A perpetual calendar is one of the most sought-after complications in high-end mechanical watches. It is also considered a showpiece for a watchmaker’s mastery over micromechanical artistry as it condenses the Gregorian calendar with all its complexities onto the restricted real estate offered by a watch case. And understandably, it is difficult to display all the elements of a calendar including the date, day, month, and sometimes even moon phases, without cluttering the dial. While several leading watch brands have managed to craft perpetual calendar watches with symmetrically laid out dials, H. Moser & Cie.’s Endeavour Perpetual Calendar is arguably the most minimalist dial incorporating this complication. Now the Swiss watchmaker has launched a version with an even less busy and strikingly beautiful blue dial, the Endeavour Perpetual Calendar Tantalum Blue Enamel.
The case of this limited-edition timepiece is made from a combination of steel and tantalum, a stable and durable metal. The dial has been embellished with the traditional “grand feu” enamelling technique, apparently fired twelve times in total to create the signature ‘Fumé’ effect. The ‘hammered’ pattern is engrained onto a gold base before four different colour pigments are finely crushed and applied to create an ombré effect and blended in a furnace. The result is a stunningly unique and highly textured dial with an intense shade, which the brand calls Abyss Blue. The watchmaker has made sure the dial’s splendour can be appreciated unhindered by doing away with the brand logo and all indices except those at 12 and 6 o’clock.
It has also done away with the sub-dial at 6 o’clock with just an elegant leaf-shaped hand indicating the seconds. At the centre of the dial, another small hand indicates the months, while the date is displayed on a window at 3 o’clock, and the power reserve is indicated by another small hand at 9 o’clock. The Schaffhausen brand says the date and month can be changed at any time of the day or night without causing any potential damage to the movement.
The watch is powered by the hand-wound HMC 800 Manufacture calibre that boasts a power reserve of 7 days and features a pallet fork and escapement wheel made from gold. The hand-finished and decorated movement is visible through the transparent case back. The Abyss Blue enamel Endeavour Perpetual Calendar ref. 1800-2000, on a grey kudu leather strap, is available now from H. Moser & Cie. for CHF75,000.
