H. Moser & Cie. Swiss Mad Watch

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With the Swiss Made label for watchmaking revised from January 1st, 2017, to require 60% of components in a watch to be of Swiss origin, H. Moser & Cie. has soundly critiqued the shortcomings of this inadequate label and stands up for true independent Swiss watchmakers. For the Schaffhausen-based Manufacture, whose creations are over 95% Swiss, this label is too lenient, providing no guarantee, creating confusion and encouraging abuses of the system. For these reasons, H. Moser & Cie. has decided to remove the Swiss Made label from all new watches created from 2017 onwards.

Created in Switzerland, by Swiss watchmakers and using Swiss materials: the Swiss Mad Watch has symbolic value, tackling Swiss Made debate head on to reveal the truth behind this label. With this unique watch, H. Moser & Cie. demonstrates the importance and urgency of returning Swiss Made to its former heights. Echoing
the absurdity and the ridiculous change to the Swiss Made legislation, H. Moser & Cie.’s satirical comment on the issue highlights an alternative resource, 100% natural and entirely Swiss, one of the most precious Swiss resources that exists: cows.

The case of the Swiss Mad Watch is created from real Swiss cheese as a base material, a Vacherin Mont d’Or médaille d’or, added to an innovative composite material, itr2©, then machined and polished with the H. Moser signature finishes. For the strap, Swiss cowhide was the obvious choice. The watch is finished with a red fumé dial and doubled indices at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o’clock, subtly reminiscent of the Swiss flag.

The Swiss Mad Watch will be presented during the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) from January 16th to 20th, 2017. This is the perfect opportunity to admire this unique watch, whose price of 1,081,291, in Swiss Francs of course, references the signing of the Swiss Federal Charter on August 1st, 1291. All proceeds from the sale of this watch will be used to create a fund to support independent Swiss watchmaking suppliers currently suffering under the difficult economic situation and outsourcing to Asia.

Technical details
Model:  SWISS MAD WATCH
Reference 8327-1400, model made with Swiss cheese, red fumé dial, Swiss cowhide leather strap, unique piece

Case
Cheese integrated with itr2 © composite material
Diameter: 42.0 mm, height: 9.4 mm
Sapphire crystal
See-through sapphire crystal case-back
Crown adorned with an “M”

Dial
Red fumé with sunburst pattern
White lacquered applique indexes and hour and minute hands in the shape of a swallow’s tail

Movement
In-house, hand-wound, mechanical HMC 327 calibre
Dimensions: 32.0 mm or 14 ¼ lignes, height: 4.5 mm
Frequency: 18,000 Vib/h
29 jewels
Power reserve: minimum 3 days
Moser teeth for all wheels and pinions
Original Straumann Hairspring® with stabilised Breguet overcoil

Functions
Hours and minutes
Power reserve indicator on movement side

StrapHand-stitched cowhide leather strap
Steel pin buckle, engraved with the Moser logo

Update: 15 May 2017 

Swiss Cheese Watch Created by H. Moser & Cie. Sells for a Record Price in Support of Traditional Swiss Watchmaking 

As a committed traditional watch manufacture aiming to preserve the rich tradition of Switzerland’s horology industry, H. Moser & Cie. has made a long-term commitment to supporting and preserving mechanical watchmaking and its associated professions. On May 15th, Christie’s auctioned the first two pieces selected as part of this initiative: the Swiss Mad Watch, 100% Swiss, with a case made from cheese, and the prototype of the Swiss Alp Watch, the proud antithesis of the smartwatch.

More than simply watches, the two pieces sold by world-leading auction house Christie’s in Geneva on May 15th have a symbolic role. Created by H. Moser & Cie., one in response to the wave of smartwatches, and the other in mockery of a Swiss Made label lacking rigour, these one-off pieces have achieved iconic status, helping bring greater transparency to the debates surrounding these hot topics.

Christie’s lot 116 – Swiss Mad Watch, reference 8327-1400, case made
from Swiss cheese, red fumé dial, Swiss cowhide leather strap, unique
piece and Swiss Alp Watch, reference 5324-0200, original prototype in
rhodium-plated brass, signature fumé dial, kudu leather strap

Included in the catalogue of rare watches, the Swiss Alp Watch and Swiss Mad Watch were sold as a single lot by Christie’s. This was an opportunity not to be missed by collectors, who ensured the bids came thick and fast. The final amount realised as the hammer fell was 100,000 CHF. The proceeds from this sale will be donated to the Fondation pour la Culture Horlogère Suisse (Foundation for Swiss Watchmaking Culture), helping it to achieve its two objectives: to support apprenticeships in the watchmaking professions and to safeguard expertise in the related watchmaking arts and crafts.

With the support of Christie’s, a model from the H. Moser & Cie. Swiss Watch series will be sold each year at auction, with the profits donated to the Fondation pour la Culture Horlogère Suisse. The next piece will be unveiled to coincide with SIHH 2018.