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My Favorite Everyday Watch Just Transformed into My New Grail Diver

From GADA to GRAIL.

Close-up of a moser watch case showing the textured side grip, part of the bezel with the number "20," and the crown with a logo, against a dark red background. The watch face has a warm, amber tone with visible hands.H. Moser & Cie.

By Johnny Brayson

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There are a lot of great everyday watches on the market. Those go-anywhere, do-anything pieces that are equally at home on the beach and in a ballroom. When discussing the best “GADA” watch, there are a few favorites that invariably pop up: the Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra, the Rolex Oyster Perpetual and Datejust, the Grand Seiko Snowflake (and probably a dozen other Grand Seikos), etc.

But if money is no object, there is one everyday watch that I’m choosing every time, and that’s the Pioneer Centre Seconds from H. Moser & Cie.

The Pioneer is the personification of a luxury GADA watch. It has a well-sized and ergonomic case with interesting touches that keep it from being boring, its fumé sunray dial is a showstopper that can look dressy or sporty depending on your strap, the water resistance of 120m is more than you’ll realistically ever need and the movement is a legitimate haute horology calibre and looks every bit the part behind a sapphire caseback.

blue moser watch
I can’t think of a situation where the Moser Pioneer Centre Seconds wouldn’t be appropriate.
H. Moser & Cie.

On rare occasions in the past, Moser has paired the Pioneer Centre Seconds with a rotating bezel and bracelet, effectively transforming the all-situations stunner into a seriously high-end, limited-edition dive watch (even if Moser doesn’t call it that). Today, the Schaffhausen brand has done it again, giving us not one but four new Pioneer “divers” with bracelets and rotating bezels.

It goes without saying that one of these new Pioneer dive watches has instantly become my new grail diver … I’m just not sure which one.

By your powers combined

The new Pioneer collection is the result of a collaboration with Azuki, thanks to some legwork done by The 1916 Company, which was responsible for the last time Moser made a Pioneer diver back when the retailer was still known as Govberg Jewelers.

Silver metal wristwatch with a blue gradient dial, white hour markers, and a rotating bezel marked with numbers in increments of ten. The watch has a stainless steel link bracelet and is set against a carbon fiber textured background. The brand name "H. Moser & Cie" is visible on the dial.
Moser’s previous Pioneer “diver,” seen here, was a collab with Govberg Jewelers in 2022.
The 1916 Company

As for Azuki, it’s a digital collective of “anime artists and builders” who have created an anime universe that encompasses not just animated storytelling but also “digital collectibles, fashion and real-world events”. It may seem like an odd partner for a high-end Swiss watchmaker, but since both Moser and Azuki are seen as disruptors in their respective spaces, it kind of makes sense.

The new watches were inspired by Azuki’s Elementals NFT collection, so I guess we’re still doing the whole NFT thing. While I have never been a fan of NFTs and honestly thought the fad had passed, the watches these particular NFTs inspired — and, just to clear up any confusion, these are real watches, not digital trinkets — are pretty damn spectacular.

Silver wristwatch with a textured orange-brown dial, white hour markers, and white hands. The bezel is silver with white numerals and markers, and the watch has a matching silver metal bracelet. The crown features an engraved logo.
Earth is one of the four element-inspired Pioneers.
H. Moser & Cie.

Because the watches are inspired by Azuki’s Elements universe, each of the four models gets a unique dial inspired by a different classic element: Earth, Fire, Lightning and Water (Wind and Heart, I’m told, couldn’t make it).

Not only do each of the four dials get a different color — all with Moser’s signature fumé finish — but their engraved guilloché patterns are also unique in order to better illustrate their elemental inspirations.

Close-up of a luxury watch face with a textured blue dial featuring wavy patterns. The watch has silver hour markers and hands, with a rotating bezel marked with numbers 10 and 20. The crown is visible on the right side, and the brand name "H. Moser & Cie." is partially visible on the dial.
Water features a rippling pattern that creates the illusion of a water droplet.
H. Moser & Cie.

“Earth” features a tremor-inspired pattern, with pyramidal studs looking like tiny mountains across the dial. It’s a warm brown color that is much better looking than it has any right to be. “Fire” has a bold red and orange smoked dial with a swirling, flame-like guilloché pattern.

“Water”‘s dial transitions from dark blue at the edge to turquoise in the center and boasts a rippling pattern that gives the illusion that the hands were just dropped into the center of a still pool. Lastly, “Lightning” has a pale blue-white dial with a cross-stitched pattern. It’s the least eccentric of the bunch, but it is very pretty.

