H. Moser & Cie are in the enviable position that the brand’s watches can be recognised without much effort, however the Endeavour Flying Hours may need a second look before noticing it is in fact a Moser.
The respected luxury watch brand usually release relatively traditional and some may consider plain looking watches, however this timepiece seriously rocks that opinion.
There are elements of familiarity in the case, size and finishes, but the appearance of the dial is almost eccentric, featuring an openworked jumping hour mechanism for reading the time.
It could be considered a risky move, however Moser can clearly explain why they have taken a slightly different approach with this piece:
To innovate, you have to challenge yourself. For the first time in its history, H. Moser & Cie has revisited its time display methods to create a new, disc-based system. The mechanism is inspired by the planetary systems that led to the birth of modern, independent watchmaking. Adopting a technical approach that respects the elegant, understated style of H. Moser & Cie., the result is an exceptionally refined time measuring instrument. The Endeavour Flying Hours represents a major step for H. Moser & Cie.
H Moser Endeavour Flying Hours
Face & case
Housed in a classic shaped 42mm white gold case, the grey fume sunburst dial of the Endeavour Flying Hours features a set of 3 “funky blue” hour discs (set at 12, 4 and 8 o’clock), with a 4th, larger sapphire minute disc in the centre. A thin tri-spoke wheel separates the upper minute disc from the hour discs – this is visually important, as it doesn’t move and finished in black, it defines the 3 hour discs.
On first glance, it does not look easy to tell the time, however look closer and you will see one of the hour numbers on one of the 3 smaller discs is white, whilst the rest are black. This is the current hour.
There is an arrow pointing inwards from the white hour indicator. This points towards 10 minute numeric indications from 00 – 60, with single minute markers around the edge of the sapphire disc.
The central minute disc continues to move around at a constant rate and thus keep a constant flow of the minutes. There are 4 hours marked on each of the 3 discs (1, 4, 7, 10) (2, 5, 8, 11) + (3, 6, 9, 12), of which the current hour is white. When the minute disc reaches the 45 minute marker, one of the other discs will spin and a second number (the approaching hour) will “jump” and go white. When the minute hand passes 15 on the new hour, the previous hour will “jump” and all numbers other than the current hour will be black again until the same thing happens on another disc at 45 minutes. At this time, the approaching hour “jumps” to white on the 3rd disc and it continues.
Using open worked discs to tell the time is quite different for Moser, as there is a lot more visible than an often plain dial, but in true Moser style, there is an elegant sunburst fume behind it and of course no brand or logo on the dial at all.
Another twist with this watch comes with the addition of loads of Lume! The blue hour discs glow in their entirety, as well as the hours when white and all of the minute indications on the sapphire disc are “lumed up”.
The crown is small and understated, tapering in with deep ridges for grip and the familiar “M” embossed on the end.
Turn the piece over and it is typically moser, all shiny and with multiple finishes to define certain areas. 4 screws hold the case back down; various engravings surround the sapphire window, which is almost the full size of the back. The main plates have a pinstripe, with various red gold engravings visible. Multiple wheels and cogs are visible through the gaps and a few appear to be specifically defined for aesthetic reasons. The rotor is in red gold and features satinised areas and a central cut out, so as not to obstruct view of the movement too much.
H Moser Endeavour Flying Hours Case Back
Movement
Powered by an automatic movement, the Caliber HMC 806 is a modified version of the HMC 200, previously used in the Endeavour Centre Second. The winding system is bi-directional and the caliber features a Straumann© hairspring for optimum accuracy.
With 35 jewels and beating at 21600vph, owners should expect a minimum of 72 hours power reserve.
H Moser Endeavour Flying Hours Lume
Strap
The strap shown in the pictures is kudu leather, however the retail piece comes with a hand-stitched dark grey alligator leather strap.
The pin buckle is also 18-carat solid white gold, engraved with the Moser logo.
H Moser Endeavour Flying Hours Buckle and Strap
Other Stuff
The Endeavour Flying hours has been released in 3 different colours, all being limited editions.
The piece featured within this article has a Grey fumé with sunburst pattern and limited to 100 pieces.
There is also a Cosmic Green version with sunburst pattern, also limited to 100 pieces.
Lastly, a Funky Blue fumé version is also available, of which only 60 pieces are being made.
H Moser Endeavour Flying Hours on the Wrist
Our verdict
The H. Moser & Cie Endeavour Flying Hours is a nice looking piece and certainly ticks a lot of boxes.
The brand have managed to create a watch that although is very different looking to their usual pieces, is still recognisable as a Moser, which is extraordinary.
The way that time is read appeals to my non-conformist side and the touch of lume adds a bit of a playful element to an otherwise mainly conservative looking range of watches.
The piece is very comfortable on the wrist, well balanced and fairly light. At only 12.3mm thick, the quandary of whether a cuff will be caught whilst wearing it is not really a consideration.
With a price tag of 35,000 CHF, the Endeavour Flying Hours could be considered good value, especially considering the materials and caliber used, however with each version limited to a maximum of only 100 pieces, seeing one on your daily travels is probably not too likely.
I am really interested to see how long it takes Moser to throw another curve ball at us – hopefully not too long!
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