H. Moser & Cie.’s only dive watch returns as the Pioneer “Elements of Time”, the result of an unexpected, but not unprecedented, collaboration with Azuki, an anime-inspired NFT, and American retailer The 1916 Company. Unsurprisingly given the digital nature of the collaboration, the watches will only be available online via raffle from Azuki.

Representing the four elements of earth, lightning, fire and water, Elements of Time features engraved fumé dials in four colourways. Each is limited to 24 watches in Pioneer Centre Seconds format, along with one unique Pioneer tourbillon per colour. All variants are titanium, matched with bracelet with the amenities you’d expect from a diver, including a micro-adjust clasp.

Initial Thoughts

While a new Pioneer with a rotating bezel would normally be a major release, you won’t find Elements of Time on Moser’s website. That’s because it’s a collaboration with Azuki, a non-fungible token (NFT). Azuki is Japanese for “red bean”, but Azuki is basically anime-style digital art on the blockchain.

But these are real watches – they can be collected at The 1916 Company’s physical stores – and more notably, sport of the most interesting fumé dials from Moser in a while.

This isn’t Moser’s first foray into the Web 3.0 world. Back in 2022, the brand launched the Endeavour Centre Seconds Genesis, a watch that was essentially a physical QR code. The timing wasn’t the best as it debuted just as the NFT bubble popped.

With the air having gone out of the NFT market, the NFT aspect is incidental to the watches this time around. There is an NFC chip in the warranty card and minimal Azuki branding (in the form of a red bean at 12 o’clock and a case back engraving), which should give the watches broader appeal. In other words, these are appealing watches even absent the NFT connection.

The Endeavour Centre Seconds Genesis. Image – H. Moser & Cie.

As for the watches themselves, they are Moser’s typical fare – well engineered watches with eye-catching minimalist dials, but possibly less refined than traditional haute horlogerie brands. The dearth of traditional dive watches from practitioners of “fine watchmaking”, especially indies, also helps these stand out.

I find the tourbillons most compelling, even if I’m ambivalent towards the genre, as it uses Moser’s trademark double hairsprings. Many Swiss tourbillons in the price range offer the bare minimum, focusing on the theatre of a tourbillon, so it’s good to see something more cerebral.

On a more emotional side, a unique piece from a respected brand has its own appeal, and these are priced significantly below non-unique sports watches with tourbillons from establishment brands like Audemars Piguet and Vacheron Constantin. Another highlight is the slick animated short produced to promote the launch.

Don’t Call it a Diver

The Pioneer with a rotating bezel has already been launched in the past, but it’s a rare breed: only about 200 watches exist across three limited editions, half in 43 mm stainless steel cases and the other in 40 mm titanium cases.

Elements of Time follows the latter template of a compact case, in line with the current trend towards moderate sizes, but with a quartet of novel, textured fumé dials.

Moser won’t admit it, but the Pioneer Center Seconds Rotating bezel is a dive watch, and follows the codes of modern diver with a lumed dial, lumed unidirectional bezel, screw down crown, and metal bracelet.

It does break from convention with a deceptively un-lumed seconds hand and only 120 m of water resistance, which is modest by today’s standards but more than sufficient.

The standard Pioneer is typically strap-borne, but the dive iteration is paired with a simple, “H-link” titanium bracelet that’s nonetheless thoughtful designed. The clasp continues the fluting from the watch’s excavated flanks which helps with visual cohesiveness.

More usefully, the clasp contains a ratcheting quick-adjustment mechanism that’s a much appreciated quality of life feature.

To represent the four classical elements (though with lightning in place of air), Moser gave each colourway its own gradient finish and texture. Water is the standout for me, and prompts memories of swimming to the surface after jumping into a deep pool. The ethereal purple gradient of the lightning dials are another, bristling with a rhombus motif.

Pioneer Centre Seconds and Pioneer Tourbillon Water.

Pioneer Tourbillon and Pioneer Centre Seconds Lightning.

Fire sports a red-to-orange fumé dial with a guilloche meant to evoking dancing flames, while the hobnail pattern on the brown Earth dial elicits images of mountains and sharp rocks.

Pioneer Centre Seconds Fire and Pioneer Tourbillon Earth.

Competent Calibres

On the reverse of the time-only Pioneer is the HMC 200, a technically competent, if industrially decorated, automatic. It winds bidirectionally using the Magic Lever system invented by Seiko but now widely used in Swiss watchmaking. The rotor is base metal, probably tungsten, and not gold, despite the price point.

The HMC 804 powers the tourbillon models and hails from the same movement family, but a 18k red gold rotor along with the flying tourbillon.

Moser is one the few brands across the entire industry, let along independents, making its own “assortment”, namely the escapement, hairspring and balance wheel.

