After introducing the amusingly quirky Endeavour Centre Seconds X Seconde/Seconde/ last week, H. Moser and Cie. continues with its minimalist approach to design in a more serious-minded manner with the Endeavour Tourbillon Concept Tiger’s Eye.

Available in two variants each with equally stunning natural stone dials – blue Falcon’s Eye and reddish-brown Ox’s Eye – the new tourbillon features rich colours and textures that are a departure from Moser’s conventional aesthetic. Both dials are variants of Tiger’s Eye, the quartz mineral best known as golden brown but also found in other colours. Being a natural material with a prominent grain, each dial, and consequently each watch, is technically unique.

The Ox’s Eye variant, with a red dial and red gold case.

Initial thoughts

The new tourbillon is based on an existing reference, which is already a mesmerising watch. However, for those seeking something different from the usual fume dials that’s still quintessentially Moser, the Tiger’s Eye certainly fits the bill.

Mineral stone dials were the in-thing in the 1970s and 1980s – often found in with ultra-thin watches on mesh bracelets – and seem to be enjoying a resurgence today. But few have implemented semiprecious stones as beautifully as Moser has here, with its signature minimalist look providing the perfect canvas for the unique natural material.

I find both variants equally attractive. The Falcon’s Eye is more contemporary in its blue and white gold combination – blue is now a colour du jour – and also more stylistically versatile in its cool colours. However, the Ox’s Eye has a je ne sais quoi that is deeply appealing – its rich colours possess a true old-school charm.

The Falcon’s Eye – more contemporary, and likely more popular

Priced at US$75,900 in either colour, the new Tiger’s Eye tourbillon costs slightly more than the standard model, but the increase is justified considering the semiprecious stone dial, particularly the difficulty of obtaining a large enough piece of mineral with colours and grain that are just right.

Eye of the Tiger

The dial of the Tiger’s Eye tourbillon is crafted from a variety of microcrystalline quartz, which is formed from amosite, a fibrous mineral. Its shimmering surface is the result of a process known as pseudomorphosis, where the fibres of amosite are partially replaced by silica, which then creates delicate layers in the material.

In typical Moser fashion, the dial is free of logos and indices. Despite the lack of applied details, the dial is still eye-catching in its natural beauty, balanced by the mechanical beauty of the flying tourbillon at six o’clock.

Beating inside the Tiger’s Eye tourbillon is the in-house HMC 804, an automatic with a three-day power reserve that features the Straumann double hairspring found in Moser’s top of the line watches.

Two hairsprings are superimposed above one another, but with their respective coils extending in opposite directions, such that each spring’s centre of gravity mirrors the other. According to Moser, this reduces variations due to gravity, improving isochronism and thus accuracy.

The movement also is equipped with an 18k red gold rotor, and decorated in usual Moser fashion with Cotes de Geneve of alternating widths.

Key Facts and Price

H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Tourbillon Concept Tiger’s Eye
Ref. 1804-0222 (Falcon’s Eye)
Ref. 1804-0401 (Ox’s Eye)

Diameter: 40 mm
Height: 11.2 mm
Material: White gold (Falcon’s Eye) or red gold (Ox’s Eye)
Crystal: Sapphire

Movement: HMC 804
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, flying tourbillon
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 21,600 beats per hour (3 Hz)
Power reserve: 72 hours

Strap: Alligator leather

Limited edition: 50 pieces for each variant
Availability: From H.Moser & Cie. online and authorised retailers
Price: US$75,900

For more, visit h-moser.com.