Before the advent of the Streamliner, the Pioneer collection was the sporty face of H. Moser & Cie. To put in simple terms, it is a more masculine, casual, chunky iteration of what you typically see from Moser that isn’t a Streamliner. It’s not just the looks, of course; the Pioneer is indeed water-resistant to a respectable 120 metres. Despite its sporty, amphibious nature, Moser have had no qualms in including high complications in past models like the Pioneer Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton or Pioneer Perpetual Calendar.
H. Moser & Cie. Pioneer Retrograde Seconds
This year, H. Moser & Cie. have introduced yet another Pioneer model with an uncommon, highly animated complication. The good news: it’s not another tourbillon (a complication that predominates the collection). Here, we bring you the details and our honest thoughts on the new Pioneer Retrograde Seconds.
The Case, Dial, and Hands
The stainless steel case of the new Pioneer Retrograde Seconds is exactly what you’d expect it to be: the same design since inception, 42.8 mm diameter, and water resistant up to 120 m. It is a whopping 14.2mm thick, and over 3mm of that is from the domed sapphire crystal. The key design highlight of the Pioneer case are the four indents on the flanks that span towards the distal end of each lug. The bottom of these indents are ribbed for visual pleasure as they offer textural contrast relative to the polished case band and bezel.
The Pioneer Retrograde Seconds comes with multiple strap (leather, rubber, textile) and bracelet options.
As nuanced as the case is, it is the watch face that steals the show. You know it is going to be great when the most pedestrian bit of the front end is the mesmerising Midnight Blue fumé dial. So as to not distract from the beauty of the dial, the logo at 12 o’clock is rendered in transparent lacquer. The hours and minutes are indicated by openworked leaf hands coated with luminescent material, along with faceted appliques on the perimeter. Telling the seconds is where the fun begins. Instead of an old-school seconds sub-dial or boring centre seconds, the Pioneer Retrograde Seconds indicates the seconds in 30-second chunks by means of a retrograde hand. Let’s be honest for a second here: while the retrograde seconds display is fairly original and very entertaining, it isn’t exactly intuitive to read. But that’s why Moser has chosen the less uptight, more casual Pioneer to host this complication; this is absolutely the kind of complication you want on the Pioneer.
From the retrograde seconds display to the radiant fumé dial, not a millimetre of the watch’s visage is dull.
The Movement
Driving the new Pioneer Retrograde Seconds is the 31-jewel Calibre HMC 250. The automatic movement is based on Moser’s fully in-house Calibre HMC 201, enhanced by a retrograde seconds module developed by collaborators Agenhor SA. The movement has a minimum power reserve of three days and operates at a stately 3 Hz frequency. The highlight of the Calibre HMC 250 is, of course, the retrograde mechanism, which utilises a double snail cam that allows the seconds hand to reset every 30 seconds. Importantly, a two-toned disc beneath the snail indicates whether the watch is in the first or second 30-second period of the cycle.
The Calibre HMC 250 as seen through the sapphire crystal case back.
Moser timepieces are often memorable because of their gorgeous dials, but don’t let that distract you from fully appreciating the business end which has always been well-finished – the Calibre HMC 250 is no exception. The aesthetics of the retrograde seconds bridge is deeply reminiscent of the brand’s emblematic tourbillon bridge. It is brushed on the top surface with its edges beveled and polished. The other bridges at the back are decorated with the brand’s own variation of Geneva waves with their edges also beveled and polished. Other decorations applied to the movement include the openworking of the winding mass, perlage on the base plate, mirror polishing of the screw heads and circular graining of wheels.
A two-toned disc beneath the snail differentiates the 30-second periods in each cycle.
The Competitive Landscape
Retrograde displays, especially for day and date complications, are fairly common today as they are a fun and cost effective way to add some degree of animation to a dial. The retrograde seconds, in contrast, is much, much rarer – and funner, especially when the mechanism responsible for it is visible dial-side like in the Pioneer Retrograde Seconds. The interesting design and mechanics, along with the competitive pricing of CHF19,900 is what makes the Pioneer Retrograde Seconds stand out.
As one of Moser’s sportier timepieces, the Pioneer Retrograde Seconds is expectedly assertive in appearance and size.
For something showcasing a retrograde display, but a little bit more fancy, look no further than the Blancpain Villeret Tourbillon Heure Sautante Minutes Rétrograde. This watch is one of Blancpain’s most animate, featuring a flying tourbillon, a jumping digital hour, and of course, a retrograde minutes display. Sure, it’s not as fast moving as the retrograde seconds, but the tourbillon and jumping hour more than make up for it. There is nothing else on the white enamel dial save for the brand logo, allowing the three technical complications to bask in the limelight. The red gold variant of the watch (pictured below) is currently priced at USD166,800.
The Blancpain Villeret Tourbillon Heure Sautante Minutes Rétrograde in red gold.
Another alternative for retrograde fiends that bears mentioning is none other than the Patrimony Retrograde Day-Date. This gorgeous piece by Vacheron Constantin features double the retrograde action, albeit at a slower pace. The most recent iteration of the model is fitted with a charming salmon dial with contrasting blue print for the day and date displays. Price is only available upon request but expect it to be around EUR70,000 thanks to its platinum casing and superior finissage.
The Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Retrograde Day-Date in platinum.
Final Thoughts
The H. Moser & Cie. Pioneer Retrograde Seconds is for those who are tired of boring. There is plenty to be excited about, whether it’s the interesting case design, the shimmer of the fumé dial or the relentless movement of the retrograde hand. That last part might feel repetitive after a while, but until then it’s going to provide ample entertainment.
