Moser took the Endeavour and repackaged it into a sportier format in 2015 with the Pioneer—a collection for those who appreciate traditional watchmaking and also have a sense of adventure. While many high-end watchmakers might shy away from such a challenge, Moser embraced it, upping the ante with a tourbillon and even a Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton within the Pioneer collection.
What makes the Pioneer so versatile is its broad-shouldered case with 120m water resistance and luminous dial elements. But what truly sets it apart is the dial, which serves as a stunning canvas. The deep fumé sunburst channels the giant clouds of space dust that both form the nurseries where new stars are born and are remnants of stars that have reached the end of their lives.
When imaging these deep space nebulae, the Hubble Space Telescope team assigned specific colours to different elements of the universe: red for Sulphur II, blue for Oxygen III, and this Cosmic Green for Hydrogen-alpha—the most abundant element in the universe.
With the centre seconds of the Pioneer sweeping over this glowing green canvas of life-giving material, you can’t help but pause and wonder about our fleeting moments in this vast universe, and how we choose to use them. This gorgeous green dial reminds you that life really is too short not to enjoy.
It takes over 200 painstaking steps to achieve this hypnotic dial glow, previously seen on the Endeavour Centre Seconds Concept Cosmic Green and the larger 42.8mm Pioneer Centre Seconds. The colours and gradients are created layer by layer. That’s why the sunburst on a Moser fumé dial appears to see right into your soul. This particular colour was also reserved especially for the LM101 collaboration with MB&F, and the MB&F Endeavour Cylindrical Tourbillon collaboration with Moser.
Polished, faceted hour markers are applied onto the dial, each with a dash of luminous paint—doubled at twelve o’clock—to ensure readability at night. Or in a cave. Or deep underwater. Basically, whenever you venture into darkness—where you almost certainly won’t see the logo, applied in transparent lacquer. It only becomes visible when the light hits just right, allowing you to enjoy the dial in all its uninterrupted glory.
It’s the second Pioneer to arrive in a 40mm format after the chilly Arctic Blue, and from that watch also comes the leaf-style handset, skeletonised at the base and filled with luminous paint from mid to tip. Like the dial, it’s an evolution of the pure elegance of the Endeavour in a sportier direction, with the case undergoing the most significant transformation. The scalloped sides of the Endeavour morph into deep grooves on the Pioneer, reaching down into the lugs like a pair of mechanised gills, reminding you that the watch will function at depths of almost 400 feet.
