Not too long ago we brought you our hands-on review of the Endeavour Perpetual Calendar 'Funky Blue' here. Well, now is the time we talk about another one of those understated pieces from H. Moser & Cie. This time, we are talking about the Venturer Small Seconds in 18K white gold. This exceptional timepiece where simplicity and clean lines are the name of the game, is not only a watch with superb craftsmanship but one of those watches where 'less is more and less translates into more rare'. But what makes H. Moser & Cie. so rare? Well, not only the fact that they make a 1,000 watches a year, but also their rich history. This company now under the reigns of former legendary Audemars Piguet CEO Georges Henri-Meylan, was originally founded in 1828 by Heinrich Moser in Russia. A year later, Heinrich Moser opened up a factory in Le Locle, twenty years later he moved to Schaffhausen —his birthplace— and in 1979 the company disappeared only to be brought back to life in 2005 when a new manufacture was built in Schaffhausen. As of 2012, along with Hautlence and Precision Engineering, H. Moser & Cie. is now steered in the right direction by the Meylan family who owns the MELB Holding group —an acronym after Meylan's son and daughters that stands for Meylan Edouard Léonore Bertrand.
The H. Moser & Cie. Venturer Small Seconds is definitely an uber classic timepiece with a perfectly sized 18K white gold case measuring 39 mm in diameter, a white enamel dial with black Roman numerals, subsidiary seconds, remarkably contrasting blued leaf-shaped hands and a supple matte black alligator strap with pin buckle.
The dial, featuring a domed shape and stepped tri-dimensional construction is inspired by traditional pocket watches. The Venturer Small Seconds features an off-centered subsidiary seconds display that lends it a delicately elegant and timeless design. The blued hands —our favorite feature— provide a remarkable level of contrast against the white clean lines of its dial.
Its case, features the ergonomic case design now traditional of the H. Moser & Cie. timepieces, and opposed to the Endeavour line, the Venturer features super thin lugs that enhance the look of watch and deviate the attention towards the dial. The fascinating curves on the case band make the H. Moser & Cie. signed crown —with hacking seconds— look even more magnificent.
The beating heart powering the H. Moser & Cie. Venturer Small Seconds is the in-house manual wound calibre HMC 327. The movement is quite thin and wide measuring 32.0 mm in diameter and 4.4 mm in thickness, therefore, perfectly suited to fit the case size. Equipped with Moser teeth for all wheels and pinion, pallet fork and escapement wheel made from gold and an interchangeable Moser escapement module —designed to simplify the servicing of the watch—, the movement provides a power reserve of 3 days. The calibre beats at a frequency of 18,000 vph and features a power reserve indicator on the bridge next to the balance wheel. As expected, the movement and all components are hand-finished and exceptionally decorated.
The watch is equipped with an elegant hand-stitched black matter alligator strap with 18K white gold matching pin buckle.
On the wrist, the H. Moser & Cie. Venturer Small Seconds wears more like a 40 or 41 mm timepiece and with very special wrist presence. Wearing a watch that only very few know about makes one feel very special. Ultimately there are two types of watch collectors, those that like to wear a watch easily recognized by everyone and those that opt for the exclusive. If you like exclusivity and impeccable craftsmanship, then this is the way to go. There's a good reason why U2's Adam Clayton wears H. Moser & Cie.
Sticker Price $20,500 USD. For more info on H. Moser & Cie. click here.
