Tucked away in the picturesque Swiss city of Schaffhausen, just 40 minutes from Zurich, lies one of the best-kept secrets in luxury watchmaking: H. Moser & Cie. Known for its refined craftsmanship, boundary-pushing designs, and quietly rebellious spirit, this near-200-year-old brand is crafting timepieces that redefine what it means to be exclusive.
While Schaffhausen may be best known for Europe’s largest waterfall, true connoisseurs make the pilgrimage here for something else entirely—handmade watches so rare and innovative, they turn traditional luxury on its head.
H. Moser & Cie is a small-scale powerhouse. With just 55 employees, the company produces under 1,500 watches per year, making each timepiece a rarity in the world of mass-produced luxury. From engineering to final assembly, every watch is built under one roof. “We produce almost everything in the watch,” says CEO Edouard Meylan, highlighting the in-house nature of their operations.
Their entry-level watches begin at around CHF 11,930 (roughly €11,350), but prices can soar well into the millions, depending on design and materials. And when Meylan says the sky’s the limit, he means it. The company has crafted watches from sapphire crystal, and even more shockingly, Swiss cheese. Yes, you read that correctly—a conceptual, tongue-in-cheek timepiece made to be, as Meylan puts it, “the most Swiss watch ever produced.”
But don’t mistake these innovations for gimmicks. H. Moser’s ethos is steeped in tradition and precision, yet fearlessly avant-garde. “We try every year to have a few things that just don’t make sense,” Meylan explains. Much like haute couture in fashion, these watches are statements—bold, conceptual, and intended to spark conversation in the collector world.
The brand eschews glitzy over-design and instead opts for understated elegance. These are not timepieces meant to scream luxury—they are meant to whisper craftsmanship, to speak to those who know. “They’re not full of diamonds just to show off,” notes Meylan. “These products are built for A-listers who know what true craftsmanship looks like.”
Collectors from around the world often visit the atelier in Schaffhausen, eager to witness the transformation of raw metals into intricate mechanical marvels. Watch enthusiast Roy Slater Hill describes the experience: “They come away totally amazed at the time it takes, the complicated processes… the lovely, shiny product that works.” He adds that even non-watch lovers—often the spouses of collectors—walk away with a new appreciation for the passion behind these pieces.
In an age of fast fashion and flashy branding, H. Moser & Cie offers something entirely different: timeless innovation rooted in heritage. Whether it’s a sapphire crystal casing or a cheese-infused dial, each watch is an extraordinary piece of Swiss artistry—made not for the masses, but for those who truly understand rarity.
