ReviewH. Moser’s New Enamel Perpetual Calendar Represents Watchmaking Achievements Aplenty

If there’s one thing that successful high-end watch manufacturers really know to do, it would be: playing to their strengths and being able to hold onto the audience’s interest in their products and their achievements. In the realm of fine watchmaking, identity is everything, and especially so with accomplishments that you are recognised for. If you strike gold, you want to keep digging until you know there is no more gold to be found. Not to say that you must exhaust a gold mine’s potential at the earliest. An achievement in the field of watchmaking can be the gift that keeps on giving, but only if you know how to pace it out and keep things fresh, and add new touches every time you revisit what’s worked in the past. That’s exactly what H. Moser & Cie. have managed to do with their award-winning perpetual calendar complication. Since the Moser Perpetual 1 won the ‘complicated watch prize’ at the 2006 GPHGs (the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève—watchmaking’s greatest honour), the brand have excelled at presenting their perpetual calendar in various avatars, but retaining its identity throughout. And after all the editions we’ve seen—from the neo-classical Concept editions to the sportier Pioneer—here we have a far more traditional rendition of their signature complication, in the form of the Heritage Perpetual Calendar Midnight Blue Enamel.

At first glance, the watch looks like a perfectly beautiful classical timepiece, with smooth features, graceful elements and a silhouette that’s quite agreeable. Even the shades of blue used are not very offbeat, and are quite consistent with traditional watchmaking hues. Little details such as the choice of a sans-serif font for the Roman numeral hour markers may lend the design a hint of modernity, but, overall, it’s very traditional, with elements like the railroad chapter ring and the swallow-tail-style hands. Even the very unorthodox perpetual calendar and power reserve indicator blend into the design, maintaining their subtlety just as H. Moser’s previous renditions of these complications have in the past.

The Richness Of Enamel

Despite its very clean and crisp design, the Heritage Perpetual Calendar might just be one of the most resplendent timepieces in which the GPHG-winning complication makes an appearance. Taking traditional watchmaking a step further is the age-old and time-honoured craft of enamelling used in this watch. The richness and depth of the dial’s hue can be attributed to its grand feu enamel. One of many forms of enamel work that are used in fine watchmaking, ‘grand feu’ directly translates to ‘big fire’ in French, and is a reference to the extreme heat used to bake these dials as part of their production process. Enamel is technically a type of glass that is made from silica, red lead and soda—and other materials that lend it colour—and is given a vitreous glaze by subjecting it to high heat. When temperatures go close to 1,200°C, the enamel liquefies and bonds with the metal it’s on, and when that cools, it becomes a hard material that can retain its gloss and hue for centuries even. Grand feu enamelling in watches, in particular, can be traced back to the 17th century.

Nothing can really beat the depth and sheen of an enamel dial. And H. Moser have done really well with this one, owing to the use of midnight blue, and particularly sticking to their signature fumé or ‘smoked’ gradient

Nothing can really beat the depth and sheen of an enamel dial. And H. Moser have done really well with this one, owing to the use of midnight blue, and particularly sticking to their signature fumé or ‘smoked’ gradient. It adds to the richness of the display, and the white markers juxtaposed against this intense backdrop really do bring the watch to life with the contrast created. All this is protected by the sapphire crystal glass. However, the stunning dial is not all. Take a closer look, and you’ll see that the sides of the case, or the casebands feature enamel inserts as well, and in a more vibrant form at that, with their engraved geometrical pattern, which adds a nuanced appeal and subtle resplendence to the overall visual impact of the timepiece.

Take a closer look, and you’ll see that the sides of the case, or the casebands feature enamel inserts as well, and in a more vibrant form at that, with their engraved geometrical pattern, which adds a nuanced appeal and subtle resplendence to the overall visual impact of the timepiece

Heritage Gold

Framing not just the casebands, but even the dial itself quite perfectly, is pristine white gold—known for its sublime appeal and unmatched sheen. At 42mm, the case is not all that large, and is treated in a very traditional way, with the finishing and the curves of the bezel. In fact, the wired lugs are even reminiscent of old pocket watches, which were converted to wrist instruments by welding wire onto the cases in order to help with strapping them on. However, all these details are elements seen more recently in a 2016 edition of the Heritage Perpetual Calendar. In that edition, in fact, there was a decorative cloisonné-enamelled cover that could be opened using a push-piece on the crown. Aside from these elements, the design of this edition is pretty much the same as that one, including the crown.

Signature Functionality

Adorned with the Moser ‘M’, and notched like watch crowns of yore, the crown here is actually quite advanced, as it can be used to set the calendar functions in both directions. This is thanks to the HMC 800 manual-winding calibre, which also has a ‘flash calendar’ functionality that allows the date at three o’clock on the dial to change instantaneously at midnight every day. And this holds true even for the date change when it must switch from the 28th, 29th or 30th of the month to the 1st of the following month, as any good perpetual calendar should. The most ingenious part of the display is the month indication though, with the short, stunted hand at the centre, which points to the 12 hour markers that double as month markers. And on the other side, at nine o’clock, is a very minimalistic power reserve indicator. Though one would hardly need to look at it, as long as the watch is wound weekly, since the double-barrel mechanism guarantees a minimum power reserve of seven days. Completing the display is the small seconds sub-dial at six o’clock.

At the back, aside from the decoration—including Moser’s double Geneva stripes and the bevelling on the bridges—also visible are the gold pallet fork and escapement. Though the most prominent part of the caseback view is undoubtedly the leap year indicator, which is a 12-point star-shaped rotating disc

Flip the watch around, and you’ll see the mechanism in all its glory through the sapphire crystal caseback. Aside from the decoration—including Moser’s double Geneva stripes and the bevelling on the bridges—you’ll also see the pallet fork and escapement made of gold. Though the most prominent part of the caseback view is undoubtedly the leap year indicator, which is a 12-point star-shaped rotating disc. Not an uncommon feature in perpetual calendars, a leap year indicator is good to have, but is surely not something one needs to refer to very often, so it makes perfect sense to keep it away from the primary display. All this helps in making Moser’s perpetual calendar one of the most pared-down interpretations of the complication, which normally manifests in the form of several sub-dials and apertures on the dial.

While this Heritage Perpetual Calendar is quite reminiscent of Moser before their blues went funky and their dials went ‘concept’, it’s still very Moser as we know it today—the fumé of the enamel dial being one of the modern-day staples of the brand

And that’s what this brand signature is all about—in keeping with the minimalism their timepieces celebrate, yet rather resplendent. While this Heritage Perpetual Calendar is quite reminiscent of Moser before their blues went funky and their dials went ‘concept’, it’s still very Moser as we know it today—the fumé of the enamel dial being one of the modern-day staples of the brand. With all these brand signatures, and one of their biggest complication achievements, it’s a complete package, all the while being a perfectly beautiful classical timepiece.