Introducing: The H. Moser & Cie. Swiss Alp Watch, A Not-So-Subtle Jab At The Apple Watch (Exclusive Live Photos & Details)

January 06, 2016

You know, 2015 was absolutely the year of the smartwatch. And by smartwatch, what we really mean to say is 2015 was the year of the Apple Watch. Following up the September 2014 announcement (covered here by yours truly) and the April 2015 launch, the Swiss watch industry waited with bated breath?to see just how disruptive the Apple Watch would be to its ever-so-lovely status quo. Turns out, it may have actually been pretty damn disruptive C reports indicate that the Swiss watch industrys exports were down around 4% year over year, with quartz watches in particular taking a beating. Now there could be many reasons for this C geopolitical turmoil, a luxury tax in China, etc.?C but Apple, rightfully or not, has often been the scapegoat. And to combat those who?think differently from Switzerland, weve seen a host of Swiss-labeled (but?interestingly?not Swiss-made) solutions that ranged from the?embarrassing?to the just plain silly.?The highest profile was certainly that of TAG Heuers Smart?Carrera,?which?Kevin reviewed here. Today, however, we have an entirely different take on the Swiss-made anti-Apple?Watch. Its called the Swiss Alp Watch, and it comes from high-end independent watchmaker H. Moser, and boy, are they in for a fight. The first thing youll notice about the Swiss Alp Watch is that it, well, looks exactly like the Apple?Watch.Youve got that beautiful, rounded, rectangular-shaped case that oozes the great Jony Ive-led Apple Design team. But instead of a touch screen with any number of apps, you have a gorgeous grey fume dial, something for which Moser is well known among watch aficionados. The lugs, which look just like the wire lugs found on the higher end Apple?Watches, actually use a spring bar, but the effect is there. Inside, you have an in-house H. Moser caliber that features a power reserve indicator and Straumann hairspring. But you know what, it almost doesnt matter that its inside C suffice it to say its a wonderful, high-end, mostly hand-finished, all hand-assembled, completely Swiss-made movement that tells you nothing but the time and will likely last multiple generations. Essentially, what Swiss watchmaking is all about. What does matter is that THIS WATCH LOOKS JUST LIKE THE APPLE?WATCH. Now Moser isnt a well-known company outside of the watch collecting world C its not as if IWC, Omega, or Rolex is taking a light-hearted jab at the worlds largest and most valuable company (which, incidentally, has more cash in the bank than the entire Swiss watch industry makes in a year, by a lot). Moser is a little guy, with a production of less than 1,500 watches per year, and on some level, you have to give them credit for putting the Swiss Alp Watch into production. Its a little cheesy, its a little funny, its a little goofy, but at the end of the day, theyre having fun with Apple, and marking this moment in watchmaking in a fun way. Whether?Apple agrees is a whole different story. Also, this isnt the first time Moser has played a little coy with Apple C earlier this year they teased The First Swiss-Made Smart Watch only to reveal a new take?on their excellent Endeavour Perpetual Calendar (which I reviewed here). The funny thing about this whole Swiss Alp Watch thing though?is that Moser went to seemingly pretty serious lengths to troll Apple in their marketing materials. There is a Apple-esque video clip, complete with senior-level-executive voice over. Instead of Jony Ive, we hear Edouard Meylan, Mosers owner and CEO. We also have the white-background,?Apple-style pack shots that we are used to seeing on billboards everywhere. The Moser Swiss Alp Watch looks and feels just like the Apple?Watch on the wrist, and in fact is the same size as the 38?mm variation. It is white gold, so the weight is considerably more, but the feel is very much the same. Only 50 pieces will be made, all in white gold, and at a price of $24,900 C only a little bit more than the all-rose-gold Apple Watch Edition.?If youre interested in one, we expect them to not be on the market for long C either theyll sell out quickly, or Apple will shut this down in a matter of days. Either way, gotta give some props to Moser for having fun with the state of Swiss watchmaking and its seemingly incessant obsession with what Apple is doing. Technical Features The Moser Swiss Alp Watch is offered in 18k white gold, 38.2 mm x44 mm x 10.3 mm. Fum dial; movement, in-house Moser caliber HMC 324, hand-wound, 4-day power reserve, 18,000 vph with Straumann overcoil?balance spring, Moser interchangeable escapement. Power reserve on the movement, visible through the display back. Strap, hand-stitched Kudu leather with white-gold pin buckle. Visit H. Moser & Cie. right here.