Swiss Alp Watch: H. Moser & Cie’s Answer to the Apple Watch
We had been eagerly awaiting a response from the world of mechanical watchmaking to the connected watch—particularly the Apple Watch. This technological shift has prompted many brands to position themselves in the connected watch market, with mixed results.
While Tag Heuer, Frédérique Constant and Montblanc have tried their hand at the exercise by creating connected products, the prize for the best response undoubtedly goes to H. Moser & Cie (pronounced “etch mozer and company”).
On the occasion of SIHH 2016 (Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie) in Geneva, H. Moser & Cie, masterfully led by Edouard Meylan, unveiled the Swiss Alp watch.
This watch, with a design close to that of the Apple Watch, is not only very beautiful; it also delivers an uncompromising answer to the all-connected world.
It is exactly the message that watch brands should, in my view, be addressing to connected watches (smartwatches).
H. Moser & Cie simply invites us to sink our teeth into life rather than let Apple and other connected devices sink their teeth into our lives.
With a 100-hour power reserve thanks to the manual-winding HMC324 calibre housed in its handsome white-gold case, the question of autonomy is therefore settled compared with a smartwatch—which risks producing this kind of awkward exchange:
- “What time is it?”
- “I don’t know, I’m out of battery.”
A single app: time. No phone, no messages, no heart-rate monitoring, etc.
The watch will never become obsolete; there are no updates required.
The Swiss Alp Watch makes it possible to disconnect and reconnect with reality.
The price is around 23,000 euros, versus €18,000 for a luxury-version Apple Watch (18K yellow-gold case) that will be obsolete in less than two years.
The roughly fifty pieces were already sold before they were even produced.
One can also invoke Patek Philippe‘s slogan to reinforce the message of the eternal versus the ephemeral: You never actually own a Patek Philippe. You merely look after it for the next generation …
The presentation video for this Swiss Alp watch is a delight.
