For many brands, being successful in the watch industry is a little bit like riding a bicycle: they must keep pedaling forward not to fall by the wayside. In other words, many watchmakers feel the pressure to innovate constantly.

H. Moser & Cie. has shown a fair deal of such innovation over the years, and this year we got one more. For the first time in its history, the Schaffhausen-based manufacture has revisited how it displays the time on its watches. Specifically, with a new disc-based system of telling the time that is inspired by planetary systems.

The Endeavour Flying Hours represents a major step for the Schaffhausen-based Manufacture. It is, effectively, a modular development based on the earlier automatic HMC 200 calibre, which has now been modified to create the C806 movement that powers the new watch.

The new Endeavour Flying Hours

Completed by Hautlence and H. Moser & Cie., the two MELB Holding subsidiary brands have equipped the C806 movement with a bi-directional winding system powered by an oscillating weight in solid red gold. The escapement and hairspring are also produced in-house, specifically by their sister company Precision Engineering AG.

The new module comes packaged in a solid 18-carat white gold case the measures 42mm across. The elegant case offers unobstructed views of the movement, which promises a minimum power reserve of three days.

Dial side, the watch sports the brand’s signature Funky Blue face that features a clean base for the planetary gears. In the centre we have the relatively more pronounced minute indication, which has been etched onto a sapphire disc that displays the minutes on a 240 degree plane.

Three smaller disks bearing the hour markers are arranged around the minute disk, each one rotating on its own axis. The hour is thus revealed in a way that is reminiscent of orbiting planets around a star.

Despite this relatively complicated feat, the watch remains very legible and straightforward to read. That is helped by the fact that the hour discs are so well integrated that they appear to blend into the dial. To further enhance legibility, the current hour numeral appears in white, which follows the minute disc as it completes a revolution until it disappears and is replaced by the next hour.

To add more of an unconventional touch to the Endeavour Flying Hours, the Swiss watchmaker has opted for a beige kudu leather with a raw finish. The colour provides nice contrast to the blue dial, while its rough appearance offsets the highly refined dial.

The elegant new Endeavour Flying Hours has been released in a limited edition of only 60 pieces. That might seem like a low number, but it’s actually a significant release considering that H. Moser & Cie. manufactures only about 1200 watches every year.