H. Moser & Cie’s Swiss Mad Watch was one of the must-see pieces of SIHH2017. For it’s truly a Very Rare occasion to witness a 100% Swiss Made watch…
The Swiss Mad Watch is unique, symbolic, and irreverent, but most importantly, 100% Swiss and proud of it. 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.
Disruptive? “Definitely,” responds Edouard Meylan, CEO of H. Moser & Cie. “Our Swiss Mad Watch sends a clear message to the Swiss watchmaking industry, the authorities and watch enthusiasts: the Swiss Made label is meaningless. Worse than this, it gives credibility to the worst abuses in our industry. Our response to this lax and insufficient label is derision. At H. Moser & Cie., we produce watches that are truly Swiss, watches that are steeped in watchmaking tradition and centuries of experience. The quality of these pieces speaks for itself and dispenses with the need for a label. We are no longer “Swiss Made”, but we are Swiss. 100% Swiss, in the case of the Swiss Mad Watch, and over 95% Swiss for all of our other models,” concludes Edouard Meylan.
H. Moser & Cie also launched a lactose-free version of the watch with white gold case, but there’s still some Marguerite there.
