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H. Moser & Cie. released its first minute repeater coupled with a tourbillon in 2019, exposing both complications on the dial. After several iterations, Moser unveiled an impressive, skeletonised take on the double-complication combo earlier this year. Since skeletonisation is often considered a complication in its own right, the triple-complication Endeavour Minute Repeater Cylindrical Tourbillon returns as the Cosmic Rain, a 20-piece titanium edition that pairs extreme mechanical sophistication with an artistic aventurine-and-mother-of-pearl dial designed to recreate a meteor shower.
While tourbillons are regularly featured on the dial side, traditional minute repeaters tend to hide the hammers and gongs on the reverse side of the movement. First seen on Moser’s 2019 version, the dial-side chiming mechanism, with its mirror-polished hammers and gongs, is situated between 9 and 11 o’clock, allowing a view of the hammers in motion as they strike the hours, quarters and minutes on demand.
Pushing the staging to new heights, Moser’s skeletonised version leaves nothing to the imagination. The radical skeletonisation required a complete rethinking of the movement. To avoid interfering with the flying tourbillon and its cylindrical hairspring, the curved gongs had to be positioned on the same plane and filed by hand to attain the correct pitch. If tuning round gongs is already demanding, tuning curved ones is another matter entirely. Hand-finished and decorated with Moser’s hallmark double stripes, the heavily skeletonised bridges and plates reveal a fascinating, three-dimensional mechanical spectacle on the dial. The only solid element in the openworked panorama is the small blue aventurine sub-dial at 2 o’clock for the hours and minutes, the main novelty of this Cosmic Rain edition.
Suggesting the effect of shooting stars across a night sky, the sparkling aventurine glass is traversed with mother-of-pearl inlays. To recreate Moser’s signature fumé gradient dials, two different tones of blue aventurine glass fragments are applied by hand to the domed base and then fired multiple times. Following the firing stage, thin, curved strips of iridescent mother-of-pearl are applied to the cutout areas in the aventurine. The result is a classic fumé dial with a lighter, brighter centre and a darker periphery. With no indices to interfere with the cosmic scenery, time is indicated by leaf-shaped hands.
The one-minute flying tourbillon is fitted with a cylindrical hairspring, a feature borrowed from 18th-century marine chronometers. Produced by Moser’s sister company – Precision Engineering AG – the cylindrical hairspring is shaped by hand. Set in a deep well that receives light from both sides, you can see how the hairspring rises perpendicularly around the upper stem of the balance staff.
Sharing identical specifications with the former edition, Cosmic Rain is housed in a 40mm x 14.4mm titanium case with a hollowed-out middle to create a resonant soundbox. Unlike platinum or gold that absorb sound waves, titanium does not suppress or absorb vibrations. Given its low density yet high rigidity, titanium enhances the volume, clarity and duration of the chimes.
The watch is powered by Moser’s manual-winding HMC 909 calibre. Measuring 33mm x 9.6mm, the movement has 415 components, 35 jewels, a frequency of 21,600vph and delivers a robust 90-hour power reserve.
The watch is paired with a grey nubuck leather strap and a titanium pin buckle. Limited to 20 pieces, the watch is priced at CHF 378,350 including taxes. More information at h-moser.com.
https://monochrome-watches.com/h-moser-cie-endeavour-minute-repeater-cylindrical-tourbillon-skeleton-cosmic-rain-introducing/