As part of Watches & Wonders 2021, H. Moser & Cie released a pair of Endeavour Tourbillon Concept watches with Tiger’s Eye stone dials. A somewhat old-school material (that isn’t very easy to source), Tiger’s Eye is a uniquely appropriate material for a brand like Moser to use in such a special piece. I spent some time with the red gold model with the deep red Ox’s Eye dial, though there is also a white gold variant with a blue Falcon’s Eye dial. Limited to 50 pieces each, these are definitely aimed at a very specific type of buyer that appreciates and understands just what Moser is doing.
A few weeks ago, I read another article on this watch that repeatedly claimed that you can’t tell the time on this watch, which is simply not true. Like Moser’s other concept dial watches, there are no markers on the dial, but the hour and minutes hands are there and legible. I have a Moser concept dial of my own, and I can, indeed, tell what time it is.
Anyway, the Endeavour Tourbillon Concept Tiger’s Eye is yet another testament to Moser’s mastery of frivolously (and I mean that in the best way) beautiful watch design. My mind immediately went to some vintage gold Piaget and Rolex watches that used Tiger’s Eye dials, but it seems the stone went out of fashion after the 80s and 90s. There have been some recent watches that utilize Tiger’s Eye, with a Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso from a couple of years back coming to mind. Overall, though, there hasn’t been much in the way of these stone dials, and I hope Moser starts a trend here because I love them. Maybe a non-tourbillon model in the future?
A microcrystalline quartz, Tiger’s Eye has a fibrous finish that glimmers and reveals itself in different ways with just about any movement or change in lighting. This is sort of like a play on Moser’s fumé dials that never appear exactly the same at different glances. I assume that the blue Falcon’s Eye model will be more popular than the Ox’s Eye (“popular” being adjusted for a limited edition of 50 pieces, each priced as much as a Land Cruiser) but there is something about the warm horizontal ribbons of varying lighter and darker shades of red against the red gold case that really give the Ox’s Eye some unique soul.
The one-minute flying tourbillon with in-house double hairspring (this is quite rare) at 6 o’clock is as drool-worthy as the dial, which, in tandem, make for a truly unique horological bauble. Would an uninterrupted dial (sans tourbillon) provide a more cohesive showcase for the Tiger’s Eye? Sure, but I have a feeling that the time and effort it takes to source these stones is, in part, underwritten by the price premium afforded by a tourbillon. Also, beyond the name of the stone, I suppose “Tiger’s Eye” subtly alludes to the tourbillon.
Turning the watch over reveals the HMC 804 movement, which is impressive enough even without the tourbillon. You can see the ceramic bearings on the tourbillon as well as the rotor, with the benefit being that they don’t require lubrication (meaning more time between servicing). There are black polished finishes throughout, as well as the brand’s identifiable double-crested Moser stripes and an 18k red gold rotor. This being one of Moser’s more high-end watches, you’ll also see a gold chaton secured in place by three screws just under the text reading “Switzerland.” The HMC 804 operates at 21,600 vph and has a minimum power reserve of 72-hours.
The case of the Endeavour Tourbillon Concept Tiger’s Eye is done in 18k red gold and measures 40mm-wide, 47.1mm lug-to-lug, and 11.2mm-thick. This is a dress watch, through and through, with the 30M of water resistance to back it up, so try not to get it wet. If you’ve never held an Endeavour in the metal, I highly suggest you do so. With the finely scalloped and polished sections on the case band contrasting with the brushed case, the Endeavour has one of the most attractive dress watch cases out there.
The brooding red stripes of the Ox’s Eye dial are perfectly contrasted with the red gold case. Everything makes sense and comes together naturally (though certainly not effortlessly) in a beautiful way. The H. Moser & Cie Endeavour Concept Tourbillon Tiger’s Eye is limited to 50 pieces in each of the two dial variants and is priced at $75,900. You can learn more at h-moser.com.
