H. Moser & Cie. And Studio Underd0g Unveil The Fruits Of Their Shared Passion Project

Have you ever seen or heard something and said to yourself, “Why didn’t I think of that?” That’s exactly what I did when I saw the press release for this collaboration between H. Moser & Cie. and Studio Underd0g. At first glance, these brands couldn’t be any more different. The first makes high-end watches, often from various precious metals and with complicated, hand-finished movements inside. The latter designs affordable and frivolous watches mostly inspired by food and powered by off-the-shelf movements. However, they both share a true passion for watchmaking and, more importantly, are not averse to a joke now and then.

Both companies have already turned a few April Fools’ jokes into reality. H. Moser & Cie., for example, did so with its Vantablack concept, and Studio Underd0g brought its Aubergine joke to life together with us. These brands did so because of many requests from numerous watch enthusiasts. This new passion (fruit) project wasn’t a request per se but more like a natural celebration of both parties’ joy of horology. Let’s take a look at the results of this (not so) surprising collaboration.

The H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Perpetual Calendar — Passion Fruit

Indeed, I say “results” because each brand presents us with a watch made from its point of view. As the theme here is “passion,” the inspiration for the design of both these watches is the passion fruit. Let’s start with Moser’s contribution first. The Swiss brand took its dressy stainless steel Endeavour as a starting point for a perpetual calendar dressed in purple and maracujá (Portuguese for “passion fruit”).

The purple base features a lacquered sunburst pattern and contains the sub-seconds dial at 6 o’clock and the power reserve indicator at 9 o’clock. On top of that base, sits a Grand Feu enamel dial on an 18K yellow gold plaque with a hammered texture. There, you find the leaf-shaped hour and minute hands and a tiny hand that indicates the month. It’s dipped in green, which signifies “the seed of passion that flourishes within every watch enthusiast.” At 3 o’clock, there’s a large date window. Other than numerals in it, though, there’s no printing whatsoever on the minimalist yet complex front of the watch.

The hand-wound HMC 800 movement powers the H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Perpetual Calendar Passion Fruit. It runs at a frequency of 18,000vph, features 32 jewels, and carries two barrels. Therefore, the watch has an impressive power reserve of seven days (168 hours). Furthermore, it’s all manually finished and features a pallet fork and escapement in gold.

The Studio Underd0g 03Series Passi0n Fruit

Let’s move on to Studio Underd0g’s submission. At first glance, it looks a lot like the company’s previous colorful models. Just like on the Endeavour’s dial, there’s a brushed purple lower and a textured maracujá upper. In addition, there’s a purple sunburst 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock and an incognito sub-seconds dial with azurage at 9 o’clock. The pencil-shaped hour and minute hands feature Super-LumiNova, and the chrono hands feature green tips, serving the same purpose as on the Endeavour.

This model differs from Studio Underd0g’s previous chronographs in that the printing is kept to a bare minimum, remaining only on the tachymeter scale and the chapter ring on the 30-minute counter. But the real difference here is hiding behind the dial. While previous Studio Underd0g chronographs housed the Seagull ST1901 movement, the 03Series Passion Fruit features the Sellita SW510 M MP b, a cam-operated monopusher chronograph caliber. This hand-wound Swiss-made movement runs at a frequency of 28,800vph, features 23 jewels, and holds a power reserve of 63 hours.

Extravaganza? Yes, please!

I love how H. Moser & Cie. and Studio Underd0g have taken their shared sense of humor as a starting point for this collaboration. It’s exactly what the watch industry needs in a tempered market. Some brands seem to be pushing the brake pedal hard when it comes to releasing extravagant and creative pieces. On the contrary, H. Moser & Cie. and Studio Underd0g show that now is precisely the time to be creative, colorful, and daring.

The two bold watches match H. Moser & Cie’s and Studio Underd0g’s flamboyant character very well. The lack of printing and brand names on the dial makes this collaboration all about the design and the joy of horology. It’s a true celebration of watchmaking.

Limited to 100 sets

The H. Moser & Cie Endeavour Perpetual Calendar Passion Fruit and the Studio Underd0g 03Series Passi0n Fruit are available now as a duo for CHF 59,000 or €67,900 (including taxes). I’m a bit surprised about this duo offering as it makes the collaboration significantly less inclusive. Nevertheless, it also shows the two brands are truly connected in this project. For more information, visit the H. Moser & Cie. or Studio Underd0g official website. These passion fruit pieces are limited to 100 sets.

Let me know in the comments below what you think of this passion project.