Skip to main content

H. Moser & Cie unveils the Pioneer Retrograde Seconds Midnight Blue

Check out this gorgeous H. Moser & Cie watch

Pioneer Retrograde Seconds
H. Moser & Cie

H. Moser & Cie recently unveiled a new retrograde timepiece: the Pioneer Retrograde Seconds. This watch’s dial, thanks to the Midnight Blue fumé gradient, preserves the H. Moser & Cie look we all love.

While a large section of the dial has silver hour markers, the bottom section is fitted with a 30-second retrograde mechanism. Apart from that, the display is complemented by a hand that sweeps from the left to the right side.

Recommended Videos

Due to the blue straps, blue gradient, and retrograde display, this timepiece has a modern and stylish allure that makes it stand out. It is also fitted with Pioneer’s signature case, with a polished finish for a brighter look. Since the Pioneer collection leans more toward the sporty side, its newest addition—the Retrograde Seconds Midnight Blue timepiece—also has a sporty touch, just like the previous watch models.

As the brainchild of a Swiss manufacturer, Agenhor SA, the Pioneer Retrograde Seconds timepiece is powered by a high-end movement that delivers 21,600 vibrations per hour for precision and accuracy. Fitted with a transparent back casing, Pioneer’s newest watch also offers beautiful sightings of its mechanism, which is made up of skeletonised bridges and rotors. The transparent casing also complements the design.

This watch also comes with a water-resistant casing that can reach deep depths of about 120 meters.

The new Retrograde Seconds Midnight Blue watch is offered in a few different strap options, which are manufactured from steel, textile, leather, and rubber. At the moment, the watch retails at $21,900.

Learn More

Nathan S.R
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Nathan has devoted his life to collecting watches, studying horology, reviewing watches, and writing about timepieces. As a…
Topics
Zenith Chronomaster original debuts handsome midnight blue dial variant
Vintage modern: Zenith's chronomaster original blue dial honors 1969 a386 legacy
New Chronomaster Original from Zenith

Zenith offers the first blue dial model of its Chronomaster Original, expanding the group that follows the 1969 A386 El Primero. This watch sells for CHF 9,900, EUR 10,400, or USD 10,300. The midnight blue watch combines older looks with the modern El Primero 3600 movement that measures time to a tenth of a second.
The year 1969 made watchmaking history when the first automatic chronograph movement came out. Zenith's El Primero caliber, a fast, complete chronograph, became the first to finish among other makers. The round A386 watch, with its three-color counters, became the brand's main model that showed Zenith's chronograph past.
The Chronomaster Original, which came out in 2021, acts as the A386's real follower, not just a copy. This good mix of old details and new function keeps the small 38mm case size and three-color sub-dials. These parts copy the first sizes while holding the newest El Primero 3600 movement.
The midnight blue dial creates a good blend—it mirrors the blue outer scale, the date window frame, and the date disc for color matching. The blue, grey, and silver counters lie slightly on top of each other. They have a spiral finish that stands out against the sunray-brushed blue dial.
Older style shows through the correct fonts and logos that match the first watch. It also has raised, cut, and lit hour markers. The trapezoid date window at 4:30, the double outer scale, the white stick hands with black parts and glowing material, and the bright red central chronograph seconds hand keep true to its past.
The El Primero 3600 caliber works better than the first movement—it runs at 5Hz. The Chronomaster Original records times to a tenth of a second as the red central chronograph hand goes around every 10 seconds. The first tachymeter scale gives way to precise tenth-second marks on the edge.
Fast work changes sub-dial details, with all counters reading to 60. Small seconds appear in the light grey sub-dial at 9 o'clock. The 60-minute counter sits in the dark grey sub-dial at 6 o'clock. The 60-second elapsed times show in the blue sub-dial at 3 o'clock.
Digital scans of the 1969 watch led case building, making sure of the real 38mm size with a sloped side, sharp cut lugs, pump pushers, and mixed brushed and shiny parts. The very thin edge keeps original sizes. Newer additions include curved sapphire glass on the front and back.
The El Primero 3600 appears through the 12-sided caseback edge. It keeps a column wheel and flat parts while offering a 60-hour power hold and a stop-seconds function. The open rotor shows the new movement's blue column wheel and open bridges.
Each watch has a three-link stainless steel band and a blue calfskin strap with folding locks, offering options for different wearing events.

