The name, rarity and mysterious, almost mystical character of this piece are inspired by the eclipse. Featuring a dial coated in Vantablack®, a deep, intense black to contrast against the inner bezel – a halo as bright as the sun’s corona in a total solar eclipse – the Endeavour Small Seconds Total Eclipse is the result of a collaboration between The Armoury, a highly specialised menswear brand, and H. Moser & Cie. Available in two limited editions of 28 pieces, this fascinating piece combines elegance and minimalism with contemporary Vantablack® technology, and does so with an aesthetic inspired by pocket watches. The Endeavour Small Seconds Total Eclipse model will be available in The Armoury stores in New York and Hong Kong, as well as on the e-commerce platforms for The Armoury and H. Moser & Cie.
The coming together of two philosophies
The key to a successful collaboration is to take each partner’s unique talents and skills and use them to create something that neither could have achieved alone. The Armoury was founded in Hong Kong in 2010 by Mark Cho and Alan See. It was born out of their shared passion for classic styling, and their interest in bringing classic tailoring to the modern man, educating him by telling the stories of truly exceptional craftsmen and their products. Constantly pursuing excellence, and an expert in custom and bespoke offerings, The Armoury company sets the standard for the connoisseur. The association with H. Moser & Cie., an exclusive and prestigious company which exudes elegance to an insider clientele, was a natural step.
Back in 2019, at the beginning of this partnership, Mark met with Edouard Meylan in New York. Sharing the same passion for clothing and watches, bonds were woven and the idea of a collaboration began to emerge. The leaders of The Armoury were attracted by the incredibly rich history of H. Moser & Cie., spanning almost 200 years, as well as its watchmaking expertise and desire to take risks with new ideas, such as the use of Vantablack®, and an assertive stance designed to provoke. On the other hand, the team at H. Moser & Cie. were drawn to The Armoury’s roots in classic design, its promotion of craftsmanship, and the desire to create special, understated pieces, sitting on the cusp between classic and contemporary.
The Endeavour Small Seconds Total Eclipse X The Armoury
Mark Cho, co-founder of The Armoury, explains: “When Edouard and I first started talking about the idea of making a watch together, my main requirement was that it was small. I like watches that are discreet but reveal a deeper complexity if you pay them some attention. To me, H. Moser & Cie.’s fumé dial and Vantablack® dial are iconic and I wanted to work with one of them as a starting point for the design. Quickly, I started to favour the Vantablack® and I had the idea to add markings to the dial somehow. My design partner: Elliot Hammer, suggested that we imagine the design with the theme of a total solar eclipse. Thus, the Endeavour Small Seconds Total Eclipse was born’’.
Conceptually, the Endeavour Small Seconds Total Eclipse is the perfect representation of a total solar eclipse, when the sun is completely hidden behind the moon. Absorbing 99.965% of light, just like a black hole, the Vantablack® dial evokes the silhouette of the moon, while the steel bezel and the polished inner bezel, in steel or red gold, represents the halo of the solar corona, the gaseous, outermost part of the sun’s atmosphere, visible by the naked eye only when there is a total solar eclipse. While models with a Vantablack® dial have been characterised by their absolute, minimalist purity up until now, the Endeavour Small Seconds Total Eclipse features numerous subtle and discreet details.
This begins with the exquisite marker dots of the indices, which lend definition and rhythm to the dial. This is a first for H. Moser & Cie. and highlights the expertise the company has gained from working with Vantablack®, a surface which can be damaged by just a simple touch. Consisting of carbon nanostructures, Vantablack® cannot come into contact with anything else. The Schaffhausen Manufacture has therefore developed a special technique in order to meet Mark and The Armoury’s request.
Classic inspiration, contemporary style
The Endeavour Small Seconds Total Eclipse has a classic feel, which extends all the way to the hands, a stunning complement to the indices. The hour and minute hands, finished with a circle at the tip, reflect the Breguet style especially prized by Mark, while the small second hand is adorned with a dot-style marker, echoing the indices. “Absolutely everything in this model links back to this quest for ultimate elegance, combining classicism with a contemporary feel,” explains Edouard Meylan, CEO of H. Moser & Cie. “It’s 38mm diameter is perfectly balanced. We opted for the smallest and finest of our movements, the hand-wound HMC 327 calibre, with an offset small second at 6 o’clock, reminiscent of the pocket-watch style.”
