H. Moser & Cie has really been cranking out the talking points of late. The release of the H. Moser & Cie Endeavour Concept Minute Repeater Tourbillon continues that trend. A brand with a renewed sense of humor, and a self-deprecating streak that is all too uncommon in such a serious industry, made a few waves recently with the launch of the enigmatic H. Moser & Cie Swiss Alp Concept Watch Black. In that instance, Moser put forward an Apple Watch lookalike that boasted a tourbillon machoism and no hands. A unique piece retailing for over 300k, it was, to say the least, divisive. It’s ingenious minute repeater mechanism that tells the time to your ears and not your eyes was a cute complication and audacious enough to stoke discussion, if not widespread adoration.
One of the low-key triumphs of the minute repeater sans hands, however, was its lustrous black dial. Here the same expertly applied lacquer takes center stage in the H. Moser & Cie Endeavour Concept Minute Repeater Tourbillon watch, but it brings back the hands! Better still, the striking hammers and the slender, encircling gongs are on full display. With an asymmetrical layout executed with panache, the complicated complication of this caliber is allowed to take the limelight without any risk of interruption.
Specifications
Brand: H. Moser & Cie
Model: Endeavour Concept Minute Repeater Tourbillon Watch
Dimensions: 43mm × 14mm
Water Resistance: 30 meters
Case Material: 18k white gold
Crystal/Lens: Sapphire crystal
Movement: Hand-wound HMC 903 caliber
Frequency: 21,600vph
Power Reserve: 90 hours
Strap/Bracelet: Hand-stitched black alligator leather with red lining with 18k solid white gold pin buckle engraved with the Moser logo
Price & Availability: 10 pieces. Price TBC
The Dial
It’s pretty common for H. Moser & Cie to forsake its brand logo on the dial in favor of absolutely purity, and here it works especially well by giving the complications (and that delicious black lacquer) room to breathe. At six o’clock, a bewitching one-minute tourbillon ticks, taking the place of a seconds sub-dial. In the top left quadrant of the dial, the real focal point of this charming minute repeater is displayed in all its glory. Twin hammers, primed to strike those slender gongs, are finished to a perfect black polish. It makes perfect sense to give pride of place to the focal point of Moser’s 14th in-house caliber developed since 2005.
Conclusion
Ultimately, this is another very impressive entry into what is becoming a polarizing but widely respected back catalog. Price is yet to be confirmed, but rest assured this one will be well over the six-figure mark. After all, the H. Moser & Cie Swiss Alp Concept Watch Black we reviewed recently had an asking price of $350,000, and it didn’t even have the tastefully shaped leaf hands that this model does! The saving grace for the H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Concept Minute Repeater Tourbillon’s price could be that it’s available in a run of 10 pieces, as opposed to being a unique piece, but realistically it is going to be a very, very rare and sought-after luxury item the second it hits the market. It’s definitely worth seeing in person if you get the chance — this is one of the stand-out pieces of the fair, for me, and another reason to keep an eye on this brand that very clearly has its finger on the pulse. Learn more at h-moser.com.
