As the holiday season gives way to a new year, we spotlight another example of the spirit of giving that has risen this past year in the watch world. The latest watchmaker to launch a charitable initiative is H. Moser & Cie., which has unveiled two limited-edition models benefiting research at the Duke ALS Clinic in North Carolina. The watches ? the Pioneer Centre Seconds and the Pioneer Tourbillon ?CURE ALS? ? both use the base design of the versatile Pioneer family developed for everyday wear. We last found updates to the Pioneer collection earlier this year when Moser unveiled another special-edition model in partnership with Collective Horology; prior to that, the brand released a regular-production model featuring a red fumé dial.
According to the Schaffhausen-based brand, the Pioneer collection was chosen for this limited-edition release in honor of the late Loy Stewart, a businessman local to Charleston, SC, who owned Detyens Shipyards, one of the largest commercial shipyards in the world. Stewart was an avid watch collector, a friend of H. Moser, and an adventurous spirit, and since the early 2000s ? when he was diagnosed with ALS ? he had worked in partnership with the Duke ALS Clinic to find a cure before succumbing to the degenerative disease this past summer. Proceeds from the watch made in his honor will be directed to a permanent endowment providing for ALS research through Duke.

Pioneer Centre Seconds ?CURE ALS?

The simpler of the two li...