When it comes to dial materials, we?re the most familiar with brass, as those are the blanks that make up many dials. They?re often painted or coated (enamels being a lovely option) but that?s not all there is. When you get into the semi-precious stones, then some amazing looks can be achieved. While I?m fond of mother-of-pearl, the starry-night effect you can get from aventurine is another top favorite. Recently, the Moser Endeavour Perpetual Moon Concept Aventurine, and I was simultaneously smitten and irritated.
I?ll admit, it?s an irrational irritation, and one due to simply not having the finances available to have one of these lovely pieces on the wrist. That said, they?re a thing of beauty and I?d much rather that they exist in the world (and being unattainable) rather than something like them to not exist.
For the Moser Endeavour Perpetual Moon Concept Aventurine, they chose the perfect complication – the moon phase. Setting the moon into a dial that looks like a deep starry night just makes sense. Though, moon phases can sometimes be finicky to keep accurate, particularly on a manually-wound watch such as this one. Well, the movement itself is perpetual, so it will be accurate (on the moon phase) up to 1027 years (with only a single day deviation). That?s all great, but what if you run the movement down?
Well, you see, the Moser Endeavour Perpetual Moon Concept Aventurine has an impressive 7-day power reserve. And frankly, if you?re not wearing this at least once a week, I don?t know why you would even have purchased it, frankly. Those two stats – the perpetual accuracy and power reserve – show that for as ?simple? as the dial side is, there?s a lot of technical knowhow hiding in that movement.
Not surprisingly – especially once you consider the limited quantities of the watch being made – the prices are also somewhere, well, a bit more atmospheric than we normally cover. The steel version comes in at $35,000, while the 5N red gold variant goes for $39,900. While this is not a watch I?ll ever afford, I truly enjoy the fact that it exists in the world, bringing beauty to someones wrist somewhere. That, and it reinforces my ardent belief that I truly need to find something (perhaps cufflinks, if not a watch) that has aventurine used in it. h-moser.com
Watch Overview
- Brand & Model: Moser Endeavour Perpetual Moon Concept Aventurine
- Price: $35,000 (steel) / $39,900 (5N Red Gold)
- Who we think it might be for: You are truly enamored with the night sky, and want to carry it with you, even in the daylight
- Would I buy one for myself based on what I?ve seen? If wishes were fishes?
- If I could make one design suggestion, it would be:Not sure how this particular design could be improved?
Tech Specs from H. Moser & Cie
- References
- Reference 1801-0402, 5N red gold model, aventurine dial, black alligator leather strap, limited edition of 50 pieces
- Reference 1801-1201, steel model, aventurine dial, midnight blue alligator leather strap, limited edition of 50 pieces
- Case
- 18-carat 5N red gold or steel
- Diameter: 42.0 mm, height: 13.1 mm
- Sapphire crystal
- Screw-in crown adorned with an ?M?
- Dial
- Aventurine
- Leaf-shaped hour and minute hands
- Centre seconds hand and 24-hour hand
- Moon phase window
- Movement
- Hand-wound HMC 801 Manufacture calibre
- Diameter: 34.0 mm or 15 lignes, height: 6.5 mm
- Frequency: 18,000 Vib/h
- 28 jewels and screwed gold mounts
- Power reserve: minimum 7-day with a double barrel
- Bevelled ring and Moser teeth for all wheels and pinions
- Interchangeable Moser escapement
- Original Straumann Hairspring?
- Traditional screw balance wheel with gold adjusting screws
- Gold escapement wheel and pallet fork
- Functions
- Hours and minutes
- Central seconds hand with hacking seconds
- 24-hour display
- Very large moon phase display window
- Power reserve indicator on movement side
- Moon phase adjuster push-button on the case flank
- Strap
- Hand-stitched black or midnight blue alligator leather
- 18-carat 5N red gold or steel pin buckle engraved with the Moser logo
