H. Moser & Cie.’s flagship launch at Watches & Wonders 2022 is the Pioneer Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton. While the watch combines elements found in past Moser watches, including the trademark fume dial, it does so in an novel manner, resulting in a watch that looks and feels different from the brand’s current offerings.

Initial thoughts

The new Pioneer tourbillon combines familiar elements in a novel manner, resulting in an interesting watch that stands apart from the rest of Moser’s offerings.

Mechanically it is a variant of the calibre found in the Endeavour Cylindrical Tourbillon of 2020. The inclined time display of the earlier model has been eliminated, while the movement has been skeletonised in an unusual step for the brand, which has rarely offered skeleton watches in the past.

Visually, the Pioneer tourbillon is not obviously a Moser at first glance, although the sub-dial at 12 o’clock is in a smoked blue that is associated with Moser. In fact, the styling of the watch brings to mind the skeletonised watches of Jaquet Droz.

Still, the Pioneer tourbillon is interesting and novel enough that its CHF79,000 price tag is fair, putting it amongst the more appealing tourbillons in this affordable(ish) price segment.

A sporty tourbillon

The new Pioneer was conceived as a sports watch with a tourbillon. The Pioneer case is rated to 120 m of water resistance and positioned as Moser’s elegant sports watch (as opposed to the Streamliner that is an out-and-out sports watch).

Time is indicated on a domed sub-dial at 12 o’clock that has the hour markers and hand inserts in Globolight, a type of polymer mixed with Super-Luminova, essentially plastic that glows in the dark.

The new Pioneer tourbillon adopts the hands first seen in the Streamliner

But the key feature is evidently the tourbillon visible at six. Unlike conventional tourbillon regulators that have a flat hairspring, this has a cylindrical hairspring, requiring a tall tourbillon cage to accommodate the height of the hairspring.

Historically found in marine chronometer, a cylindrical hairspring expands and contracts more concentrically than a flat hairspring. As a result, it promises better isochronism and stability.

The main reason Moser is able to offer an exotic hairspring like this is the fact that its sister company is Precision Engineering, a medium-scale maker of hairsprings that supplies a variety of independent brands.

The rest of the HMC 811 is similar to the self-winding tourbillon calibre Moser has used in the past, including in the Endeavour Tourbillon.

Visually, however, it is very different, having been extensively skeletonised. Even the barrel ratchet wheel has been open worked, revealing the coils of the mainspring.

Key Facts and Price

H. Moser & Cie. Pioneer Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton
Ref. 3811-1200

Diameter: 42.8 mm
Height: 11.7 mm excluding crystal
Material: Stainless Steel
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 120 m

Movement: HMC 811
Functions: Hours, minutes, and tourbillon
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 21,600 beats per hour (3 Hz)
Power reserve: 74 hours

Strap: Green alligator strap and complementary black rubber strap with pin buckle

Limited edition: No
Availability: From Moser or its authorised retailers
Price: CHF79,000 before taxes

For more, visit h-moser.com.

Famous for its no-nonsense “tool” watches, Sinn supplied custom-designed chronographs to the tactical unit of Germany’s federal customs agency, ZUZ for short, when the unit was established in 1997. Having reissued the watch in a larger format in 2017, the German watchmaker once again revisits the minimalist chronograph with the EZM 1.1 S conceived for the 25th anniversary of the original.

Limited to 500 pieces, the EZM 1.1 S is essentially identical to the 2017 limited edition, except it has the addition of a black coating on the hardened steel case, resulting in an exceptionally high level of wear resistance.

Initial thoughts

The all-black finish fits the EZM 1.1 perfectly in both style and substance. As far as military-inspired instrument watches go, this is a good one – with a few caveats.

But because it’s identical to the earlier EZM 1.1, it has the same drawbacks, namely size and weight, both of which are slightly excessive. While the original EZM 1 designed for the ZUZ was compact and lightweight, the EZM 1.1 feels like a chunky, heavy watch on the wrist.

At about US$5,500, the EZM 1.1 S is relatively affordable in absolute terms, but fairly pricey for a chronograph powered by Valjoux 7750, albeit one modified to have a central elapsed minutes.

Sinn tech

A large part of the Sinn proposition is its proprietary technology that boosts durability. Being one of the brand’s priciest watches, the EZM 1.1 S boasts almost all of the brand’s innovations, starting with the case that’s treated with Tegiment.

Similar to Kolsterising, it’s a process that hardens the surface of the steel case, resulting in a better bonding with the black coating. The combination of hardening and coating gives the case an impressive degree of scratch-resistant that is similar to that of ceramic.

Another Sinn innovation is the copper sulphate capsule embedded into the side of the case. This absorbs any water that gets into the case, preventing moisture from building up within the case and damaging the movement.

Under the hood is the SZ01, an automatic movement that is actually a Valjoux 7750 (or Sellita equivalent) that has been modified to give it a central elapsed minute hand. It is otherwise identical to the standard 7750 and has a 42-hour power reserve.

Key facts and price

Sinn EZM 1.1 S

Diameter: 43 mm
Height: 16.4 mm
Material: Stainless steel with Tegiment and black coating
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 200 m

Movement: SZ01
Functions: Hours, minutes, central chronograph and date
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 28,800 beats per hour (4 Hz)
Power reserve: 42 hours

Strap: Leather strap, additional rubber strap

Limited edition: 500 pieces 
Availability: From Sinn retailers
Price: US$5,470 before taxes, or €4,980 including VAT

For more, visit Sinn.de.