The category of a sports watch is one which can spark many discussions in the watch world. I mean, what exactly is a sports watch? What makes it stand apart from other watches? In this article, we will shine the Watch Affinity Spotlight on one of my favourite takes on the sports watch from a brand you might next expect to see this from – H. Moser & Cie’s Pioneer collection, more specifically the Centre Seconds, and what makes this a great addition to the sports watch category.
H. Moser & Cie Pioneer Centre Seconds
The interesting history of H. Moser & Cie can be traced back to its 1828 when Heinrich Moser, a watchmaker born in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, moved to St. Petersburg in Russia with the ambition of becoming a master watchmaker. After having set up a factory in Le Locle to support his business ventures in Russia as well as in Europe, it didn’t take long before H. Moser & Cie had earned a reputation for producing high quality timepieces, with clientele including Russian princes and Vladimir Lenin.
By the mid-1800s, the entrepreneurial Heinrich had built up somewhat of an empire including manufacture, retail and servicing. He returned home to Schaffhausen in 1848 a very wealthy man and used his fortune to support local Swiss industry in the area, including a dam and turbine he built in the Rhine before his passing in 1874. The company was sold, and in 1918 was expropriated during the Russian Revolution.
The brand H. Moser & Cie was formally relaunched as an independent manufacturer in 2005, and are perhaps best known today for their incredibly eye catching, distinctive fumé dials and an innovative approach to watchmaking which includes a fully in-house production – Moser manufacture every single component themselves, even down to the hairspring. Today, the brand produces only a few thousand pieces annually from their base in Schaffhausen, the home of Heinrich Moser himself.
One of my favourite things about this brand, is that they are in a group with very few others who make a concerted effort to inject a little fun into luxury watchmaking. For instance, the Moser Swiss Alp watches are a tongue in cheek nod towards the world’s foremost smartwatches, and they even produced a concept piece unique with both a tourbillon and minute repeater… but no hands. Yes, no hands – the only way to know the time from this piece is to activate the minute repeater.
I earlier alluded to the hallmark of a H. Moser & Cie watch being a distinctive fumé dial, and whilst at first you might question whether this aesthetic is something which would align with the idea of a ‘sports watch’, something for more attuned to a dress watch. However, the Pioneer collection will shatter this premise in an instant, proving that a fumé dial is equally adept in both quarters. In fact, the 2015 launch of this collection was announced with a zero G parabolic flight!
Whilst the collection contains a variety of complications such as tourbillon and minute repeater pieces, in this article we want to focus on the three-hand version – the Pioneer Centre Seconds.
H. Moser & Cie Pioneer Centre Seconds 3200-1205 (L) and 3200-1202 (R)
Each of the Pioneer Centre Seconds is housed in a 42.8mm case. Each case is constructed in stainless steel except for both the pictured 3200-1205 reference (which is DLC coated stainless steel) and the red gold and titanium DLC 3200-0903 reference. At this diameter as well as being 15mm thick, including the domed crystal seen below, it has a real presence on the wrist, however I found that owing to the meticulous case design and the fabric or rubber straps that they were incredibly comfortable on the wrist.
Some would argue that at this size, the case and thus the overall watch is too large to be considered a dress watch. Personally, I think that in the modern era these pieces would work perfectly well as a comfortable, elegant piece for a formal occasion as well as something attractive that can be worn every day.
Each features a screw-down crown and offers 120 metres water resistance, and yet the case is crafted with the utmost attention to detail which helps to purvey a sense of luxury at the same time – traits which to me are indicative of the very notion of a luxury sports watch.
H. Moser & Cie Pioneer caseband and crown
Of course, the star of the show is the visual impact of incredible Moser fumé dials. In my opinion, in the same way that people talk about there being nothing in the industry quite like an A. Lange & Söhne movement, I would argue the same for a H. Moser & Cie dial. The fumé, or smoked, dials have a subtle fade into a darker shade of colour at the edge of the dial, and no matter how many times you look at it, the dial looks different every time. As the light changes, so too does the dial, and once on your wrist it becomes a visual treat to behold.
On this stunning backdrop, we find three elegant hands for hours minutes and seconds with 13 large and legible multi-faceted indices (12 o’clock is a double-index) with a small circle of Super Luminova applied to an angled lip on the edge of the dial – the indices themselves are not adorned with any luminescence – which is applied to the hours and minutes hands as well, to ensure that the time can be read even in the darkest environments. Across the collection, the fumé dials are available in an ever popular blue and green, with a bolder red dial released earlier this year.
H. Moser & Cie Pioneer Centre Seconds 3200-1205
H. Moser & Cie Pioneer Centre Seconds 3200-1203
On the reverse side of each reference is a sapphire caseback, through which we get a glimpse of the incredible automatic HMC200 calibre. This movement debuted in 2017, having been fully designed and made from components in house; just a quick reminder that in the instance of H. Moser & Cie, “in-house” means in-house in the purest sense of the word, that every single component right down to even the hairspring is manufactured internally. The movement itself is 5.5mm thick, has 27 jewels and vibrates at a frequency of 21,600 vibrations per hour, affording the wearer a full 72 hours’ power reserve, and is wound with a bi-directional 18ct gold rotor.
HMC200 calibre
In Summary
There is a lot of competition for sports watches in the price bracket these are in – the featured stainless steel DLC 3200-1205 reference is priced CHF 13,900 whilst the stainless steel case 3200-1202 (and other stainless steel references) priced at CHF 12,900. One might argue that you would want a little more from a simple movement at this price point in terms of power reserve or complication, and it is possible that the pairing with a rubber or fabric strap might leave you feeling as though you want a little more from a luxury piece. To an extent, I don’t think such statements are without their merit, either.
That being said, in my opinion there are not many (if any) of these competitors which are as eye-catching as the stunning fumé dial, which are accompanied by a 100% in-house movement from a well-established and innovative manufacturer of high-horology, that you will all but certainly never encounter on anybody else’s wrist. The strap pairings are part of what makes this piece something you can wear every day as well, offering incredible comfort and designed such that they are suitable for any occasion.
In fact, the Pioneer Centre Seconds stainless steel DLC 3200-1205 has been high on my own personal wish-list for the best part of a year now, but I have a lot of saving to do first!
Check the Pioneer collection out now on the H. Moser & Cie website.
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