H Moser & Cie and The Armoury Collaborate on the Endeavour Small Seconds Total Eclipse
Two minimal watches, each limited to 28 pieces, that feature a light-absorbing Vantablack dial
Swiss luxury watch manufacture H Moser & Cie has built a reputation for making minimal timepieces that are profoundly expressive. Often, it’s because of an unexpected detail or eccentric finish. For their recent collaboration with international menswear brand The Armoury, the most alluring attribute happens to be an eye-catching (and light-absorbing) dial composed of Vantablack, the darkest human-made material ever.
Known as the Endeavour Small Seconds Total Eclipse, this collaborative wristwatch was developed as two variations, each limited to 28 pieces: one in steel and another in steel with a contrasting 5N red-gold inner bezel and hands. Though all of these sold out (as is often the case with covetable limited edition watches in the annual release cycle), Moser’s latest masterpiece warrants attention for the way they’ve once again demonstrated that minimal need not mean basic.
In opposition to the Vantablack dial, Moser couples together the geometries of classic Breguet hands with petite circular inset indices that reveal the contrasting dial plate underneath. Further, the model includes a thoughtful seconds sub-dial. Per The Armoury’s request, Moser reduced the case diameter of their beloved Endeavor style to an even more refined 38mm for this collaboration.
Inside the slender 9.9mm thick mechanical watch, Moser’s hand-wound HMC 327 movement powers all functional elements. This manufacture calibre component is visible, along with a power reserve indicator, through the sapphire crystal exposition caseback.
Though both are impressive, a deeper conceptual conversation occurs with the 5N red-gold variant of the Endeavour Small Seconds Total Eclipse because the interior ring brings a warm glow to the edges of the void-like dial. In fact, for the development of this timepiece, Moser imagined the corona of the sun visible during a total solar eclipse. On one level, it’s an elegant wristwatch, on another, it’s delivering a discourse on the nature light.
Images courtesy of H. Moser & Cie
