The H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Centre Seconds Vantablack

Nothing. The concept of nothing — the empty set, zero — is easy to fathom when it comes to quantity. When it comes to the void — the distance between heavenly bodies, a force so powerful that even light cannot escape — the concept becomes more abstract. H. Moser & Cie. explores minimalism in many ways, chiefly in dials that are bereft of any decoration. More recently, the brand has used Vantablack, the darkest man-made material ever created, to enhance this feeling of nothingness in its dials. It is spectacular in its results and is now available in a watch that is more suitable for everyday wear, the Endeavour Centre Seconds Vantablack.

The Endeavour line is Moser’s take on a simple, round-cased wristwatch. Running the range of complications from time only through minute repeaters, these “dress” watches feature some of the brand’s best dials. They include fumé finishes, various stones, and now, Vantablack. As the darkest man-made substance on Earth, the nanotube structure of Vantablack absorbs 99.965% of all light. Photos will not do this watch justice. Videos do a better job, but this is a material that you need to experience in real life.

The H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Centre Seconds Vantablack

While the design of the dial is simple, using Vantablack does not come without challenges. Luckily, Moser is familiar with this material. The brand built a concept watch fully coated in Vantablack (making it unwearable, but I digress) for Watches and Wonders last year. Then came the more wearable yet highly limited Streamliner Tourbillon for Geneva Watch Days. As Vantablack is essentially comprised of light-absorbing nanotubes, mounting indices to the dial is impossible. The indices are applied beneath the dial, visible through cutouts. What appears to be a simple, black-dialed dress watch from a distance reveals itself as something much more complex upon further inspection.

Additionally, the use of indices at all makes this Endeavour stand out within the lineup. Most models eschew any text or indices of any kind, allowing the dial to be on full display. Most are also in precious metals, which makes the stainless steel case a bit more unique in the Endeavour lineup.

Subtlety

Moser tends to be a bit cheeky with its designs. Remember, this is the brand that gave us a concept watch with a case made from cheese and designed a watch that looked eerily similar to an Apple Watch loading screen. The subtle purple-hued central seconds hand and the blued balance bridge hint at what is behind the darkest of dials.

The HMC 200, an automatic manufacture caliber, beats inside of this watch. As I alluded to, the hint of color lets the wearer know this is a special version of that movement as it houses twin balance springs beating in opposite directions. This helps counter any external effect on the escapement. The three-day power reserve is more than sufficient, and the finishing is sublime. Flipping the watch over to enjoy the movement through the sapphire display window is nearly as impressive as staring into the void created by the dial.

This 40mm watch certainly leans into the dress category. Coming standard on an alligator strap with a pin buckle will have that effect. The strap does feature a nod to the dial furniture, with a purple lining that picks up the hue from the seconds hand. While a textile or two-stitch leather strap could make this more casual, you should be aware that the Endeavour comes with a 30m water-resistance rating, so tread lightly.

Less is definitely more

Moser’s brand tagline is “Very Rare.” While this typically speaks to the number of watches produced by a brand in a year, this also speaks to its overall sense of self as a brand. While the timepieces that H. Moser & Cie. produce are stunning, the people behind the brand do not take themselves too seriously. The minimalism incorporated into the Endeavour line, including the perpetual calendars that reads more like a small seconds display, seems to embody their spirit of doing things a bit differently.

The Endeavour Centre Seconds Vantablack is not a limited edition. That said, given the steps involved to make a watch dial using this material (or any of Moser’s fumé dials, for that matter), I believe that it will live up to the brand’s motto. Given that the price is also CHF 25,000, I suspect these will truly be rare indeed! When you figure that the standard Endeavour Center Seconds with a white gold case can be had for CHF 19,900, the enhanced movement and exotic material usage make more sense. In this case, less truly IS more.

Final thoughts

The Endeavour Centre Seconds Vantablack is visually stunning and offers something extra under the hood. While versatile enough to be used in multiple settings, I cannot help but think that this watch is tailor-made for one type of dress code — black-tie. To me, showing up to a black-tie event wearing a watch with the blackest dial on earth is nothing if not a conversation starter, albeit an expensive one!

For more information, please check out the H. Moser & Cie. website.