A Week On The Wrist: The H Moser & Cie Pioneer Centre Seconds

Horolophiles will know H Moser & Cie as a top purveyor of classic watchmaking evergreens. But its Pioneer Centre Seconds is made to be a sports watch. Can the watchmaker get it right despite its lack of experience in this segment? A week on the wrist reveals the answer.

Confession: I find H Moser & Cie watches handsome, particularly the classic-looking Endeavour series. And I do miss the now-defunct Mayu and Monard collections. They were all austere and boast a very clean, timeless aesthetic.

So, when Sincere Fine Watches—the official retailer for the brand in Singapore and Malaysia—offered me the opportunity to "test drive" the sporty Pioneer Centre Seconds for a week, I was skeptical. Can H Moser make a decent sports watch, I wondered.

On first impression, the Pioneer Centre Seconds is a good looker. It sports the same clean aesthetics synonymous with a Moser watch—you can't go wrong with that—and the blue fumé dial with a sunburst pattern is endearing too.

For a sports watch, it's not laced with too much testosterone. It doesn't feature an oversized crown. Neither is it built with newfangled materials. The Pioneer Centre Seconds is just an elegant, classic stainless steel watch built for every day wear. The watch measures 42.8mm in width and because it doesn't sport a thick bezel like most sports watches do, the dial looks extra roomy with plenty of breathing space. Legibility is also good.

That said, I do find the case a bit thick and chunky but it's nothing I cannot live with.

Comfort is a major plus for the Pioneer Centre Seconds. The lugs are extremely well-constructed because the watch sits well on my tiny wrist. (Generally, the bigger, chunkier sport tickers do not fit slim wrists well, making them uncomfortable to wear.) But for the Pioneer, the lugs and rubber strap wrap my wrist completely. Plus, it boasts substantial heft to make its presence felt. But at the same time, it's not so heavy that it weighs you down.

While the Pioneer Centre Seconds is marketed as a sports watch, it's not quite manufactured to withstand typical rumble and tumble. So, I'm not expecting it to be water resistant to 300m, scratch-resistant or highly legible in dark conditions. That is why I was pleasantly surprised when I wore it to the bedroom one night. Reading time was a breeze with the Superluminova on the hands and hour markers. The illumination was bright and the spacious dial aided reading. My guess is that wearing the ticker for a trek to watch the sunrise shouldn't be a problem.

The power reserve of the Pioneer Centre Seconds lasts a good three days—impressive but I wouldn't expect anything lesser from H Moser & Cie.

Truth be told, I haven't always been convinced by the strategies of CEO Edouard Meylan (pictured) since he assumed control in 2013. Many of his moves, in my opinion, are shock tactics meant to attract attention and capture eyeballs. I don't agree but that is a personal perspective.What I do applaud is the marque's insistence on maintaining manufacturing standards and upkeeping its top-notch craftsmanship. The Pioneer Centre Seconds is a good case in point. It's no-frills, simple, handsome and does an effective job at keeping time. Watch enthusiasts will also appreciate its automatic Calibre HMC 230, which bears the hallmarks of a typical Moser movement with features like its 22-carat red gold rotor and bi-directional pawl winding system. So, if I brush personal bias aside, I'd still say that the H Moser & Cie Pioneer Centre Seconds, while not a mainstream sports watch, makes for an interesting addition to your burgeoning collection.

(Related: SIHH 2018: Day Four)

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Watches Luxury Watches Men's Watches h moser & cie Sincere Fine Watches

Tatler Asia

A Week On The Wrist: The H Moser & Cie Pioneer Centre Seconds