Luxury watch purveyor H. Moser & Cie. just launched a trio of new timepieces that pay homage to the brand’s rich history while pointing decidedly toward its future.
Moser may have opened its digital doors in 2012, but the company officially got its start in 1828 under the original Moser — capital “H.” Heinrich — himself. Descended from a family of Swiss watchmakers, Moser gained notoriety throughout the 19th century for his fastidious craftsmanship and technical finesse. Though the business thrived under his leadership, upon his death in 1874, the company was sold and the tick-tocking venture came to a halt.
Fast-forward nearly 200 years and the brand’s been revived with an aesthetic that’s anything but old-fashioned. Consider the new Endeavour Concept Minute Repeater Tourbillon, a sleek and futuristic timepiece that allows the wearer to get an inside look at the mechanisms whirring beneath the surface. Against the minimalist, black lacquered dial, you’ll find the delicately moving arms, which pulse along to the gentle click of a minute repeater.
If that’s not innovative enough for you, check out the Venturer Concept Vantablack watch. For those unfamiliar, Vantablack is a substance developed by nanotech scientists for use in satellites and military camouflage. It’s reportedly the darkest material on Earth and gives the timepiece an other-worldly vibe that’s equal parts deep space and black hole. Given the striking color of the face, the brand opts for a simple finish with just two arms — no labels, nor indices here.
And finally, the new collection also boasts the Endeavor Flying Hours, a timepiece dedicated to the planetary system, which inspired the birth of modern watchmaking. Flying hours features a Globolight dial which glows in the dark. While the Globolight dial is elegant in its own right, H. Moser decided to up the ante once again and set the entire thing within a white-gold case guaranteed to induce ooh’s and aah’s from anyone who sees it.
Considering H. Moser & Cie. is a prominent house in the world of haute horology (essentially the finest of the finest of watchmaking), these timekeeping devices cost a pretty penny, with the Tourbillon valued at $320,000, the Vantablack at $27,600, and the Endeavor at $35,000. Though certainly outside most of our budgets, these pieces stand as testaments to the art of watchmaking itself, as appropriate for galleries as for the wrists of the world’s biggest spenders.
To learn more about these rare, custom designs, hop on over to the H. Moser & Cie. site.
For a much less costly, though no less cool watch, take a look at Timex’s new American Documents collection of watches made right here in the USA with Swiss movements.