Endeavour Perpetual Calendar Funky Blue

From H.Moser & Cie.

Courtesy of H. Moser & Cie.

Now a big part of this press release was that a former professional footballer either purchased or was gifted the first 1 of 10 pieces of this limited edition.  Personally, I am a huge fan of Paolo Rossi -

shamelessly borrowed from the info web

But I neither know, nor do I care what watch he wears. And I'm sure that Karl-Heinz Riedle is a perfectly nice guy, but I could care even less what watch he wears, so I'll just stick to the watch itself.

Courtesy of H. Moser & Cie.

TECHNICAL FEATURES – ENDEAVOUR PERPETUAL CALENDAR FUNKY BLUE
Reference 1341-0505, titanium model with DLC treatment, sky-blue fumé dial, alligator strap with carbon- effect matte finish, limited edition of 10 pieces

Case
Titanium with DLC treatment, three-part
Diameter: 40.8 mm
Height: 11.1 mm
Curved sapphire crystal
See-through curved sapphire crystal case-back
Crown adorned with an "M"
Engraved on the movement side with the inscription "1/10" on the case

Dial
Sky-blue fumé with sunburst pattern
Appliqué indices and leaf-shaped hands
Month indicated with a small arrow-shaped centre hand Sub-dial for seconds
Big date display

Movement
Mechanical hand-wound in-house calibre HMC 341
Diameter: 34.0 mm or 15 lignes
Height: 5.8 mm
Frequency: 18,000 Vib/h
28 jewels
Power reserve: minimum 7 days
Stop seconds
Double barrel
Interchangeable Moser escapement, Original Straumann Hairspring® with stabilised Breguet overcoil Pallet fork and escapement wheel made from gold
Movement and components hand-finished and decorated

Functions
Perpetual calendar
Big date display
Month indicator via central hand
Hours and minutes
Off-centre seconds dial
Power reserve indicator on dial
Leap year cycle indicator on movement side

Strap
Hand-stitched black alligator strap with carbon-effect matte finish Solid titanium DLC-treated pin buckle, engraved with the Moser logo. 

The Importance of Knowing when a Gag has Outlived its Humor

My father used to have a saying - if you don't want someone to get your goat, don't leave it in the front yard.

Courtesy of H. Moser & Cie.

This is the latest salvo from H. Moser & Cie.

You might recall that they started with a clever campaign extolling the virtues of the mechanical watch vs. the smart a few months back.  It was a cute jab at Apple and the Apple watch.  While the first Youtube video campaign was clever, if I'm honest, with this latest offering I think the "strategy think tank" at Moser has run off the rails a bit.

With a case intentionally designed to match the Apple watch and an "apple green" underbelly for the strap, this is about as subtle, clever and cunning as a baseball bat to the forehead.  Moreover, I have to be honest that it is at this point a little sad.

To craft, create and now market a watch with (seemingly) the sole goal of trying to stick your thumb in the eye of a company that can buy yours about 100 times over is not Quixotic.  It is not David and Goliath.  It is wasteful, a bit vainglorious.

Here's the thing - the strategy that H. Moser & Cie. had been following was a good one.  Beautiful, hand made watches that are not about a label or a logo like Patek, Rolex or Vacheron.  And by all accounts they were gaining respect and (positive) notoriety.

When you invest so much time and money talking about someone else, you end up doing a lot of unpaid PR work on their behalf.  In fairness, for all I know this watch is going to sell like hotcakes.  But my gut is telling me that it is a somewhat expensive practical joke played on Apple that Apple probably finds flattering ; )

And Then There Were...

TWENTYFOUR!

Today the SIHH announced the addition of 8 new participants for the 2016 edition -

H. Moser & Cie, Hautlence, Christophe Claret, HYT, Laurent Ferrier, Kari Voutilainen, MB&F and Urwerk are all slated to join the roster and will be making up some of the space previously used by Ralph Lauren who are sitting this one out while they restructure.

It is indeed going to be interesting to see how this all plays out.  Not so long ago the feeling was that the SIHH event was all but dead, catering only to Richemont.  But now with new brands coming in, it will be interesting to see how it develops.  It further begs the question as to whether brands like H. Moser & Cie., Hautlence and the others will "double-down" and participate in BaselWorld as well.

So let's see what January has in store!

Endeavour Tourbillon

from H. Moser & Cie.

Courtesy of H. Moser & Cie.

In all honesty, not feeling this one too much at all, but for those of you out there who do, here it is, straight from the source -

A traditional complication with a contemporary twist: such is the unexpected complexity of the Endeavour Tourbillon, the latest in the long line of developments from H. Moser & Cie. this year. Once again, the manufacture is making a bold statement using DLC-treated polished titanium for its Endeavour collection, repeating the feat achieved with the Endeavour Perpetual Calendar Black Edition in this new model. Light, scratch-resistant, hypo-allergenic and easy to wear, this material enhances the shapes of the Endeavour model and magnifies its finishes. Although titanium is particularly difficult to work, traditional watchmaking techniques were used in its treatment, respecting the alternating satin-finished and polished surfaces on the flanks of the case, an integral part of the H. Moser DNA. The result is both modern and timeless, accentuated by the signature fumé dial that contrasts with the case. The black alligator leather strap with a carbon-effect finish gives a matte look which enhances the play of light on the polished case.

Courtesy of H. Moser & Cie.

Under its black titanium armour, the HMC 802 self-winding calibre is the beating heart of the Endeavour Tourbillon. The finish draws the eye to the Moser minute tourbillon positioned at 6 o'clock. Behind its skeletonised bridges, the modular interchangeable tourbillon cage is equipped with an original Straumann Double Hairspring®, guaranteeing improved precision and isochronism.

Bold and elegant, the Endeavour Tourbillon hides a third hand, which is red and indicates a second time zone. When not in use, this hand can be set behind the main hour hand to hide it completely. This model will be produced as a limited edition of 20 pieces, with the number engraved on the solid gold rotor. For a manufacture which produces only 1000 watches a year, this exceptional creation is worthy of special mention: it truly is a "very rare" timepiece amongst the exclusive models by H. Moser & Cie. 

TECHNICAL FEATURES – ENDEAVOUR TOURBILLON
Reference 1802-0500, DLC-treated titanium model, fumé dial, black alligator strap with carbon-effect matte finish, limited edition of 20 pieces.

Case
DLC-treated titanium, three-part Diameter: 40.8 mm
Height: 11.3 mm
Sapphire crystal
Screw-in crown adorned with an “M”

Dial
Rhodium-plated fumé with sunburst pattern Appliqué indexes

Movement
In-house automatic calibre HMC 802
Diameter: 34.0 mm or 15 lignes
Height: 6.5 mm
Frequency: 21,600 vibrations/hour
Automatic bi-directional pawl winding system
Rotor in 18-carat red gold engraved with the H. Moser & Cie. company hallmark and limited edition number
Power reserve: minimum 3 days
Moser teeth for all wheels and pinions
Original Straumann Double Hairspring®
Moser minute tourbillon at 6 o'clock with skeletonised bridges

Functions
Hours and minutes
Second time zone can be hidden when not in use

Strap
Hand-stitched black alligator strap with carbon-effect finish for a matte look Pin buckle in DLC-treated titanium with engraved Moser logo