H. Moser & Cie. Release Pioneer 40mm Centre Seconds and Tourbillon Arctic Blue

Recently H. Moser & Cie. have been exploring several unusual watchmaking concepts along the lines of the tantalum cased Perpetual Calendar Blue Enamel and futuristic Genesis. As a result, it’s actually quite refreshing that they’re returning to more grounded watchmaking concepts. Specifically, with the release of a new case size for one of their core collections in the H. Moser & Cie. Pioneer 40mm Centre Seconds and Tourbillon Arctic Blue.

The Pioneer case is, as its name suggests, H. Moser’s sportiest design, made from scratch- and corrosion-resistant steel with 120m water resistance. This latest generation of the case has a new diameter of 40mm, reduced from 42.8mm. 2.8mm can make a huge difference in how a watch wears on the wrist; it can be the difference between a watch overhanging the sides of your wrist and sitting perfectly, so slight as the change is, it’s still good to see new sizes brought into the fold.

However, the Pioneer 40mm brings more than just a re-sized case to the collection as it also introduces a new colourway for both the Central Seconds and Tourbillon editions. It’s called Arctic Blue, a vibrant colour with sun ray brushed finishing that lets light play across the dial in an incredibly attractive way. In contrast to previous models there’s no fumé gradient, opting instead for a consistent colour.

Naturally, as one version is three-hand model and the other is a tourbillon, they house different movements. The Centre Seconds has the HMC 200 automatic calibre with 72-hour power reserve while the Tourbillon HMC 804, also with 72-hour power reserve. While they share a similar power reserve, there are some notable differences between the two (other than one having an extra complication of course) such as the golden rotor and a double hairspring on the tourbillon version.

Both pieces follow similar pricing to their predecessors. That means the H. Moser & Cie. Central Seconds Arctic Blue is £12,900 and the tourbillon is £49,700. It’s not a shattering of all our preconceived notions, but the pair are welcome additions to the Pioneer collection nevertheless, with their new, svelte dimensions and bright dials.