Accompanying this creation is a black calf leather strap, which has been designed and created by The Armoury. Combining two different textures of leather for an even more beautiful effect, it enhances the elegance of the Endeavour Small Seconds Total Eclipse.
A successful collaboration
Two years after their initial meetings, Edouard Meylan and Mark Cho are proud to present the result of their collaboration. With respect for each other’s values and an approach based on sharing and mutual enrichment, this partnership has all the makings of a success story. The Endeavour Small Seconds Total Eclipse, available in two editions of 28 pieces, will be available in The Armoury stores in New York and Hong Kong, as well as on the online sales platforms of both companies. It will come with a pocket handkerchief developed by The Armoury for H. Moser & Cie., providing sophistication and elegance in even the smallest details.
Moser & Cie.’s own and unique take on Haute Horlogerie.
H. Moser & Cie Endeavour Small Seconds Total Eclipse X The Armoury Technical Specification
Reference 1327-1200, steel model, Vantablack® dial, black calf leather, limited edition of 28 pieces
Reference 1327-1201, steel and red gold model, Vantablack® dial, black calf leather, limited edition of 28 pieces
RRP: CHF 23’900.- or 25’100€ TTC.
Functions
- Hours and minutes
- Small seconds at 6 o’clock
- Power reserve indication at the back
Movement
- Hand-wound HMC 327 Manufacture calibre
- Diameter: 32.0 mm or 14 ¼ lignes/height: 4.5 mm
- Frequency: 18,000 Vib/h
- 29 jewels
- Power reserve: minimum of 3 days
- Hacking seconds
- Moser teeth for all wheels and pinions
- Movement and components hand-finished and decorated
- Moser balance wheel and original Straumann® Hairspring
Case
- Steel or steel with 5N red gold inner bezel
- Diameter: 38.0 mm
- Height: 9.9 mm
- Sapphire crystal
- See-through case back with sapphire crystal
- Crown adorned with an “M”
Dial
- Vantablack® with 12 indices
- Breguet-shaped hour and minute hands in steel or in 5N red gold
- Small seconds hand in steel or in 5N red gold
Strap
- Hand-stitched black calf leather, two-tone effect with two different textures Steel pin buckle, engraved with the Moser logo
Moser & Cie.
Moser & Cie. was created by Heinrich Moser in 1828. Based in Neuhausen am Rheinfall, it currently employs more than 60 people, has developed 15 in-house calibres to date and produces more than 1,500 watches per annum. Through its sister company Precision Engineering AG (PEAG), H. Moser & Cie. manufactures parts such as regulating organs and balance-springs, which are used for its own production as well as to supply its partner companies. Independent company incorporated into Moser Watch Holding in 2012, Precision Engineering AG specialises in watch components for escapements, from their initial design to the production of a quality product ready to be integrated into the watch movement it must regulate. H. Moser & Cie. is honoured to have a Moser family member with the company as Honorary Chairman and President of the Heinrich and Henri Moser Foundation. The aim of the Moser Foundation, created by one of Heinrich Moser’s descendants, is to keep the family history alive and seek out antique pieces for the Moser Museum, located in Charlottenfels Manor, Heinrich Moser’s family home. With its substantial watchmaking expertise and highly acclaimed experience in the sector, MELB Holding holds shares in H. Moser & Cie. and Hautlence. MELB Holding is an independent family group, based in the heart of the legendary Vallée de Joux.
The Armoury
Founded in Hong Kong in 2010 by Mark Cho and Alan See, The Armoury was born from a passion for classic styling and an interest in telling the stories of truly exceptional artisans and their products. The Armoury believes in design, craftsmanship, and personal style – rooted in classic tailoring but with the modern man in mind. We are passionate about what we sell, sourcing special items the world over as well as creating our own distinctive products with exceptional craftsmen and factories.