H. Moser & Cie gave watch lovers a little surprise this week introducing its first sports watch, the Pioneer
Centre Seconds.
The Pioneer Centre Seconds
It’s an interesting although not entirely unexpected move by the brand best known for its ultra-refined, high-end watches. Sports watches not only bring further legitimacy to a brand but they also broaden its appeal due to the generally lower price points. So far H. Moser & Cie have been focussing on a pretty exclusive sub-set of the market and so the new Pioneer Centre Seconds should help them attract new buyers.
That’s the theory anyway but for this first model I am not entirely convinced that it will play out like that in reality. The reason being is that this watch is very much in the same vein as everything else we’ve seen from Moser so far, including the price point. Not that there’s anything wrong with that mind you, after all the company does make gorgeous watches.
Presented in a 42.8mm x 15mm thick case crafted mostly from 18k red gold with some strategic DLC-coated titanium inserts on the flanks and lugs for that sporty look, the Pioneer Centre Seconds is the largest, chunkiest watch from the brand to date. That being said, by present day standards its proportions are still remarkably subdued, a fact that does not go unappreciated.
There are three dial variations to choose from, including two that feature Moser’s trademark graduated fumé finish – available in red gold or dark grey depending your tastes. Of course if you want something a little more understated – it is supposed to be a sports watch after all – then the third, simple silvered finish option may be for you.
To be honest there is nothing particular remarkable about the dial of the Pioneer Centre Seconds other than that it features a very clean design. I do like how Moser has used Super-Luminova dots around the flange of the dial at each hour marker, as opposed to making the markers themselves luminous which sometimes looks a little inelegant. Obviously you’re not going to get the same night-time legibility as other sports watches but it gets the job done. Plus the dial only displays the time, so I’m sure this will be sufficient.
Bringing the Pioneer Centre Seconds to life is the calibre HMC 230, an in-house, automatic movement that offers a healthy three day power reserve. The movement has been finished in a black galvanic coating with red gold gilding and pairs nicely with the similar color scheme of the case. The case is rated as water-resistant to 120m and has been fitted to a rubber strap, again I assume to enhance the ‘sporty feel’ of the watch.
All in all the Pioneer Centre Seconds is a pretty solid, if a little underwhelming, sports-style watch from a brand that is known for making good quality, simple looking watches fitted with in-house movements. Personally it wouldn’t be my first choice for this type of watch, especially at the price point – expected to be around US$24,000 for the red gold version – but I am sure that Moser will introduce a steel version at some point in the near future in a more attractive price bracket.
For more details check out the H. Moser & Cie website.
