Just released by H. Moser & Cie is the new Pioneer Centre Seconds MEGA Cool, which takes a fresh approach and livens up the brand’s entry-level product.
I initially thought that MEGA Cool was the brand’s latest fumé dial, but when I looked at the press images, the iridescent turquoise color looked very familiar. Well, the reason is that MEGA Cool isn’t a new color at all, rather a monicker for this new Pioneer. The dial, in fact, comes in its blue lagoon fumé dial, and the reason it looked familiar to me is that I own an Endeavour with a blue lagoon dial. This might make me a little biased toward the Pioneer MEGA Cool, but I really do find blue lagoon to be the most stunning fumé dial Moser has made to date.
Above is a quick photo I took of my Endeavour just so you can get a better sense of it in the metal. I honestly go in between describing it as a blueish-green and a greenish-blue, depending on the lighting, but its beauty lies in its iridescence.
Like its counterparts, the Pioneer Centre Seconds MEGA Cool has the sporty 42.8mm-wide, 10.6mm-thick case (though it’s closer to 15mm-thick with the domed crystal) done in steel with 120M of water resistance. Rather than the more traditional hands found on other Pioneers, the MEGA Cool uses the uniquely designed (almost Art Deco, but more rounded) hands we saw on the Streamliner and the Pioneer Centre Seconds Rotating Bezel C.02 it did with Collective Horology. These hands have two sections, with the outer section done in Globolight, which is a ceramic-based material that contains Super-LumiNova. This material was debuted with the Streamliner Flyback Chronograph and I believe has only been used by Moser, so far.
Note that the brand confirmed that these hands will not be the default for the Pioneer collection moving forward, and most future models will still have the traditional hands.
Another interesting touch here is the use of a transparent lacquer for the H. Moser & Cie logo on the dial. A creative allusion to the brand’s totally unmarked concept dials, this is a very neat touch. It’s just very Moser.
A case back shot of the MEGA Cool wasn’t available, but this is a very similar caseback/movement.
Two things to know about the Moser Pioneer that aren’t unique to the MEGA Cool are the case and the movement. Moser always puts a lot of effort into its cases, and the vertical fluting and work done on the sides of the Pioneer case are truly impressive and worth a look in the metal. The movement here is the HMC 200, Moser’s in-house automatic three-hand movement. Moser also owns Precision Engineering AG, which produces movement parts and hairsprings for some of the biggest high-end independent watchmakers out there. Moser movements are always impressively finished with double-crested Geneva stripes, engraved rotor, and a beautifully etched Moser logo. Featuring a modular escapement and Straumann hairspring, the HMC 200 operates at 21,600 vph and has a three-day power reserve (in reality it’s closer to four days, in my experience).
If you’re interested in more in-depth thoughts on the Pioneer, I suggest our review here.
The H. Moser & Cie Pioneer Centre Seconds MEGA Cool is a fun take on the brand’s entry-level watch, and I really can’t say enough good things about the blue lagoon dial. Available on steel bracelet, rubber strap, or a matching kevlar strap, the Pioneer Centre Seconds MEGA Cool is priced at $15,300. You can learn more at h-moser.com.
