H. Moser & Cie. is a master when it comes to its vivid purple and red watches by now. The violet fumé has been the center of of its Endeavour models, namely the Centre Seconds Concept, Tourbillon Concept “Purple Haze”, the sporty Streamliner, and even executing its first Grand Feu enamel dial in purple for Singapore retailer Sincere Fine Watches to commemorate its 70th anniversary.

Their red fumé dials are a lot more spirited, typically taking on a fire-engine red hue that graduates to black along the periphery. This has been done for the Pioneer Centre Seconds, Streamliner Tourbillon, and in the LM101 with MB&F back in 2020. (Also that Swiss Cheese watch, but you know, that was from another time.)

Now bring that color to the middle, and we’ve got burgundy, which Moser introduces for the first time in its Pioneer Tourbillon in a smoked fashion. It may be a cosmetic change, yet this colorful focus has resulted in a watch that rather nicely embodies Moser’s ethos, which is high-end yet low-profile.

A new burgundy color turns the Pioneer Tourbillon effortlessly elegant

Unlike red or pink, burgundy is not a common color in watchmaking. The darker shade tones down the flashy feel of its lighter counterpart, resulting in a palette reminiscent of royal or old-money elegance. For those who appreciate a touch of color while maintaining sophistication, this is the shade to watch for.

And with Moser’s quintessential fumé finish, with its edges darkened to almost black, the dial creates a mysterious and captivating look. It quite effectively conveys the feel of a luxury watch — making it clear that it’s nothing like those in-your-face colourful lacquer dials — in a quiet manner.

While Moser has done the fumé effect with many of its watches, the burgundy dial feels especially effective in conveying this philosophy. The burgundy colour has been used on a few other models like the Endeavour, but for the Pioneer, it’s a first.

Notably, the logo is rendered in the same colour as the dial, so from a distance the watch appears logo-free. Those who know Moser instantly recognise it — the design language has become the brand itself. A subtle logo cleans the dial, whereas an obvious one would be too predictable and undermine the sense of quiet luxury. 

The Pioneer is technically Moser’s very first sports watch, arriving even before the Streamliner. And the difference between the two is that the Pioneer is more of a sporty-elegant watch, a crossover that can cater to more situations.

Typically, a watch with a tourbillon would only be worn on occasion, yet the Pioneer, being 40mm wide and 12mm tall, is relatively compact and is entirely capable of being a daily driver. The case, as is typical of a Pioneer, is rated to 120m water resistantance. How often do you find a tourbillon in such a case? And of course, the watch is fully “lumed”.

But of course, the case design also plays a key role in conveying its sporty-elegant style. The design is simple yet clearly luxurious, with refined curves. Its flanks are quite handsome, with a carved-out detail reminiscent of a car grille, while the red gold material completes the classy look.

All the dial and case design is impressive, but the watch wouldn’t look as cool without the tourbillon, which adds dynamism to the dial while being technically fascinating. While flying tourbillons are common nowadays, this one is different.

Despite the styling upgrades, Moser didn’t cut any corners with its tourbillon — it still features the signature double hairspring. This rare setup, with two hairsprings working in opposite directions, cancels out the irregular breathing and gravitational errors typical of a single hairspring, resulting in a more concentric oscillation.

Interestingly, the flying tourbillon is designed as a modular assembly, so the entire unit can be swapped out easily during service, saving time and potentially increasing precision compared to repairing a worn-out mechanism.

The hairspring is produced by sister company Precision Engineering AG, which also supplies the twin hairspring setup to high-end brands like independent watchmaker Laurent Ferrier.

On the movement front, the HMC 805 is essentially a facelift of the HMC 804. It’s more skeletonised to offer a better view into its mechanics. The rotor is now essentially just frames, and some of the bridges have been hollowed out.

Finishing remains quintessentially Moser, with all visible parts treated with a precise, somewhat industrial touch rather than an overtly haute horlogerie level. Still, it is undoubtedly luxurious, thanks to the double striping on the base plate and the black polished components on the tourbillon. 

Tech Specs: H. Moser & Cie. Pioneer Tourbillon Burgundy

Movement: Automatic-winding HMC 805; 72-hour power reserve
Functions: Hours and minutes; flying tourbillon
Case: 40mm × 12mm; 18K red gold; water resistant to 120m
Strap: Black rubber bracelet