Watches & Wonders hasn’t started yet, but I think we can safely identify the first honest to goodness trend: brands exhibiting at the show announcing new watches ahead of the big event. We saw it last week with Czapek, and now H. Moser is following suit with what I think can be fairly described as a Watches & Wonders apéritif. The Swiss indie has just announced a pair of watches in their Pioneer line in two distinct shades of green. One is a long awaited new entry in the Pioneer’s 40mm case, and the other is the latest example of Moser’s signature “Concept” dial.
First up is the Pioneer Centre Seconds Concept Citrus Green. If you’re unfamiliar with Moser’s Concept dials, they are devoid of markings and visible branding on the dial, and a showcase for whatever color, texture, or design Moser is interested in showcasing for a given watch. It’s a design principle that has become Moser’s signature, and while it’s certainly not for everyone, fans of the brand admire their commitment to showing off what are often vibrant colors and letting a stripped down aesthetic speak for itself.
The Citrus Green colorway has a dramatic green fumé effect, with the shade at the center appearing yellow while growing to a darker green shade as we move to the perimeter. This reference is in the larger 42.8mm steel Pioneer case, which is water resistant to 120 meters. The Streamliner notwithstanding, the Pioneer is the closest thing Moser makes to a true sports watch, and the imposing size of the nearly 43mm case offers a wrist presence that’s in direct contrast to the far more subdued and conservative cases found in the brand’s dress watch lines.
In addition to the Citrus Green watch seen here, Moser is also expanding their offerings in the 40mm Pioneer range by a single watch, the Pioneer Center Seconds Cosmic Green. The smaller 40mm case size was frequently requested by collectors, and ever since Moser unveiled a pair of watches in this new smaller size last year, enthusiasts have been wondering where the next 40mm Pioneer would turn up. The answer is here, right before Watches & Wonders, and in a green execution that is darker (literally and figuratively) than its Citrust Green counterpart. This dial has an altogether more serious feel to it, and is notably not a Concept dial as it does include faceted hour markers. That said, branding is kept to a minimum, with the Moser wordmark found in an intentionally easy to overlook transparent lacquer.
Both of the new Pioneers run on the HMC 201 automatic caliber, which has a three day power reserve and beats at a relatively old-fashioned 21,600 Vib/h. The 40mm watch measures 10.4mm tall without the crystal, and 12mm tall including what is a fairly heavily domed sapphire. On the larger watch the dome is even more pronounced: case height without the crystal is 10.6mm, and with the crystal it’s 14.2mm. Both variants are also available on rubber, textile, or alligator straps, and there’s a steel bracelet option for each as well.
The new Pioneers, in different green executions and case sizes, share a retail price of $15,900. H. Moser
