Over the past few years H. Moser & Cie.  has managed to create a very distinct design identity for itself. Be it last year’s minimalist Streamliner Perpetual Calendar or its use of fume dials or even its decision to forgo branding on the dial, everything has contributed to a H. Moser & Cie. building and firming a well-defined design language. The newest release from H. Moser & Cie., the Endeavour Concept Minute Repeater Tourbillon Aqua Blue has all these, plus two major complications.

The H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Concept Minute Repeater Tourbillon Aqua Blue is the newest chiming watch to join the Moser Endeavour line. In titanium (Ref. 1904-0500) or 5N red gold (Ref. 1904-0400), both limited to 20 pieces each, the 40mm watch features a minute repeater and a one-minute flying tourbillon, both of which are visible on the dial.

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Let’s start with the dial, a Grand Feu enamel one, in a striking Aqua Blue, very similar to the pre-Watches & Wonders release Endeavour Centre Seconds Concept with a green dial. The dial on a gold base is a textured and with the signature fume effect, achieved via four different colour pigments that are washed, finely crushed, then applied to create an ombré effect, achieved with repeated firings, specifically 12 times to get that fume effect. The pigments are added one by one so that the colours oxidise and meld together when heated in the furnace. The dial overall is clean – there are no indexes or branding, with the classic leaf-shaped hands coming in to tell the hours and minutes. The crown is engraved with an ‘M’. A sapphire crystal protects the dial as well as the back, through which one can see the movement.

However, between 9 o’clock and 12 o’clock, the gongs of the minute repeater grab attention, which chimes the hours, quarter-hours, and minutes. The brand says that making the minute repeater visible on the dial side, while maintaining the design language of the brand, took some doing. The chimes, placed on one level to preserve the finesse of the piece, had to be curved so as not to interfere with the understatedness of the design. To achieve the perfect sounds, the case middle has been widened to accommodate the movement and create the environs to enhance the chiming. Although, it is interesting to note that overall the case size is smaller by 3mm, compared to last year’s Endeavour Concept Minute Repeater Tourbillon.

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The watch is powered by a new movement, the HMC 904 hand-wound calibre, a new movement whose beauty can be admired through various skeletonised parts. The watch has a frequency of 3Hz, and a power reserve of 90 hours. The movement is decorated with double Moser stripes on the plate and bridges, and the components hand-finished and decorated. The watch is finished with a hand-stitched alligator leather strap in red gold or titanium pin buckle, engraved with the Moser logo.

Images: H Moser & Cie.