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H. Moser & Cie Endeavour Centre Seconds Concept Purple Enamel 40mm Mens Watch
Ref. 1201-1200
The Concept line exists because Moser wanted to know what a dial looks like when everything unnecessary is taken away: no logo, no indices, no text of any kind. What remains here is a field of Grand Feu enamel fired at high temperature until it vitrifies into something closer to glass than paint, its purple deepening and lightening as it moves from centre to edge in the fumé gradient the manufacture calls Purple Haze. The hammered texture beneath that colour catches light at angles a flat dial never would, giving the surface a quiet life without breaking the silence of the design. At 11.2mm thick the case sits lower than you might expect from something rated to 30 metres, and the proportions read as a dress watch that happens to have a seconds hand rather than a sport watch with pretensions. The leaf-shaped hands are Moser's own, and the central seconds is finished in the same purple as the dial — a considered touch on a watch that has otherwise refused ornament. Beneath the exhibition caseback, the HMC 201 runs on Moser's in-house Straumann double hairspring, a component the manufacture produces itself, wound by a solid gold openworked rotor. The kudu leather strap is hand-stitched and dyed to match the dial exactly, so the watch reads as a single resolved object rather than a case that has been given a strap.
- Reference
- 1201-1200
- Brand
- H. Moser & Cie
- Case size
- 40mm
- Case thickness
- 11.2mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Purple
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Bezel
- Bidirectional rotating
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- HMC 201
- Functions
- Skeleton dial
- Water resistance
- 30m
- Bracelet / strap
- Leather strap
- Clasp
- Buckle
- Retailer
- Goldsmiths
Additional specifications
- Power reserve
- 72 hours
Learn more about H. Moser & Cie
Heinrich Moser left Schaffhausen in 1827 for St Petersburg, where he built a substantial watch business supplying the Russian market, and founded H. Moser & Cie in 1828. He returned to Schaffhausen wealthy and became a significant industrialist, financing the Rhine dam that provided the water power for the town's industry — including, later, IWC.
The original company was nationalised after the Russian Revolution and eventually disappeared. The name was revived in 2005 by descendants of the founder, and since 2012 it has been owned by the Meylan family through MELB Holding, which also owns the movement specialist Precision Engineering — meaning Moser makes its own hairsprings and escapements, a rarity at any scale.
The modern brand is best known for restraint taken to the point of provocation. The Concept series removes the logo, the indices, and any text at all, leaving a fumé dial — deep colour at the centre fading to near-black at the edge — and two hands. The Swiss Alp Watch, shaped like an Apple Watch and running a hand-wound movement, was a deliberate joke at the smartwatch's expense.
Moser's complications are serious despite the humour: perpetual calendars with a single central hand for the month, and flying tourbillons with double hairsprings. Production is around three thousand pieces annually.
- 1828
- Heinrich Moser founds the company, trading into Russia.
- 1917
- The Russian business is lost to the Revolution.
- 2005
- The name is revived by descendants of the founder.
- 2012
- The Meylan family acquires the brand with Precision Engineering.
Also in 6 collections
This watch appears in Back in Stock (4,007), Stainless Steel Watches (2,833), Automatic Watches (1,417), Leather Strap Watches (904), Dress Watches (456) and Skeleton Watches (260).
Best of 2 retailers
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- 40mm suits most wrists
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- 72-hour reserve survives a weekend off the wrist
Worth knowing
- 30m means keeping it away from water
H. Moser & Cie Endeavour Centre Seconds Concept alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | 1201-1200 | G0A38130 | 604018120 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £29,700 | £26,200 | £28,042 |
| Case size | 40mm | 40mm | 40.3mm |
| Water resistance | 30m | 30m | 50m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Leather strap | Leather strap | Stainless steel bracelet |
| Power reserve | 72 hours | 44 hours | 52 hours |
| This watch | Closely matched |
|
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
No. At 30m it will survive rain and handwashing, but not submersion of any kind.
Water resistance explainedWill the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Sapphire, mineral and acrylic comparedDoes it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedHow long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 72 hours fully wound — enough to sit off the wrist over a weekend and still be running.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's, though at 40mm it sits in the range that suits anyone.
Cheapest place to buy
Both Mappin & Webb and Goldsmiths list it at £29,700, so choose on delivery and warranty rather than price.
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