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H. Moser & Cie. produces approximately 4,000 watches per year. That is not a typo. In an industry where Rolex makes over a million watches annually and even mid-tier independents produce tens of thousands, Moser operates on a scale closer to a fine art studio than a watch factory. And yet, within the collector community, Moser has achieved a level of recognition and cultural relevance that far exceeds what those production numbers would suggest.
The brand is known for three things: its fumé dials (gradient dials that shade from light at the center to dark at the edges, produced in-house to a standard that has become the benchmark for the technique), its radical minimalism (the “Concept” watches strip away all text, logos, and indices, leaving nothing but hands and dial), and its willingness to provoke the industry with stunts that are equal parts marketing and genuine critique. Moser once produced a Swiss Alp Watch that looked exactly like an Apple Watch. It once made a watch with a dial made of Swiss cheese. It regularly trolls the conventions of the luxury watch establishment while simultaneously producing movements and finishing that belong in any serious conversation about independent haute horlogerie.
Origins
Heinrich Moser founded his watchmaking company in Schaffhausen, in northern Switzerland, in 1828. He was a remarkably successful entrepreneur who built hydroelectric infrastructure along the Rhine Falls and exported watches throughout Europe and to Russia. The original company thrived in the nineteenth century but was eventually dissolved. In 2005, the Moser family name was revived by MELB Holding (the family office of the Meylan family), which reestablished H. Moser & Cie. as an independent manufacturer in Neuhausen am Rheinfall, just outside Schaffhausen.
The modern Moser is led by CEO Edouard Meylan, who has shaped the brand’s identity with a mix of horological seriousness and irreverent marketing. MELB Holding also owns Hautlence and, importantly, a stake in Precision Engineering AG, the company that manufactures Straumann hairsprings. This gives Moser access to one of the most critical components in mechanical watchmaking: the hairspring that regulates timekeeping. Producing its own hairsprings places Moser in an elite category alongside Rolex, Patek Philippe, and the Swatch Group.
The Fumé Dial
If there is a single element that defines H. Moser & Cie., it is the fumé dial. The technique involves applying multiple layers of lacquer to a dial blank, each layer slightly different in tone, then carefully removing material from the center to create a gradient that shades from a lighter center to a deeper, saturated edge. The result is a dial with remarkable depth and movement that changes character depending on the light.
Moser produces its fumé dials in-house, and the quality is widely regarded as the best in the industry. The brand offers fumé dials in a range of colors, from the classic midnight blue and cosmic green to more adventurous options like the recently introduced red fumé Grand Feu enamel, which combines the fumé gradient with fired enamel for a volcanic, three-dimensional effect. In 2025, Moser debuted a fumé meteorite dial using Gibeon meteorite from Namibia, with the natural Widmanstätten crystalline patterns enhanced by a golden tone and the signature fumé effect.
The Concept watches take the fumé dial to its logical extreme by removing all text from the dial surface. No brand name, no model name, no indices, no minute track. Just the fumé gradient and the hands. It is a statement of confidence that few brands could pull off: the dial is so recognizable that Moser does not need to sign it.
The Collections
The Endeavour is Moser’s classical collection, featuring round cases in sizes from 38mm to 42mm with dress watch proportions. The Endeavour Centre Seconds, Perpetual Calendar, and Tourbillon are the core references. The Endeavour Perpetual Calendar is notable for its clean, single-subdial layout that disguises the mechanical complexity of a perpetual calendar behind an almost austere simplicity. The 2026 Endeavour Tourbillon Skeleton in red gold showcases a fully openworked movement with pared-back bridges. Retail prices for the Endeavour range from approximately $20,000 for the Centre Seconds to well above $100,000 for tourbillon and perpetual calendar references.
The Streamliner is Moser’s luxury sport watch, introduced in 2020 with a Flyback Chronograph. Named for the Streamline Moderne design movement of the 1920s and 1930s, the Streamliner features a cushion-shaped case with an integrated bracelet that flows seamlessly from the case in a single organic curve. The collection has expanded rapidly to include a Centre Seconds, Perpetual Calendar, Tourbillon, Minute Repeater Tourbillon, and the Perpetual Moon. In 2026, Moser debuted its first ceramic watch, the Streamliner Tourbillon Concept Ceramic, with an anthracite grey ceramic case and bracelet and a red fumé Grand Feu enamel dial, priced at CHF 89,000. Retail prices for the Streamliner range from approximately $25,000 for the Centre Seconds to over $100,000 for complications.
Moser has also expanded into Formula 1 through a partnership with the BWT Alpine team. The Streamliner Alpine Drivers and Mechanics editions pair a skeletonized flyback chronograph (powered by the HMC 700 caliber developed with movement specialist Agenhor) with a hybrid digital-analog connected watch designed for pit crew use. The 2026 Pink Edition, limited to 50 sets at $74,400, reflects Alpine’s current livery.
Buying H. Moser Today
Moser watches are available at the brand’s own boutiques and a select network of authorized retailers. Distribution is deliberately limited, consistent with the brand’s low production volumes. Some references, particularly Concept models and limited editions, sell out at launch. Standard production references are available but not abundant.
On the secondary market, Moser holds value better than most brands at its price point, reflecting both the low production numbers and strong collector demand. An Endeavour Centre Seconds fumé dial that retails for approximately $20,000 to $24,000 trades for $14,000 to $18,000 pre-owned. Streamliner references command similar retention. For a brand that produces its own hairsprings, makes its own fumé dials in-house, and operates at a scale where each watch receives genuine individual attention, Moser’s pricing represents a direct connection between what you pay and what you get. There are no marketing budgets worth hundreds of millions inflating the sticker price. Just watchmaking.
Browse H. Moser & Cie. listings on Tempo, where every transaction is escrow-protected and both buyers and sellers pay zero fees. Visit tempo-watches.com.
This article is for informational purposes only. Prices, secondary market values, and specifications are approximate and based on market conditions as of early 2026. H. Moser & Cie. is a registered trademark of H. Moser & Cie. AG, part of MELB Holding. Tempo is not affiliated with or endorsed by H. Moser & Cie.