As soon as visitors set foot in Charlottenfels Castle, built by Heinrich Moser in 1854 they are overwhelmed by a sense of wonder at the elegance and sobriety of the high-ceiling rooms and the unobstructed view of the Rhine and the town of Schaffhausen. Today, the Moser family museum can be found on the first floor of this magnificent abode, which exhibits items belonging to Heinrich Moser and recounts his life through his creations and works. Naturally, many of the objects on display are watches, which tell the history of the brand from 1828 to today. It is from these pieces, and particularly those from the 20th century, that H. Moser & Cie. drew inspiration to recreate its Heritage line.
Since ‘Heritage’ is far from a synonym for ‘old and dusty’ for H. Moser & Cie., the new Heritage Tourbillon Funky Blue has become the modern symbol of the Schaffhausen-based brand's immense heritage. The Heritage Tourbillon Funky Blue model features round shapes with classic accents that recall Moser watches from the early 20th century. Its steel case features tapered lugs and a notched crown. The traditional-style railway minute track appears in white to give a very modern contrasting result, while the sword-shaped hands are coated with superluminova. The distinctive appliqué numerals use globolight, an innovative material that can assume any shape and any colour, and contains superluminova.
Visible behind the skeletonized bridge of the one-minute tourbillon beats the HMC 804 automatic calibre, designed, developed and produced entirely by H. Moser & Cie. Powering this movement with a three-day power reserve, the oscillating weight transfers the energy to the barrel via a bi-directional pawl winding system which reduces the time required to fully wind the watch. The oscillating weight is skeletonized, revealing the mechanism beneath. A marvel of ingenuity, this movement is equipped with a double flat hairspring designed and produced in-house. To simplify the after-sales service, the tourbillon is an interchangeable module, assembled and regulated separately to the movement via a simple "plug and play" system.
To further break with the traditional codes, the strap in raw leather features white stitching to add one last finishing touch to this creation. This Haute Horlogerie model draws on the so-called sports watches of the 1900s. It is a traditional model in a steel case, but it blurs boundaries and is impossible to sum up in a single word. This creation breaks with the status quo, but is still timeless.
Sticker Price $49,900 USD. For more info on H. Moser & Cie. click here.
Technical Specifications
H. Moser & Cie. Heritage Tourbillon Funky Blue ref. 8804-1200
Case: 42 mm Stainless Steel
Dial: Funky Blue fumé with sunburst pattern and numerals and hands coated with superluminova
Movement: HMC 804 automatic 28-jewel in-house calibre. Beats at a frequency of 21,600 vph to provide a power reserve of 3 days when fully wound. This movement is fitted with the automatic bi-directional pawl winding system with oscillating weight in 18K gold with engraved H. Moser & Cie. logo.
Strap: Hand-stitched caramel-coloured kudu leather Steel pin buckle, engraved with the Moser logo.
