Hands-on with the H. Moser & Cie Venturer Small Second

H. Moser & Cie has been surprising friend and foe, with some very nice watches, like the award-winning Perpetual Calendar and the latest Black Edition that we’ve truly enjoyed at Baselworld 2014. This year the brand presented a new collection, with a new in house caliber, a new timepiece and something that H. Moser & Cie is known for: ‘fumé dials’. Let’s have a close look at the new timepiece, the H. Moser & Cie. Venturer Small Second. 

The Venturer collection, a new family of products, is clearly inspired by the heritage of H. Moser & Cie., as it is imbued with several references of pocket watches, 1920’s Bauhaus spirit and 1960’s classic watches. Some very nice details from several eras which, together create a pleasant and coherent ‘vintage’ feeling. However, the Venturer collection shouldn’t be seen only for its design, as a heritage watch, because it’s equipped with a brand new movement, the Calibre HMC 327, designed and manufactured in-house.

That new calibre is, on paper, a simple HMS movement – central hour / minute hands and a small second sub dial. However, unlike the vintage design of the Venturer, it’s a truly modern movement that boasts several innovative complications:

• An in-house hairspring (almost no brand makes, or has the knowledge and ability, to create their own hairsprings)
• A balance wheel without regulator (adjusted with gold screws)
• A silicon anchor and escape wheel (so with antimagnetic properties and no need of lubricants)
• Escapement module: a clever interchangeable regulating system, that allows a watchmaker to exchange the entire regulating organ by removing just 2 screws, and thus facilitates service operations
• A hacking second, meaning that the second hand stops when the crown is pulled out, in order to adjust precisely the time

This 32mm movement fits perfectly in the 39mm of the Venturer – we always appreciable to see a movement that fills the case – and is made with the H. Moser & Cie. standards, meaning that the bridges are adorned with Moser striping, and feature hand-beveled and hand-polished bridges. In order to keep the watch thin enough, the movement remains at a very reasonable 4.4mm in height. The back of the watch, with see-through case back, reveals the 3 days power reserve indicator, and the aforementioned Escapement module.

The Venturer collection features several ‘vintage design elements. The 18k red gold case measures a very pleasant 39mm in diameter, and the slightly domed dial is something that can be found on watches from the 1950’s and 1960’s. The dial is very clean in design, and features  simple applied 18K gold stick markers and the only text on the dial is the brand’s name. Talking about design, besides the new in-house movement, the dial is certainly the main attraction of the Venturer.

The red gold ‘fumé’ version (darker towards the outside of the dial) emphasizes the domed construction. It is also available in ardoise and argenté, always in a red gold case, and all three versions have a sunday brushed dial that gives some nice reflections.

On the wrist, the Venturer looks like a elegant dress watch and due to its reasonable size, it wears very comfortable. The watch looks actually larger than one would expect based on the 39mm, because of the slim bezel and relatively large opening for the dial. This all  makes the Venturer Small Seconds a dress watch, although it would also look great with casual attire. With 12.5 mm in height, it isn’t exactly an extra-thin watch, however that’s mainly due to the very high domed sapphire crystal. The color and finish of the dial are giving a suitable originality that prevents the venturer to be too serious.

The H. Moser & Cie Venturer Small Second is a very good alternative to the new Rolex Cellini collection or the Girard-Perregaux 1966, offering a less conservative look, and with very interesting specifications and finish. It’s priced at EUR 14.700 for each of the three versions.

Specifications

• Casse: 18K Red Gold, 39mm x 12.5mm, curved sapphire crystal on the top and see-through sapphire caseback.
• Dial: Red Gold Fumé, ardoise or argenté with sunburst pattern, applied indexes and hands in 18K red gold
• Movement: in-house calibre HMC 327, 32mm x 4.4mm, frequency: 18.000vph (2.5Hz), 28 jewels, 3 days minimum of power reserve, Hacking second, in-house Straumann® Hairspring
• Functions: Hour, minute in the center and small second at 6 o’clock, power reserve indicator on the movement side
• Strap: Hand-stiched brown alligator with 18K red gold pin buckle

More info: www.h-moser.com