‘Very rare’ – thus H. Moser & Cie. defines itself. Yet the Schaffhausen-based horology house is now bringing forth an even rarer set of watches than usual in cooperation with the world’s largest watch and jewellery retailer Bucherer, in the form of a beautiful Pioneer Tourbillon and two unique Endeavour Concept Minute Repeater Tourbillons. While the former is a limited edition of 18 pieces, the latter pair of watches are limited to only two pieces and one unique piece respectively. The exceptional timepieces are available exclusively at Bucherer.
Not to be confused with the ‘Bucherer Masterworks’, which offers a selection of carefully curated watches from both niche and well-established brands, ‘Bucherer Exclusives’ involves the formidable watch and jewellery retailer working alongside Swiss watch manufactures to create limited editions that are, as the name suggests, exclusively available from Bucherer. So far, Bucherer has created watches in collaboration with the likes of Girard-Perregaux, Ulysse Nardin, and Hublot. Now, H. Moser, founded in 1828, joins Bucherer, founded in 1888, to espouse the next generation of fine watchmaking for its faithful following of collectors.
This collaborative trio of timepieces, thus exclusively available from Bucherer, shine bright with aventurine dials. While the Pioneer tourbillon watch has a fairly subtle vibe (relatively speaking, of course), the accompanying two Endeavour models are likely to catch collectors’ eyes – as well as ears – with their integration of a tourbillon as well as an innovative chiming minute repeater, both of which are visible on the front of the dial.
The uniting feature between the three models, aside from the tourbillon with skeletonised bridges, is the aventurine dial. Evoking the sparkle of a starry night sky, aventurine is a man-made mineral glass. When placed under light, the incorporated triangular flakes of copper glitter beautifully, creating an enchantingly ethereal aesthetic reminiscent of the great cosmos.
The aventurine is cut by machining and then refined by hand, until it becomes a fine plate that dresses the dial. In the watch world, aventurine is often reserved for the most special creations, from the Van Cleef & Arpels Midnight Planétarium to the Omega Speedmaster Chrono Chime. On that iridescent note, let’s take a closer look at the three varying but equally exquisite H. Moser models, conceived specially for Bucherer.
H. Moser’s Pioneer collection generally lays focus upon elegant sports pieces, with the aim of being just as suitable for the beach as at the dinner table – or as the brand puts it, ‘from the wetsuit to three-piece suit’. The rule of thumb for Pioneer watches is the inclusion of Super-LumiNova for round-the-clock legibility, as well as water-resistance to 12 ATM (roughly just over 12 bar).
Despite the sporty requirements integrated into this Pioneer Tourbillon, the watch maintains its elegant feel thanks to its warm 5N red-gold case, which is really an absolute highlight of this watch. At 42.8 mm, this is the second-largest of the trio (the largest being 43 mm) and therefore isn’t quite suited to everyone. This is really a piece for men with a more sizeable wrist, who not only value craftsmanship and innovation, but also an active lifestyle, and above all, legibility. Curved sapphire glass protects the aventurine dial, while further adding to the watch’s shapely aesthetic. On the other hand, the inclusion of highly finished DLC titanium, which complements the ergonomic and breathable black rubber strap, adds a contemporary spin into the mix on the case sides, crown, and even partially the lugs.
Meanwhile, the one-minute tourbillon with skeletonised bridges nestles into the aventurine dial at 6 o’clock. The tourbillon comprises part of H. Moser’s in-house calibre, the HMC804, which can be particularly credited for its automatic bi-directional pawl winding system, enabling a hefty three-day power reserve. Finished to perfection, this exquisite movement, including its 18-carat red-gold rotor featuring the H. Moser & Cie. logo, can be admired via the sapphire crystal caseback. The Pioneer Tourbillon Concept Aventurine model created in collaboration with Bucherer is limited to 18 pieces, making it the most ‘available’ of the three extremely exclusive watches – and the price is 75,000 euros.
Moving onto the Endeavour Concept Minute Tourbillon Aventurine, of which only two pieces are available, we have yet another stunning sculpted case. Once again shining in a magnificent tone of 18-carat 5N red gold, the watch is slightly scaled down compared to its Pioneer compatriot, offering a diameter of 40 mm in combination with a still-sizeable 13.5 mm height. A finely fluted crown adds finesse to the overall aesthetic of the watch, while bearing the emblematic ‘M’ of the H. Moser & Cie.
