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"Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without." - Confucius

H. Moser & Cie. has started 2022 in style – they just presented a limited edition timepiece in two versions, the Endeavour Small Seconds Total Eclipse with a Vantablack® dial and steel case either with steel or with 5N red gold details. The new launch was created in collaboration with The Armoury, a highly specialised menswear brand.

In recent years we have seen more and more collaborations in the (fine) watch world too – with artists, entertainers, athletes and other brands, also from different segments. 

It is already a super popular direction in fashion or other consumer goods – with a good collab a brand is able to reach new – but in many cases similarly affluent or at least ‘aspirational’ – audiences. Some companies are staying in their ‘category’ with the collaborator partner while others are kind of jumping into a new field, like the ‘high fashion meets low fashion’. In the latter case the brands have to be cautious how they handle their reputation – it is a pretty thin margin where the companies can move and see how the cooperation would influence their brand value and prestige. Interesting examples are the H&M collaborations with high-end brands like Balmain, Moschino, Kenzo etc.; Byredo created a limited edition of their cult scented candles with Ikea; or the big luxury and streetwear collaboration between Louis Vuitton and Supreme. 

In fine watchmaking this line could be even more thin – watch companies prefer to pick a brand or a creator who is really on par with their target audience. 

Bulgari presented Octo timepieces with Japanese minimalist architect Tadao Ando in 2019; Zenith brought out the Defy 21 in cooperation with the Argentinean-Spanish artist Felipe Pantone in 2020; Hublot teamed up for Big Bang watches with the prestigious leather maker Berluti or the French sculptor & visual neo-pop artist Richard Orlinski; and Richard Mille co-created a very high-end timepiece with Pharrell Williams – and the list goes on…

H. Moser & Cie seems to be good with collaborations as well. Their co-signed creations with MB&F were among the most talked about and appreciated timepieces in 2020. 

Now they chose a special menswear brand to create a limited edition with – The Armoury. The Armoury was founded in Hong Kong in 2010 by Mark Cho and Alan See. It was born out of their shared passion for classic styling, and their interest in bringing classic tailoring to the modern man, educating him by telling the stories of truly exceptional craftsmen and their products. The Armoury is working together with a select group of artisans from all over the world. Their mission met quite well with Moser’s ‘very rare’ approach and the style of their connoisseur circle. 

Two years after their initial meetings, Edouard Meylan (H.Moser & Cie. CEO) and Mark Cho (The Armoury co-founder) just presented the results – the Endeavour Small Seconds Total Eclipse with a Vantablack® dial and steel case. Known to be the blackest material produced artificially, Vantablack® is the brand name for a relatively new class of super-black coatings, developed by Surrey NanoSystems (learn more about it at the end of this article).

The Endeavour Small Seconds Total Eclipse comes in two versions. One features a steel inner bezel, hour and minute hands, the other has 5N red gold details – each limited to 28 pieces. 

HMoser_1327-1201_Endeavour_Small_Seconds_Total_Eclipse_Detail_
H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Small Seconds Total Eclipse x The Armoury with red gold details

Absolutely everything in this model links back to this quest for ultimate elegance, combining classicism with a contemporary feel,” explains Edouard Meylan, CEO of H. Moser & Cie. “It’s 38- mm diameter is perfectly balanced. We opted for the smallest and finest of our movements, the hand-wound HMC 327 calibre, with an offset small second at 6 o’clock, reminiscent of the pocket-watch style.” 

The new timepieces will be available in The Armoury stores in New York and Hong Kong, as well as on the online sales platforms of both companies. It will come with a pocket handkerchief developed by The Armoury for H. Moser & Cie., providing sophistication and elegance in even the smallest details. 

Photo credits: H. Moser & Cie.
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