H. Moser & Cie
- Founded
- 1828 (revived 2005)
- Based in
- Neuhausen am Rheinfall, Switzerland
- In our catalog
- 3 watches from $12,000 to $31,000
H. Moser & Cie makes some of the most beautiful dials in watchmaking, and some of the funniest marketing. Its watches are minimal, often with no logo at all, and rely on gradient "fumé" dials that shift from bright to dark. Behind them is a serious manufacture that makes its own movements and even its own hairsprings.
History
Heinrich Moser was a watchmaker from Schaffhausen who built a business in Russia in the nineteenth century, selling watches across the Russian Empire. He founded H. Moser & Cie in 1828 and later built a hydroelectric dam on the Rhine to bring industry to his hometown. The company declined after the Russian Revolution and disappeared in the 1970s.
The brand was revived in 2005 and in 2012 was bought by the Meylan family, with Edouard Meylan as CEO. Under him Moser has become known for its minimalist dials and for marketing stunts like the Swiss Alp Watch, a mechanical parody of the Apple Watch, and the Swiss Mad Watch, with a case made partly from Swiss cheese.
Signature models
- Streamliner Centre Seconds: An integrated-bracelet sports watch with a cushion case and a fumé dial.
- Endeavour Small Seconds: A classic dress watch with a fumé dial and small seconds.
- Pioneer Centre Seconds: A sportier, more robust watch with 120 m water resistance.
What it's known for
Moser's dials are almost all about color and texture, with very few markings. The brand makes its own movements and hairsprings through its sister company Precision Engineering. And it doesn't take itself too seriously, which makes it popular with collectors.
Price and positioning
Moser watches cost from about $12,000 for a Pioneer to $30,000 for a Streamliner, with complications higher. That puts it against Czapek, Laurent Ferrier and Vacheron Constantin's entry models. Moser is the pick for people who want something understated and a little irreverent.
H. Moser & Cie watches in our library
- H. Moser & Cie Pioneer Centre Seconds ($12,000 to $14,000)
- H. Moser & Cie Endeavour Small Seconds ($17,000 to $19,000)
- H. Moser & Cie Streamliner Centre Seconds ($29,000 to $31,000)