleton” is no exaggeration here and the movement offers incredible transparency despite the central positioning of the oscillating weight. The finishes, including the beveling, are impeccable and without excess. The movement design engineers have cleverly avoided the ostentation of sharp interior or external angles, a fact that certainly contributes to the watch's amazing value for money, without offending purists who favor extreme decoration. Finally, it should be noted that H. Moser & Cie. is one of the very few companies mastering the production of all movement components, including escapement assemblies and traditional steel alloy hairsprings (of the Nivarox type). There are two of these working in opposition and it is doubtless therein that the movement's greatest significance lies.
Tests
As our measurement table shows, we have rarely (if ever) measured such narrow rates over the duration of the power reserve and in different positions. Admittedly, the tourbillon alternates positions to derive an average rate, but during the long minutes of observation and measurement in the vertical position, neither the rate nor the amplitude showed the slightest variation! The two hairsprings are clearly the reason for the astonishing isochronism, especially since this is a (genuine) skeleton movement.
Conclusion
We love the understated, discreet elegance of this new model, as well as the genuine skeletonization of the movement. However, what really captivated us was its exceptional precision-timekeeping performance. While one may legitimately question the chronometric impact of certain hairspring profiles (terminal curves, cylindrical or spherical profiles, etc.) and innovative materials (silicon, NTC), the double hairspring from H. Moser & Cie. undeniably offers a huge advantage in terms of precision and isochronism. Offering such an elegant and high-performance watch at such a moderate price is a rare feat. Unique and inspiring!