Read more
LeBron James unveils $450,000 Richard Mille Lakers-inspired limited edition
Basketball royalty: LeBron James' Richard Miille collaboration celebrates Lakers heritage
LeBron James Drops Limited Edition Richard Mille

LeBron James shows a Richard Mille limited edition watch he helped design. The watch costs $450,000, and the company made only 150 of them. This item honors his time with the Los Angeles Lakers and combines Richard Mille's skill with basketball elements plus the Lakers' colors.
The watch honors the Lakers with a yellow rubber strap that lasts a long time and feels good when a person moves. James' personal logo sits at the 12 o'clock position in green with a yellow border, which makes the brand easy to see while keeping the watch looking good.
The watch case is black and has a rough feel. A yellow Quartz TPT middle case sits next to it, with green parts and a purple ring for the hour markers. This mix of colors puts the Lakers' purple and gold into a modern watch design.
Richard Mille makes sports watches, and this watch shows that focus. The company did not share specific details about the movement. The brand makes light and strong watches for athletes, which suggests that this watch uses advanced materials and building methods.
The yellow and green crown, along with the teal chronograph dials, add to the watch's look. These colors show the Lakers' identity and James' own taste that he developed from collecting luxury watches for many years.
James' signature appears on the case back, etched in purple. This makes the watch a collector's item, not just a regular luxury watch. The purple signature honors the Lakers' colors and helps identify this specific production run.
Richard Mille works with many good athletes—this collaboration comes after successful partnerships with Rafael Nadal and Bubba Watson. James helps the brand reach the basketball market and may cause younger people to like Swiss watches.
The $450,000 price puts this watch among Richard Mille's more costly items, but it costs less than the brand's most complex watches. The company only made 150 pieces, which means collectors will want it and its price might go up.
James showed the watch on social media, which gained much attention from watch fans and basketball fans. The broad appeal shows that famous people working with luxury brands can connect fine watches with popular sports.
This watch continues James' long connection with luxury timepieces—he owns watches from Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, and Rolex. James helped design this Richard Mille watch, which sets it apart from simple endorsement deals and suggests a deeper connection with the brand.
The Lakers' look appeals to fans in Los Angeles and people who collect basketball items. The watch also keeps Richard Mille's good name for technical skill and exclusive nature.

Read more
H. Moser & Cie. unleashes pioneer spiced aqua collection in turquoise and orange
Color revolution: H. Moser's pioneer spiced aqua collection breaks haute horlogerie conventions
H Moser Pioneer Aqua Collection

H. Moser & Cie. defies traditional haute horlogerie discretion with the Pioneer Spiced Aqua Collection, featuring three steel timepieces in audacious turquoise and orange colorway. Priced from $16,900 to $93,500, these models reject tribute themes and partnerships, existing as pure wearable art designed to electrify wrists through chromatic energy.
"In a place where quiet behavior often appears as a good trait, H. Moser & Cie. picks the boldness of color instead." The collection channels tropical waters and glowing sunsets through high-contrast pairing that breaks through rather than blends in, celebrating expressive horology over muted conventions.
The entry-level Pioneer Centre Seconds Spiced Aqua ($16,900) showcases minimalist design with maximum impact through turquoise fumé dial and orange Super-LumiNova leaf-shaped hands. The HMC 201 automatic caliber delivers three-day power reserve within 42.8mm steel case, available with white rubber strap or black DLC treatment with orange strap alternative.
The Pioneer Tourbillon Spiced Aqua ($59,500) inverts the color scheme with radiant orange fumé dial and turquoise details, featuring luminescent flange that glows like neon at dusk. The HMC 805 automatic manufacture caliber incorporates double hairspring and one-minute flying tourbillon, representing exceptional engineering in constant levitation state.
The flagship Pioneer Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton Spiced Aqua ($93,500) achieves sculptural presence through fully skeletonized HMC 811 caliber with domed orange sub-dial floating above the mechanism. Turquoise Globolight inserts illuminate indices and hands while the cylindrical hairspring tourbillon creates hypnotizing mechanical theater visible through transparent architecture.
All models feature 12 ATM water resistance, demonstrating versatility for land and underwater adventures. The steel cases incorporate slightly domed sapphire crystals, screw-in crowns with engraved "M," and see-through case backs revealing manufacture movement finishing including anthracite PVD treatments and Moser double stripes.
Design philosophy emphasizes bold color applications through concept versions eliminating logos and indices on certain models, allowing pure chromatic expression. The contrasting luminescent materials—orange on turquoise or turquoise on orange—create vibrant pairings that challenge conventional luxury watch aesthetics.
Each timepiece represents different technical temperament unified by singular chromatic energy, proving H. Moser & Cie's commitment to leading trends rather than following them. The collection transforms haute horlogerie into fearless, technical, and unmistakably alive expression that makes heads turn faster than tourbillon rotations.
Available with interchangeable rubber straps or steel bracelets, the Spiced Aqua models adapt to daily mood variations while maintaining their audacious character across all wearing scenarios.
Check out this link for more information: H. Moser & Cie. official website.

Read more