Engineering As Art: The H. Moser & Cie. Pioneer Cylindrical Tourbillon Ref. 3811-1200

When we think of H. Moser & Cie, the first thought that comes to mind are their colorful and unique fumé dials. Past that, they’re a brand that is more than willing to play with materials and to take their creations in some rather unexpected directions. The brand produces the majority of their own components, something that is showcased quite prominently in the H. Moser & Cie. Pioneer Cylindrical Tourbillon Ref. 3811-1200.

H. Moser & Cie. Pioneer Cylindrical Tourbillon 3811

History

You do not have to dive too far back into history to get a sense of where the the H. Moser & Cie. Pioneer Cylindrical Tourbillon Ref. 3811-1200 came from. At a very practical level, the model was first introduced in 2022 at Watches & Wonders. Re-reading articles from that show, you’ll see that many attendees came away quite enamored by the piece that Moser had created. A number of them made note of a predecessor to the watch that you might not expect.

In 2020, both Moser and MB&F were celebrating their 15th anniversaries. The brands decided to work together, each taking one of their counterpart’s designs and putting their own twist on it. MB&F took the Moser Endeavour line and created the H. Moser x MB&F Endeavour Cylindrical Tourbillon. What is interesting here is that the movement in the watch is a Moser caliber (the HMC 810) complete with a cylindrical hairspring, which has been carried forward into the 3811.

Design Details

While most of the focus for the design of the H. Moser & Cie. Pioneer Cylindrical Tourbillon Ref. 3811-1200 is on the tourbillon – and rightfully so – we’re going to start with the portions of the piece that are classic Moser. To begin with, we have the Pioneer case, here in steel and at 42.8mm in diameter which puts the watch in line with some of Moser’s other sportier offerings. This brings on a sort of cognitive dissonance that we tend to see in some of Moser’s more intriguing and avant-garde offerings. By this, I mean that most tend to think of a tourbillon as a delicate creation. Housing it in a steel case with a 120m WR rating takes the watch in a somewhat different direction.

This idea is further reinforced by the dial – or sundial, if you prefer – of the watch. It’s a lovely fumé blue, set with their very three-dimensional Globolight luminous inserts (a ceramic material infused with lume) for the indices, as well as on the handset. Glowing in the dark? Lume is something we don’t tend to see on tourbillon-equipped watches, but it is all but expected on sport watches. All of these details fade into the background, though, once your eye catches sight of the tourbillon at work.

Inner Workings

For the Pioneer Cylindrical Tourbillon Ref. 3811-1200, the movement housed inside is known as the Caliber HMC 811, again drawing that line back to the MB&F collaboration and its HMC 810. Beyond the tourbillon itself, the most striking mechanical component in the movement is the cylindrical hairspring. Hairsprings are most commonly flat partly because they take up less space in that configuration, but also because spring design was figured out centuries ago, and brands have tended to take an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach to it. If you’re familiar with Moser, you know that’s not enough for them.

The fact that they have a sister company – Precision Engineering – that creates their hairsprings (and other components) is what made something like this cylindrical hairspring a possibility. These are all shaped by hand, including two Breguet curves. The question is, why build a more complicated spring that takes up more space?

The primary reason is that it offers greater accuracy, due to the center of balance the spring offers. This means the spring beats reliably the same, regardless of the position the watch is in, or how much power reserve is left in the movement. Second, it provides an additional visual delight, particularly with the absence of an upper bridge on the tourbillon.

To keep the eyes on the tourbillon and its circular spring, a majority of the movement has been skeletonized. The structural elements on the dial side of the watch are treated with a dark finish, so the eye is drawn to the visible silver and golden hues of the componentry. On the back of the watch, even the large gold rotor has been skeletonized, to keep that view of the movement as unobstructed as possible.

Versus The Competition

The first place we’ll stop off when it comes to alternate options is going to be the predecessor that we referenced earlier – the H. Moser x MB&F Endeavour Cylindrical Tourbillon. This version brings along much of the technical ingenuity that we see in the H. Moser and Cie. Pioneer Cylindrical Tourbillon 3811, along with a very healthy dose of MB&F uniqueness.

If you’re interested in looking at another relatively new brand and want to keep the focus very much on the tourbillon, we might recommend the Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Tourbillon Ref. 2840. What is hidden in the relatively simple presentation of this watch is that Parmigiani tackled the engineering challenge of a tourbillon – and developed it into a watch – just four years after the brand was founded.

Finally, we would also highlight the Greubel Forsey GF02 Double Tourbillon 30° Vision as something a collector of tourbillon watches should be aware of. This watch brings a double tourbillon construction to the table, as well a host of other innovative artistic touches that are all presented in a watch design that comes across as quietly classic.

Personality

To us, the H. Moser & Cie. Pioneer Cylindrical Tourbillon Ref. 3811-1200 perfectly encapsulates the personality and aesthetic that all Moser watches are party to. By that, we mean that there is a definite focus on presenting a lovely watch, with technical underpinnings to the design that make it more than just a pretty face. While many of their designs will hide away the mechanical artistry underneath, this one puts it front and center, ensuring that anyone who views the watch will understand just what the brand is capable of.

Final Thoughts

While there are many aspects of the H. Moser & Cie. Pioneer Cylindrical Tourbillon Ref. 3811-1200 that you can choose to focus on, and crown as your favorite, we feel that the watch really should be considered as a whole. When you realize that the delicate tourbillon is housed in a steel case and carries luminous touches, you need to think about what this watch is. For us, it is a powerful testament of just how strongly Moser stands behind the construction of their movements and the hand-made hairspring. In other words, this is a watch that is meant to be out and about, living life with you, and not tucked away for safekeeping. It is a watch that is meant to be used, serving as a visual treat every time you check the time.