The fruits of its investment in manufacturing are immediately noticeable on the tourbillon, which is equipped with two opposing hairsprings, which theoretically maintain a constant centre of gravity across all vertical positions. The tourbillon assembly is also modular, allowing it to be assembled and serviced separately from the movement, then dropped in, shortening turnaround times.

Key facts and price

H. Moser & Cie. x Azuki Pioneer Centre Seconds “Elements of Time”
Ref. 3200-0504 (fire)
Ref. 3200-0505 (earth)
Ref. 3200-0506 (lightning)
Ref. 3200-0504 (water)

Diameter: 40 mm
Height: 11.4 mm
Material: Titanium
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 120 m

Movement: Cal. HMC 200
Functions: Hours, minutes, and sweep seconds
Frequency: 21,600 beats per hour (3 Hz)
Winding: Automatic
Power reserve: 3 days

Strap: Titanium bracelet with quick adjust clasp

Limited edition: Yes, 24 of each
Availability: Online through Azuki, fulfilled by The 1916 Company
Price: US$25,000

H. Moser & Cie. x Azuki Pioneer Tourbillon “Elements of Time”
Ref. 3804-0501 (fire)
Ref. 3804-0502 (earth)
Ref. 3804-0503 (lightning)
Ref. 3804-0504 (water)

Diameter: 40 mm
Height: 11.4 mm
Material: Titanium
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 120 m

Movement: Cal. HMC 804
Functions: Hours, minutes, and flying tourbillon
Frequency: 21,600 beats per hour (3 Hz)
Winding: Automatic
Power reserve: 3 days

Limited edition: Yes, each is unique
Availability: Online through Azuki, fulfilled by The 1916 Company
Price: US$75,000

For more, visit h-moser.azuki.com.

Louis Erard’s niche is making either watchmakers or techniques affordable – the Gravée Main is hand engraving priced accessibly. The watch is entirely engraved by hand, across the bezel, case, crown, and buckle, with a classical leaf motif by Maksym Shavlak, a watchmaker and engraver from Ukraine.

The resulting look is a blend of Gothic and Baroque, but the underlying watch retains the usual dimensions and movement of Louis Erard, while the dial is glossy black lacquer that evokes fired enamel.

Initial thoughts

I appreciate Louis Erard’s consistent focus on making interesting names or techniques affordable; its recent Damascus steel regulator being an example. Some micro-brands or one-man shops do the same for slightly less, particularly for certain decorative techniques, but without the finesse of Louis Erard. A good deal of credit for this goes to Manuel Emch, who oversees Louis Erard and lends his eye to the brand’s creations.

The Gravée Main sits squarely in the sweet spot where Louis Erard excels. Admittedly, the ornate look is not for everyone, some might even find it tacky. But I like it; the look is appealing and the execution shows attention to detail.

The tone-on-tone lacquered dial is a smart complement to the elaborate case. And that attention to detail is also evident in the engraving, which continues onto both the crown and buckle, which are sometimes overlooked.

Price-wise the Gravée Main is pricier than the typical Louis Erard limited edition, but still well priced for what it is. In fact, the Gravée Main is competitive with micro-brand offerings, underlining its value proposition.

Hand engraved

Translating as “hand engraved”, gravée main describes the watch succinctly. The decoration is the work of Maksym Shavlak, who is both watchmaker and engraver, but is only responsible for the engraved decoration of the Gravée Main.

The stainless steel case is the usual Louis Erard design in both size and style, but here it’s engraved on almost all surfaces. The bezel, case sides, lugs, and crown are engraved in relief with a leaf motif, as are the sides of the pin buckle.

Because the case is the standard Louis Erard size, it is a little large at 42 mm and over 12 mm high. But the dark colours should leave it looking a bit smaller than comparable watches with brighter dials.

While the case is over the top, the dial is almost minimalist with an all-black lacquered finish. It echoes the Gothic style of the case, but the lack of colour gives it a restrained aesthetic.

The only part of the case that is not hand engraved is the back, which is something of a missed opportunity. Even though the back doesn’t need decorative engraving, the lettering could have been applied by hand.

The sapphire window is tinted grey, so the movement is not entirely visible – but that’s not altogether a bad thing since the movement is a no-frills Sellita. It’s a good performer for a watch in this price range, but not something to admire visually.

Key Facts and Price

Louis Erard Gravée Main
Ref. 34237GA82.BVAG170

Diameter: 42 mm
Height: 12.25 mm
Material: Stainless steel
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 50 m

Movement: SW261-1
Functions: Hours, minutes, and seconds
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 28,800 beats per hour (4 Hz)
Power reserve: 38 hours

Strap: Calf leather with engraved pin buckle

Limited edition: 99 pieces
Availability: Direct from Louis Erard online
Price: CHF5,450 excluding taxes

For more, visit Louiserard.com.