H. Moser & Cie

Heinrich Moser left Schaffhausen in 1827 for St Petersburg, where he built a substantial watch business supplying the Russian market, and founded H. Moser & Cie in 1828. He returned to Schaffhausen wealthy and became a significant industrialist, financing the Rhine dam that provided the water power for the town's industry — including, later, IWC.

The original company was nationalised after the Russian Revolution and eventually disappeared. The name was revived in 2005 by descendants of the founder, and since 2012 it has been owned by the Meylan family through MELB Holding, which also owns the movement specialist Precision Engineering — meaning Moser makes its own hairsprings and escapements, a rarity at any scale.

The modern brand is best known for restraint taken to the point of provocation. The Concept series removes the logo, the indices, and any text at all, leaving a fumé dial — deep colour at the centre fading to near-black at the edge — and two hands. The Swiss Alp Watch, shaped like an Apple Watch and running a hand-wound movement, was a deliberate joke at the smartwatch's expense.

Moser's complications are serious despite the humour: perpetual calendars with a single central hand for the month, and flying tourbillons with double hairsprings. Production is around three thousand pieces annually.

H. Moser & Cie holds 8 models, from £16,000 to £120,000. Half cost less than £26,950, and a quarter less than £23,550. 7 of 8 are automatic. 5 are stocked by more than one retailer, giving 13 offers in total. Prices are checked nightly against the retailers’ own feeds.

1828

Heinrich Moser founds the company, trading into Russia.

1917

The Russian business is lost to the Revolution.

2005

The name is revived by descendants of the founder.

2012

The Meylan family acquires the brand with Precision Engineering.