“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” This quote from the great Leonardo da Vinci is very apt in describing H. Moser & Cie.’s watches, and particularly the new Venturer Small Seconds.
The H. Moser & Cie. Venturer Small Seconds with the red gold fumé dial.
One of the things that appeals me (and probably many H. Moser & Cie. Collectors) would be the looks of their watches. The brand prides itself in simple, no-nonsense design that exudes class and elegance. Nothing too opulent or ostentatious. Just plain, simple goodness. I am glad that this philosophy has continued with the newly launched Venturer collection.
The Venturer Small Seconds is the new entry level piece from the Schaffhausen-based manufacturer. This model, or rather the Venturer collection, was inspired by Heinrich Moser’s adventures in St. Petersburg. That was also the time when Mr. Moser’s reputation as a watchmaker increased tremendously.
One of the main feature of the Venturer Small Seconds (or rather, the entire collection of H. Moser & Cie.’s watches) would be its famous fumé dials. In this watch, the dial is a little unique. Unlike the other H. Moser & Cie. watches, this one has a convex dial profile which adds depth onto the watch itself. In our opinion, this feature gave the Venturer a form of identity to differentiate itself, especially since its design is similar to the Mayu or the Nomad Dual Time.
The Caliber HMC 327, with the balance wheel featuring the Straumann Hairspring® and the Breguet overcoil.
Another main feature of the Venturer Small Seconds would be the heart of the watch: the movement. The Caliber HMC 327 is a newly produced in-house movement that is specially made for this watch itself. The movement has a minimum power reserve of 3 days, and a hacking seconds function. Silicon is also used in this movement (notably the escape wheel and the anchor with the ruby pallet) for to its anti-magnetic and low friction properties. Despite the use of new technologies, the movement does still maintain its traditional elements in terms of its finishing and the use of certain components (such as the Straumann Hairspring® and the Breguet Overcoil).
A picture of the Caliber HMC 327. As usual, the finishing on H. Moser & Cie.’s pieces are of the highest quality.
The Caliber HMC 327 is finished in the typical H. Moser & Cie. style, which features the Moser stripes and the H. Moser & Cie hallmark (which is engraved in gold, by the way). There is also a power reserve indicator, displayed prominently beside the balance wheel. The indicator adds a nice touch to the aesthetics of the movement itself, which makes it look more cool and slightly complicated. It value adds to the functionality too; users would use the indicator to ensure that they do not over-wind the watch.
The Venturer Small Seconds will be available in 3 different variants, in which their only difference would be the colour of the dial (it comes in either the red gold fumé dial, the ardoise dial, or the argenté dial). The watches will all be cased in 18-carat red gold, with a matching red gold pin buckle. The watch is sized at 39mm, which makes it a perfect candidate for a dress watch.
Overall, the H. Moser & Cie. Venturer Small Seconds is definitely a great watch for collectors who want to start collecting watches from independent watchmakers. We are also excited to see how H. Moser & Cie. will continue to develop the Venturer collection; the guys at Deployant are certainly hoping that this is a stepping stone for greater things to come from this watchmaker.
Next up, we have something a little extraordinary…
The H. Moser & Cie. Perpetual Calendar Black Edition.
We were also given the opportunity to take a look at the stealthy H. Moser & Cie Endeavour Perpetual Calendar Black Edition. Unlike the usual H. Moser & Cie watches, this one is cased in titanium and finished with DLC coating. A little unconventional, especially since the watchmaker is known for making dressier timepieces. But it is still a very cool piece, and the colour scheme made the rose gold indices and hands stood out even more. This timepiece is certainly worth taking a look at.
The movement of the Black Edition is also DLC-ed, which adds a unique touch to the watch as well.
Like the other perpetual calendar watches in their collection, the Black Edition features the same HMC 341 movement which boasts a 7 day power reserve and the famous “flash calendar”. The only difference is that the movement is finished in matte black, which adds a very special touch to the watch. An exceptional piece indeed.
The team at Deployant has actually wrote about the H. Moser & Cie. Perpetual Calendar (the non DLC-ed version) some time back. More details with regards to the watch can be found at either here or here.
