Company:H. Moser & Cie
Type | Private |
---|---|
Industry | Luxury watchmaking |
Founded | 1828 (Heinrich Moser&Cie) 2002 (Moser Schaffhausen AG) |
Founder | Heinrich Moser |
Headquarters | , Switzerland |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Roger Nicholas Balsiger (Honorary chairman) Edouard Meylan (CEO) |
Products | Watches |
Production output | Around 1,500 (2018) |
Number of employees | 60 |
Parent | MELB Holding Group (Meylan family) |
Website | h-moser |
H. Moser & Cie. is a trademark of Moser Schaffhausen AG, a Switzerland luxury watch manufacturer.[1][2][3] The original H. Moser & Cie. was founded by independent watchmaker Heinrich Moser in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1828.[1][4][5][6] Notable early clients of H. Moser & Cie. included Russian princes and members of the Russian Imperial Court; Vladimir Lenin also owned a Moser watch.[5][7] After Moser died in 1874, the company was sold, and its business in Russia was expropriated in 1918 due to the October Revolution.[1][8]
In 1953, H. Moser & Cie. continued its business in Le Locle, Switzerland where it shifted its focus from pocket watches to wristwatches.[1][8] Due to the quartz crisis, H. Moser & Cie. became a part of the Dixi Mechanique Group and the original brand name was dropped.[1][9][10] In 2002, Moser Schaffhausen AG was founded by Dr. Jürgen Lange together with Heinrich Moser's great-grandson Roger Nicholas Balsiger, and the brand H. Moser & Cie. was formally re-launched in 2005.[1][2][11] Since 2012, Moser Schaffhausen AG has been a subsidiary of the MELB Holding Group of the Meylan family in Switzerland.[2][12][13]
History
Early history
Heinrich Moser was born in Schaffhausen, Switzerland on December 12, 1805.[5][14] He learned the basic watchmaking craftsmanship from his father, and continued his studies in Le Locle, Switzerland after 1824.[14] In 1828, he founded the original H. Moser & Cie. in St. Petersburg, Russia.[1][4][5]
In 1848, Heinrich Moser returned to his hometown of Schaffhausen and established a watch factory there to supply his business.[1][8][14] Notable clients of H. Moser & Cie. at the time included Russian princes and members of the Russian Imperial Court.[5][7] In particular, Vladimir Lenin also owned a Moser watch. Heinrich Moser died on October 23, 1874, and the company was sold since none of his heirs was willing to lead the business. [7]
In 1953, H. Moser & Cie. continued its business in Le Locle where it produced its first wristwatches.[1][8] But due to the quartz crisis, H. Moser & Cie. became a part of the Dixi Mechanique Group and the original brand name was dropped, becoming "Hy Moser & Cie".[1][9][10]
Recent development
In 2002, Moser Schaffhausen AG was founded by Dr. Jürgen Lange, together with Heinrich Moser's great-grandson Roger Nicholas Balsiger.[1][9][11] In 2005, the company established a new Manufacture in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, and H. Moser & Cie. was formally re-launched as a trademark of the company.[1][15]
Since 2012, H. Moser & Cie. has been owned by the MELB Holding Group of the Meylan family in Switzerland.[12][13] As of 2018, H. Moser & Cie. produces around 1,500 watches a year and employs around 55 staff members.[1][7][16]
Watch manufacturing
H. Moser & Cie. manufactures its own watch components.[7] It launched the first three watches in 2005 after the brand was revived.[17]
In 2006, the Perpetual Calendar from H. Moser & Cie. won the Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix.[1][8]
At Baselworld 2007, H. Moser & Cie. introduced the Straumann Hairspring.[8] The hairspring was developed jointly with H. Moser & Cie.'s associate company Precision Engineering AG in Schaffhausen. It contains a formula updated from Nivarox, an alloy composition originally invented by Dr. h.c. Reinhard Straumann in 1931.[18]
In 2009, H. Moser & Cie. introduced their tonneau-shaped watch, the Henry. It featured a "Straumann Double Hairspring," which had two hairsprings that counter rotates as opposed to only one hairspring. The Henry was later discontinued in favor of the Swiss Alps line.[19]
SIHH special watch
Since 2016, H. Moser & Cie. has unveiled a special watch every year at the annual Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) to raise public awareness on different topics.
- 2016, the Swiss Alps Watch Zzzz, a parody of Apple Watch[20][21]
- 2017, the Swiss Mad Watch, with the case made of real Swiss cheese[22][23]
- 2018, the Swiss Icons Watch, mixing notable features from various Swiss watch manufacturers[24][25]
- 2019, the Moser Nature Watch, covered with live Swiss plants[26][27][28]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 "History - Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie". https://www.hautehorlogerie.org/en/brands/history/h/h-moser-cie/.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Company Overview of Moser Schaffhausen AG". https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapid=172590598.
