Hands-on H. Moser & Cie Pioneer Centre Seconds Swiss Mad Red

Reading Time: 4 minutes

H. Moser & Cie Pioneer Centre Seconds Swiss Mad Red was launched during the summer. It immediately caught my attention for its vivid red dial. Considering the sports note of the collection and the thematic dial, I find this independent piece perfect for Christmas times. And not only! Fitted with a rubber strap, this watch is perfect for some mountains plus snow adventures, regardless of snow fight, ski or any other winter outdoor fun activities. I think this is the kind of watch Santa will wear on his most busy night of the year.

When H. Moser & Cie launched the Pioneer Collection I was a bit surprise and impressed. An independent brand with very traditional looking watches adventuring in a different world. What did they do? They brought the Moser elegance in the world of sports pieces. And they are from the very few that are confident enough to put a tourbillon in a sports watch (and a perpetual calendar). But if Santa needs just a robust and good looking watch for its big night, I am confident it would be a H. Moser & Cie Pioneer Centre Seconds Swiss Mad Red.

H. Moser & Cie Pioneer Centre Seconds Swiss Mad Red

The Swiss Mad Red is one of the four dial variants available: in gold Midnight Blue fumé, in steel Cosmic Green fumé, steel DLC Funky Blue fumé and this red. The colour is a new addition to the brand’s set of fabulous shades.

The Pioneer case – bringing streamliner lines into focus

A relatively simple case as seen from above, the Pioneer case hides some interesting details. From above, the Pioneer shows a very flat-convex polished bezel and vertical brush on the lugs. The lugs present a wide (half of the width) chamfering, slightly rounded. On the sides, the story changes dramatically. The polished caseband suffered from a massive mass substruction continued into the horns. The end-design, combining the curvature of the lugs, the stripes engraving and the polished surrounding reminds of the steel streamliner from the beginning of the century.

At 42.8mm the case manufactured in steel seems quite big. It wears smaller than expected and it is very comfortable although relative generous size. The beautiful crown bears the embossed “M” logo and it offers excellent grip.

Crazy good looking red and a name to match – Swiss Mad Red

The Pioneer Centre Seconds Swiss Mad Red, as the name suggests is fitted with a gorgeous red fumé dial. As any other Moser dial, the shade is lightest in the centre, darkens, almost melodramatic, to the edge of the dial. The layout is simple: three hands, indexes and the name of the brand. The H. Moser & Cie sophistication stays not in burdening with details but in its extravagant and qualitative simplism.

The Moser signature present on the dial is accompanied by white dots on the inner bezel and the Superluminova insert in the skeletonised leaf hands. As decoration and practical elements are used hands applied hour indexes. The look is clean with excellent legibility. As we can see in the pictures, the sunburst red background mirrors nicely the hands adding details to this beautiful dial.

Those Moser stripes

Turning back the Pioneer, we find a circular brush on the back of the case with a vertical brush on the base of the lugs. The sandblasted and circular brushed caseback is fixed, Moser style, with 8 crews. Under the sapphire, we can admire the beautiful HMC 200.

The movement is exceptionally decorated. We can observe a perlage and polished screws at the mainplate. The bridges feature circular Geneva stripes and the straight double Moser ribbing, the bevelled edges and the polished sinks. The handsome balance wheel is fitted with the original Straumann Hairspring® with flat overcoil. The balance’s bridge is bearing a straight brushing and bevelled and polished edges. A 3Hz organ depletes a large barrel offering 3 days of power reserve.

HMC 200 is powered with the help of a bi-directional pawl winding system. The rotor weight received the same attention to details: brushing, sandblasted engraving and H. Moser & Cie positive engraving plus the skeletonisation.

Final words

Pioneer Centre Seconds Swiss Mad Red is another example of non-conformism from the independent brand. The Moser approach means love for horology while having fun, exceptional traditional finishes with a touch of contemporary.

The watch is not only a fun piece but also a robust and reliable partner prepared for adventures but also prepared to impress your partners in a business meeting. The watch is a charming all-rounder – the type of watch, that during a week you change cars, clothes situations but it will remain faithful and proud on your wrist. There is nothing that the Pioneer Centre Seconds Swiss Mad Red will not accept.

H. Moser & Cie Pioneer Centre Seconds Swiss Mad Red Technical Specifications

Reference 3200-1207, steel model, Swiss Mad Red fumé dial, black rubber strap

Case

Solid steel
Diameter: 42.8 mm
Height without sapphire crystal: 10.6 mm Domed sapphire crystal
See-through case back
Screw-in crown adorned with an “M” Water-resistant to 12 ATM

Dial

Swiss Mad Red fumé with sunburst pattern
Applique indexes, with hour markers in Superluminova® Leaf-shaped hands, partially skeletonised Superluminova® luminescent elements on hands

Movement