Smarter Than You Think

H Moser & Cie CEO Edouard Meylan speaks about the watchmaker’s recent release that marks the end of the Swiss Alp Watch series

The Swiss Alp Watch Final Upgrade is the last iteration of H Moser & Cie’s Swiss Alp Watch saga that’s had collectors scrambling for their wallets since 2016. “The Swiss Alp Watch was an instant success for us,” says H Moser & Cie CEO Edouard Meylan. The original 50-piece run sold out in the first 48 hours of its release. “From there, we’ve developed the collection using different materials, like white gold or steel, as well as different dials and high-end complications.”

The first thing you’ll notice about these watches is that they look nearly identical to the Apple Watch. The watchmaker’s latest edition comes with an ultra-modern, rounded rectangular-shaped case. Its super-slick dial is coated with Vantablack. “We’re been using Vantablack for a couple of years,” says Meylan. “It’s amazing—the darkest material ever created.”

It’s the first time Vantablack has been used for the Swiss Alp Watch. “We wanted to finish this series with a strong message, so using Vantablack was perfect.” There’s no logo or indices, and the hour and minute hands are blackened for added ambiguity. A small seconds display sits at six o’clock and has been designed as a shaded disc that resembles the Apple spinning wheel—talk about tongue-incheek. “The idea for the small seconds display came from a collector in Thailand who posts under the Instagram handle @moserlover,” says Meylan. “After an event in Bangkok, he asked us if we could do a piece with some kind of progress bar on it. We thought it was a great idea and developed it for the Final Upgrade.”

Since its launch five years ago, 500 Swiss Alp Watch pieces have been produced. So why has H Moser & Cie decided to discontinue the line? “It’s time for us to move on and open up space for new collections.” Not one to rest of his laurels, Meylan wants to start afresh. “At H Moser, we know it’s important that we renew ourselves, be creative and continue to push boundaries.”