- ↑ "H. MOSER & CIE. Trademark of MOSER WATCH HOLDING AG - Registration Number 4926052 - Serial Number 86642979 :: Justia Trademarks" (in en). http://trademarks.justia.com/866/42/h-moser-86642979.html.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "H. Moser" (in en). https://www.hodinkee.com/brands/h-moser.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 "MOSER" (in en-US). https://www.h-moser.com/en/.
- ↑ "Exclusive interview with Edouard Meylan: How H. Moser & Cie. is the calm within the storm of the current global crisis". https://watchyagonnadoaboutit.com/2020/04/10/an-interview-with-edouard-meylan-how-h-moser-cie-is-the-calm-within-the-storm-of-the-current-global-crisis/.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 "H. Moser & Cie. - Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie". https://www.hautehorlogerie.org/en/brands/brand/s/h-moser-cie/.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 "History | MOSER" (in en-US). https://www.h-moser.com/en/category/company/history.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 "H.Moser & Cie - A legendary brand - - WorldTempus" (in en). http://en.worldtempus.com/article/hmoser-et-cie-a-legendary-brand-14289.html.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Lim, Robin (2016-02-12). "Review: H.Moser & Cie. Perpetual Calendar Heritage Limited Edition -" (in en-US). https://deployant.com/review-h-moser-cie-perpetual-calendar-heritage-limited-edition/.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 "A new generation | MOSER" (in en-US). https://www.h-moser.com/en/home/a-new-generation.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 "A new generation | MOSER" (in en-US). https://www.h-moser.com/en/home/a-new-generation.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 "H. Moser & Cie. - Edouard Meylan named CEO - People and interviews - WorldTempus" (in en). http://en.worldtempus.com/article/industry-news/people-and-interviews/h-moser-et-cie-edouard-meylan-named-ceo-14664.html.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 "H.Moser & Cie - Heinrich Moser - - WorldTempus" (in en). http://en.worldtempus.com/article/hmoser-et-cie-heinrich-moser-14291.html.
- ↑ Deshp, Written byJay; e (2015-02-14). "Remaking Moser: New Owners Revitalize the H. Moser & Cie. Watch Brand" (in en-US). https://www.watchtime.com/featured/remaking-moser-streamlining-production-and-focusing-on-profitability/.
- ↑ December 2, Jon Bues; 2018. "Introducing: The H. Moser & Cie. Heritage Bucherer Blue Editions And Endeavour Diamonds Bucherer Blue Editions (Live Pics & Pricing)" (in en). https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/h-moser-heritage-bucherer-blue-editions-endeavour-diamonds-blue-editions-intro.
- ↑ "H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Perpetual Calendar On The Wrist" (in en-US). 2015-07-27. https://quillandpad.com/2015/07/27/h-moser-cie-endeavour-perpetual-calendar-on-the-wrist/.
- ↑ "H. Moser & Cie.: The Practice of Simple Complexity – FHH Journal" (in en-US). https://journal.hautehorlogerie.org/en/h-moser-cie-the-practice-of-simple-complexity/.
- ↑ "Remaking Moser: New Owners Revitalize the H. Moser & Cie. Watch Brand – Watchtime" (in en-US). https://www.watchtime.com/featured/remaking-moser-streamlining-production-and-focusing-on-profitability/.
- ↑ May 23, Stephen Pulvirent; 2017. "Introducing: The H. Moser Swiss Alp Watch Zzzz" (in en). https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/moser-swiss-alp-watch-zzzz.
- ↑ "05.2017 | MOSER" (in en-US). https://www.h-moser.com/en/news/05-2017.
- ↑ January 11, Stephen Pulvirent; 2017. "Introducing: The H. Moser Swiss Mad Watch, With A Case Made Of Real Swiss Cheese" (in en). https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/h-moser-swiss-mad-watch-swiss-cheese-limited-edition-venturer-introducing.
- ↑ "01.2017 | MOSER" (in en-US). https://www.h-moser.com/en/news/01-2017.
- ↑ "Introducing - H. Moser & Cie. Swiss Icons Watch, Another Irreverence to the Industry" (in en-US). 2018-01-10. https://monochrome-watches.com/introducing-h-moser-cie-swiss-icons-watch/.
- ↑ January 10, Jack Forster; 2018. "Introducing: The H. Moser Swiss Icons Watch" (in en). https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/h-moser-swiss-icons-watch-introducing.
- ↑ DeMarco, Anthony. "A Watch With A Blooming Garden Is A Sustainability Statement For H. Moser" (in en). https://www.forbes.com/sites/anthonydemarco/2019/01/24/watch-with-a-blooming-garden-is-a-sustainability-statement-for-h-moser/.
- ↑ "SIHH 2019: H. Moser & Cie. Unveils a Watch Covered in Live Plants | SJX Watches". http://watchesbysjx.com/2019/01/h-moser-nature-watch-plants.html.
- ↑ "01.2019 | MOSER" (in en-US). https://www.h-moser.com/en/news/01-2019.