H. Moser & Cie: Pioneer Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton

H. Moser & Cie. cultivates the art of contrast. For this piece, the company consciously selected the Pioneer case. With its contemporary and adventurous look and feel inspired by the industrial world, it showcases the HMC 811 three-dimensional Manufacture calibre, designed to be a true work of art. This large, fully skeletonised movement with a 34 mm diameter enhances the “balletic dance” of the one-minute flying tourbillon, equipped with a cylindrical hairspring at 6 o’clock. Thanks to the cylindrical hairspring, fitted with two Breguet curves attached at two points, friction on the pivots is reduced and the isochronal properties improved, even more when the hairspring is combined with a tourbillon as is the case here. Today, the cylindrical hairspring is particularly difficult to produce because it requires very specific know-how and tools. The teams at Precision Engineering AG, H. Moser & Cie.’s sister company, had to remaster this expertise, as each cylindrical hairspring is shaped by hand, taking ten times longer to produce than a traditional hairspring. 

At 12 o’clock, a small, domed sub-dial reflects the curve of the sapphire crystal and features the company’s signature colour, Funky Blue fumé. The white H. Moser & Cie. logo has a certain subtlety about it, while the indices are much bolder: created using Globolight, a ceramic-based material containing Super-LumiNova, these add to the three-dimensional nature of the piece, as do the inserts which top the hour and minute hands, also in Globolight.

A skeleton model of the new HMC 811 calibre with 74 hours of power reserve is used here, on both the front and the reverse side, where a large, gold and fully open rotor oscillates. The beauty of this movement is further enhanced by the lightness of the flying tourbillon, which twirls gracefully under the sapphire crystal. The Pioneer Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton represents an important step for H. Moser & Cie., as it enters the skeleton watch segment and defines its own principles for this type of watchmaking. 

The Pioneer Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton model features a black alligator leather strap, but can also be worn with a steel, rubber, textile or kudu leather strap, providing a variety of options. With a water resistance up to 12 ATM and a 42.8mm X 15.3mm steel case, the watch highly wearable and suitable for both sporting and elegant settings. (Price €. 83.000)