A silver moser wristwatch with a gradient blue dial that fades from light blue in the center to a darker blue near the edges. The watch has a textured pattern on the dial, thick white hour markers, and three hands: an hour hand, a minute hand, and a thin second hand. The bezel is silver with white numerals and markers at intervals of ten. The watch band is a matching silver metal link bracelet. The background is a dark blue with abstract cloud and geometric patterns.
Of the four, lightning is the most abstract and the least eccentric.
H. Moser & Cie.

It’s safe to go back in the water

Other than the new dials, these Pioneer Centre Seconds divers are built on the same platform as the Funky Blue Limited Edition for Govberg back in 2022, and it is one fantastic platform.

The watches have a 40mm Pioneer case in titanium that includes the series’ signature case side “grilles.” There are sapphire crystals on top and bottom, and the thickness of the case is just 11.4mm. The crown screws down, guaranteeing the watch’s 120m water resistance. The bezel is in titanium, unidirectional with 60 clicks and all markers are lumed with Super-LumiNova.

Close-up of a silver moser watch clasp with a detailed emblem featuring the letters "HM & MC" engraved on the center. The clasp has a brushed finish and a side button for release, set against a dark red background.
The clasp features a hidden push-button mechanism for the micro-adjustment system.
H. Moser & Cie.

The titanium H-link bracelet is outstanding. Every single link is removable with screws, allowing you to really dial in your fit. The clasp takes customization even further and features additional micro-adjustment via a push-button logo that can be adjusted while wearing the watch as your wrist swells and shrinks throughout the day.

The movement inside is Moser’s in-house Calibre HMC 200 automatic, which is impeccably and elaborately finished, has a three-day power reserve and features an original Straumann Hairspring made by Moser, as it’s one of very few brands capable of producing its own hairsprings.

Close-up of the back of a luxury moser wristwatch showcasing its intricate mechanical movement. The watch features a titanium case and bracelet, with visible gears and components inside. Engraved on the case back are the inscriptions "H. MOSER & CIE.," "LIMITED 24 PCS," and "AZUKI." The movement is marked "H. MOSER & CIE SWITZERLAND," highlighting its Swiss craftsmanship. The design emphasizes precision engineering and high-quality materials.
Like other modern Pioneer Centre Seconds, these watches are powered by the Cal. HMC 200 automatic.
H. Moser & Cie.

The dials also mimic the older, more luminescent Pioneer design language seen on the prior diver and which Moser rarely features anymore. The indices are all solid blocks of Globolight ceramic lume, and even the hands feature applied bars of Globolight. The Moser logo also appears in white on the dial, whereas most recent Pioneer models feature the wordmark in clear lacquer. It’s a sportier look, and quite fitting for a diver.

Pricing and Availability

Moser’s slogan is “Very Rare.” The brand’s production models are expensive and hard to get a hold of as it is, so when you throw a limited-edition collab in the mix, it becomes downright impossible.

But who knows, maybe someone reading this will get lucky. The four versions of the Moser x Azuki Elements of Time Pioneer Centre Seconds are each limited to 24 pieces, meaning there are 96 watches for the series. Each is priced at $25,000.

Silver moser wristwatch with a textured orange dial featuring white hour markers and hands. The watch has a visible tourbillon mechanism at the 6 o'clock position and a rotating bezel with minute markers. The crown is engraved with the brand's initials. The watch is set against a dark red background.
Each color, including Fire, is also available in a one-of-one Pioneer Tourbillon.
H. Moser & Cie.

If 24 sounds too common to you, $25,000 too cheap and center seconds too pedestrian a complication, then I have good news for you. Each of the four elements also gets a tourbillon version with the same case, bracelet and dials — except there’s a cutout at 6:00 to showcase the double-hairspring tourbillon of the Cal. HMC 804 automatic movement. The tourbillon is limited to just one example per element and is priced at $75,000.

Anyone interested in any of the Moser x Azuki watches is encouraged to sign up now online at the dedicated product site to register said interest, as these pieces understandably will sell out very, very quickly.

Silver moser wristwatch with a metallic band and a round bezel marked with minute indicators. The watch face features a vibrant gradient dial transitioning from deep red at the edges to bright orange in the center, with a textured, geometric pattern. White hour markers and hands contrast sharply against the colorful background, and the brand name "H. Moser & Cie." is subtly printed near the top center.H. Moser & Cie.

H. Moser & Cie. x Azuki Elements of Time Pioneer Centre Seconds

Specs

Case Size 40mm
Movement Moser Cal. HMC 200 automatic
Water Resistance 120m
About the Author:

Johnny Brayson is an editor at Gear Patrol mostly covering watches. He enjoys watches that are packed with blink-and-you’ll-miss-’em details and believes nearly every watch could stand to be a tad smaller.

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