H. Moser & Cie Venturer Tourbillon Dual Time

H. Moser & Cie Venturer Tourbillon Dual Time


by Johnny McElherron

The new owners at H. Moser & Cie are settling in nicely it would appear, and although nurturing concepts which were in gestation before the Meylan family took control of this almost 200 year old watch making jewel, progress has continued apace and unimpeded by new hands at the rudder, which is rare – quite like their watches.

There has been much activity in the Neuhausen am Rheinfall based manufactory of late, with a succession of peerless pieces making their debuts throughout the year, but even among such salubrious company the most recent unveiling has to be the one that steals the show. The new H. Moser & Cie Venturer Tourbillon Dual Time is a special timepiece in terms of what it means for the company, and also in its innovative solutions to the little horlogic quandaries whose tireless pursuit are the grail for the devoted watchmaker.

Heinrich Moser – Fine Watchmaking to the Imperial Court

The 18Kt red or white gold case of the Venturer Tourbillon Dual Time houses a brand new self winding movement which has been created in-house, and which looks back to the age of the complicated pocket watches with which founder Heinrich Moser cemented his reputation as a watchmaker of the highest order and horologist to the Imperial Court in his erstwhile Russian home of St Petersburg.

H. Moser & Cie Venturer Tourbillon Dual Time - Calibre HMC 802

H. Moser & Cie Venturer Tourbillon Dual Time – Calibre HMC 802

To counteract the accuracy issues of a watch type which was generally always in a vertical position, safely tucked away inside a watch pocket, the tourbillon challenged the forces of gravity and significantly improved accuracy, and the new calibre, the HMC 802 features the first tourbillon designed and manufactured by the company.

H. Moser & Cie Venturer Tourbillon Dual Time – Tourbillon à la Moser

A milestone then for H. Moser & Cie. Without a doubt, but as one might now expect, all is not exactly what it seems, because the tourbillon has been assembled and regulated outside of the movement and then as a module, is coupled with the body of the calibre, which might sound like excessive detailing (mind you, this is horology so excess is often the norm rather than the exception), but the result of this is a complicated movement, yet thanks to the removable tourbillon module, one which a competent watchmaker can service without having to be familiar with the workings of the little heart.

Straumann Double Hairspring Escapement

Straumann Double Hairspring Escapement

Another interesting aspect of the Moser tourbillon is the use of the Straumann Double Hairspring, a system which through the use of two identical Nivarox springs whose simultaneous pulses equalise rather than compensate for gravitational force by maintaining the centre of gravity at the arbor, which suggests a reduction in friction, the enhancement of a smooth delivery of energy, and further improving the isochronicity of the device.

H. Moser & Cie Venturer Tourbillon Dual Time – Fumé Sunburst Gravitas

The dial, which comes in red-gold fumé or silver argenté on the red gold versions, or Ardoise on white gold, with a beautiful, almost aged sunburst finish, features long slender applied hour indices and delicate swallow hands, including the red dual time hand which will hide away and out of view beneath the hour hand when not in use, and a long minutes hand which follows the contour of the dial as it falls away to where it meets the inner case.

H. Moser & Cie Venturer Tourbillon Dual Time - Red Gold Fumé Dial

H. Moser & Cie Venturer Tourbillon Dual Time – Red Gold Fumé Dial

Dominating the dial, and indeed the watch as a whole, is the sweeping tourbillon array with its ray-like chamfering as it falls gracefully towards the edge of the deep cavity, in which is suspended from an arcing bridge, the tourbillon itself. The visual effect is almost akin to that of an auditorium sweeping down to the performance in the round before it. A domed sapphire crystal sits atop the case and when turned over an equally captivating vista of the meticulously finished HMC 802 movement with its red gold oscillating weight is revealed.

H. Moser & Cie’s Venturer Tourbillon Dual Time in its sculpted red or white gold cases, is breathtakingly beautiful timepiece, and a master class in innovative watchmaking almost 200 years on from the company’s earliest days as it continues with energy afresh as it goes from strength to strength. Price : $104,400.

    Author Bio

    Articles by Johnny McElherron

    CONTRIBUTOR

    Johnny McElherron was busy minding his own business as a successful company director, when one day he fell in love with watches. So deeply that soon after his eureka! moment he established The Watch Press as a vehicle where he could indulge his passion with gusto. What his eye beheld he would write about, in his own unique style, and in time his work penetrated through to numerous national and international mainstream and online publications. Today Johnny creates engaging content for watch industry clients, and in 2014 joined forces with the highly respected watch industry specialists Delos Communications, with whom he works to provide Delos clients with high quality content to ensure no part of their company message gets lost in translation.