Sporting the same aventurine dial and tourbillon with skeletonised bridges at 6 o’clock, this model also integrates a minute repeater. Charmingly ringing out the hours and minutes upon command using the slider on the left-hand side of the watch, the wearer can observe the hammer and chimes at work on the dial, as they are displayed openly at 11 o’clock. Even the watch’s sliding bolt with Teflon runner is exposed, giving the owner of the watch several insights into the watch’s inner workings.
As H. Moser’s niche circle of followers will know, although both of the watch’s impressive innovations are showcased via the dial, the Endeavour collection actually puts purity at the heart of its designs. As the horology house asserts, Endeavour pieces should be ‘minimalistic but far from mundane’. Therefore, this advanced timepiece exposes the tourbillon and minute repeater, yet keeps the design largely stripped down.
To expand upon this: as with its counterparts, the Endeavour Concept Minute Tourbillon Aventurine has no indices to indicate the exact time. Rather, the time is provided only by the hands, as well as the minute repeater, which was specially redesigned to allow for the acoustics to sound clearly while adapting to its unusual rectangular format. This underlines the trilogy’s poetic purpose, placing emphasis on fine watchmaking and beauty above all else. Undoubtedly one for the purists, this complicated yet masterfully designed watch does not even bear a Bucherer or H. Moser & Cie. logo, as is indeed often the case with the horology house’s watches.
The watch with minute repeater and tourbillon is powered by the manual-winding calibre HMC 904. This partially skeletonised movement, which can be admired via the caseback, is painstakingly hand-finished and decorated with the distinctive double Moser stripes on both the plate and bridges. In addition, the watch has a strong power reserve of 90 hours and beats at a frequency of 3 Hz.
Like its sporty Pioneer sibling, carefully sculpted lugs ensure that the watch sits comfortably on the wrist, although this time, the watch is rounded off with the addition of a smart blue leather pin buckle strap. The price of the Endeavour Concept Minute Tourbillon Aventurine, of which only two pieces exist, is 381,000 euros.
This brings us to the final, showstopping unique piece of the trilogy: the Endeavour Concept Minute Repeater Tourbillon Aventurine & Diamonds. With only one piece in existence, H. Moser went all out with its opulent design, integrating a diamond bezel. This incandescent timepiece is housed in a 43 mm 18-carat white gold case, set with no fewer than 85 baguette-cut diamonds (totaling 4.95 carats), with a gem-set crown to match. The setting of the diamonds is no easy feat, and involves use of the so-called ‘closed-setting’ technique, which consists of surrounding the stones with a thin metal border to hold them in place. The closed setting completely surrounds the stones, giving them extra protection and a smoother, more discreet appearance.
As was the case with its red-gold sibling, this white-gold wonder integrates a tourbillon and minute repeater, with the Teflon sliding bolt likewise still on display via the dial. Via the lustrous caseback, which bears the engraving ‘UNIQUE PIECE’, the owner of the Endeavour Concept Minute Repeater Tourbillon Aventurine & Diamonds can enjoy a view of the calibre HMC 904 – the hand-wound marvel that also powers the aforementioned Endeavour Concept Minute Tourbillon Aventurine. Likewise presented on the same hand-stitched blue leather strap, the price of this glittering yet technical timepiece is 448,000 euros.
With this trilogy of watches, Bucherer manages to encapsulate H. Moser’s repertoire of elegance, innovation, purism, and, ultimately, luxury, all within one fell swoop. The decision to opt for the utmost exclusivity with the strict limitation of these watches, alongside their price tag, inevitably means that these are pieces destined for serious collectors, likely with a well-established love of H. Moser. This brings us back to the mission of ‘Bucherer Exclusives’: using partnerships to push boundaries, whether in terms of innovation or craftsmanship, to elevate the experience of customers in the luxury sector. The result we can hope for – and surely find – in the form of this H. Moser & Cie. x Bucherer Exclusives trilogy? A set of magnificent timepieces that epitomise fine watchmaking, destined for only the most passionate of watch aficionados.
Collectors interested in viewing the limited edition Bucherer Exclusive x H. Moser & Cie. watches may contact their local sales consultant. The models are also being shown in turn in various Bucherer boutiques.
