While a minimalist perpetual calendar may seem like an oxymoron, H. Moser & Cie, the enfant terrible of haute horology, has been working to simplify them. Following the release of its simple Endeavour Perpetual Calendar and annotated “perpetual calendar for dummies,” the Swiss watch manufacturer has pared it back further with an ultra-minimalist iteration of the watch. Notably, the new piece introduces the use of a tantalum case, marking the first time H. Moser & Cie. has used this metal.
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The H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Perpetual Calendar Tantalum Blue Enamel features the brand’s signature use of enamelling, with a vibrant ‘abyss’ blue enamel dial enhanced by a hammered texture and finished with a fumé (gradient) effect. To achieve the grand feu enamel dial championed by the Swiss watch manufacturer, a pattern is first engrained onto a gold base before four colour pigments are washed, finely crushed, and applied to create an ombré effect. The pigments are applied one by one to allow the colours to oxidise and meld together in the furnace without pixelation. A total of twelve firings is required to create the finished translucent grand feu dial.
Allowing the finesse and craftsmanship of the dial to shine through, the H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Perpetual Calendar Tantalum Blue Enamel is completely devoid of extraneous visuals. While perpetual calendars are known for their complex movements, the Endeavour Perpetual Calendar Tantalum Blue Enamel is a hyper-minimalist release, removing all subdials and even the brand logo from the dial.
Only the indices at 6 o’clock and 12 o’clock remain, along with a date window at 3 o’clock, power reserve at 9 o’clock, and small seconds at 6 o’clock. There’s also a minuscule hand at the centre to indicate the month. Visible through the caseback is the in-house hand-wound HMC 800 manufacture calibre which beats at 18,000 vibrations per hour and offers 7 days of power reserve.
The slim 42mm case is crafted from tantalum, a highly dense and extremely strong anti-corrosive metal that’s more commonly applied to spacecraft than timepieces. For Edouard Meylan, CEO of H Moser & Cie., the desire to use tantalum was a personal one. “When I was 18, my parents gave me my first Haute Horology watch, which was made from tantalum,” explained Meylan. “Ever since then, I have dreamed of introducing this metal at H. Moser & Cie., in spite of the challenges it poses. It took more than two years of testing before we were able to polish the surfaces of our case, a feat that few have been able to match, with most preferring to sandblast or satin-finish tantalum”.
Presented on a kudu leather strap, the Endeavour Perpetual Calendar Tantalum Blue Enamel is priced at approx. $120,000AUD (75,000CHF) and available via the H. Moser & Cie. webstore.
Word by John Deckard
