H. Moser Introduces their Latest Take on Fumé with a Lime Green Enamel Dialed Endeavour

Moser’s stock has risen considerably in the world of high end independent watchmaking over the last few years largely on the strength of their excellent fumé dials. It’s tough to really set yourself apart in the dial game in this competitive watch market, but seeing is believing, and there’s a drama and “wow” factor in the way Moser does fumé that is tough to ignore, and it has served them extremely well. Their latest watch, the Endeavour Centre Seconds Lime Green, is a new take on the fumé dials enthusiasts have become familiar with, adding another layer of craft into the process. 

What we have here is a new watch in a stainless steel Endeavour case measuring 40mm. The star of the show here is the dial, a bright lime green with a hammered texture and no hour or minute markers, or branding, of any kind (in Moser terms, this is what is referred to as a “Concept” dial). The dial is “Grand Feu” enamel, made in the traditional way with some modern updates to achieve Moser’s desired aesthetic. 

To create the dial, Moser starts with a gold base with a distinctive hammered texture. Before the dial is fired, a series of green pigments (3 in total) are applied by hand to achieve the fumé effect, characterized here by a green that’s bright and vibrant at the dial’s center, and transitions to darker and darker tones, until finally it’s void of black at the dial’s perimeter. This work, according to Moser, is particularly painstaking, and requires real skill to set the pigments so that the end result has a coherent and smooth smoked look. Each dial is fired 12 times in total, and no two dials wind up looking exactly the same, which is the charm of the enameling process.

At 40mm in diameter and 11.2mm thick, the Endeavour is a more formal watch than the Pioneer I reviewed last year, and I think you could make a case that this is really where Moser’s sweet spot is. This is a finely made watch with a wearable and elegant case design, and a dial that is completely contemporary in its design, but uses traditional craft techniques in its execution. Moser has worked hard to cultivate an image in the watch community as a “disruptor” (whatever that means), and while there’s nothing provocative per se about this new piece, it’s certainly not stodgy or hyper traditional. 

The movement, as you’d expect, is immaculately finished and likely meets most enthusiasts’ definition of haute horlogerie, with a custom made balance produced by Moser’s sister company, Precision Engineering AG. The balance is equipped with a double hairspring and is highlighted by a blued balance bridge, which contrasts sharply with the deep double striping across the movement’s large plate. It has a total of three days of power. It’s also worth noting that this one includes a running seconds hand posted at the center (in purple), so it’s theoretically possible to synchronize this watch exactly with a reference time signal at the top of the hour, even without traditional hour and minute markers (if you have a sharp eye, that is).

The Endeavour Centre Seconds Concept Lime Green has a retail price of $27,600. H. Moser