H. Moser & Cie. Introduce Pioneer Centre Seconds Concept Citrus Green and Cosmic Green

I often say that H. Moser & Cie. are one of the only Swiss brands at the high end of luxury watchmaking with a sense of humour. Take the new Pioneer Centre Seconds Concept Citrus Green for example, it’s bright and vibrant while being balanced with a minimalist display. You might expect Moser to take quite a reserved approach to the release, but no.

Their official language surrounding the piece is that it’s a “beast” and that “it’s going to turn heads faster than the latest Insta crush” because “life is too short for meh watches! YOLO!” All of which are direct quotes from the press release. While their lexicon may not have been updated since the early 2010s, at least they’re spirited.

H. Moser & Cie. Pioneer Centre Seconds Concept Citrus Green

To give a little context to the Pioneer Centre Seconds Concept Citrus Green, when H. Moser say concept, they typically mean that they’ve created a bare dial edition that places all of the emphasis on the style and finesse of the dial itself. Previously they’ve created an Endeavour Centre Seconds Concept and a Streamliner Tourbillon Concept. This new one is the first Pioneer Centre Seconds Concept.

As befits the Pioneer with its 42.8mm steel case and 120m water resistance, their sportiest design, the dial of the Concept is incredibly playful. It has a radial gradient that blends from light green in the centre to a darker green around the periphery, giving the piece a zesty and lively feel. It makes you want to add a twist of lime to a gin and tonic and then go watch some lawn tennis. To be in the vague vicinity of something active if not quite being active yourself.

Of course, as part of Moser’s concept series, the dial’s display has been pared back to the barest of bare essentials. Gone are the hour markers and any hint of a logo, leaving just the central hands for hours, minutes and seconds. I like that it allows the gradient to flow uninterrupted across the whole span of the dial.

The calibre powering those core functions is the HMC 201 automatic with 72-hour power reserve. It’s finished immaculately in dark grey anthracite and Moser’s signature double stripe pattern. With such a refined movement at its heart, the H. Moser & Cie. Pioneer Centre Seconds Concept Citrus Green is priced at £14,500.

H. Moser & Cie. Pioneer Centre Seconds Cosmic Green

After all the yolos and legit-ness of the Concept Citrus Green, H. Moser & Cie have acknowledged that traditional and more classical styles are popular as well. Which is why they’re releasing the H. Moser & Cie. Pioneer Centre Seconds Cosmic Green at the same time. It’s a more sedate interpretation of the Pioneer and is essentially just a new colour version of the existing 40mm model released last year.

The new colour is very attractive, a rich emerald green with a fumé gradient. Fumé is a term typically used for gradients that fade from a central colour to black or grey around the edge giving it a smoky appearance. Fumé means smoke. Which is why I didn’t call the Citrus Green concept above fumé despite also being a transition from light to dark.

Beneath the surface is the same HMC 201 automatic movement as used in the Concept. Which means that really the only difference between this watch and the Concept is the size of the case, the inclusion of indexes and the colour. Even the price is the same at £14,500. It might seem like an odd distinction but ultimately while I prefer the Concept Citrus Green, of the two I’d want to own the Cosmic Green. It’s pure class.

More details at H. Moser & Cie.

​Oracle Time 

Read More