The Swiss brand is one of the rare independent, family-run businesses in the watchmaking industry (All photos: H Moser & Cie)
To truly understand the spirit of H Moser & Cie, one needs only to look at its founder, Heinrich Moser, a Swiss watchmaker and industrialist who embodied the very definition of a visionary.
Despite finding success in St Petersburg, Russia, Heinrich returned to Schaffhausen and channelled his wealth into developing his hometown. In addition to establishing a watch manufacture, he spearheaded the construction of the Moser Dam on the Rhine, which provided critical hydro-mechanical energy to local factories, effectively saving the region from poverty, and developed Switzerland’s second railway line connecting the medieval town to Winterthur.
After years of dormancy, the historic watchmaking business was revived by the founder’s great-grandson in 2002 and eventually acquired by MELB Holding. Today, H Moser & Cie stands as one of the few fully integrated, independent and family-run manufactures in the industry — a status reflected in its motto: “Very rare”.
body_photo.png
Whether through the contemporary Streamliner or the classic Heritage, the brand’s collections seamlessly unite mechanical ingenuity and traditional artistry with timepieces that look decisively modern and minimalist. Sharing its space is sister company Precision Engineering AG, which transforms delicate spools of wire into perfectly calibrated hairsprings.
Not many manufactures in the world have the metallurgical expertise to melt, draw and roll wire to a precision of under a fraction of a micron. Made with a proprietary alloy, the hairsprings get pulled from 0.6mm to as thin as 0.1mm, which can take up to two weeks, stretching a 10m wire to 450m. With the ability to customise the stiffness, length and terminal curves of these springs, it is no wonder Precision Engineering is the go-to supplier of other high-end independent watchmakers and partner brands as well.
Driven by robust global growth, H Moser & Cie has plans to expand to a grander home. In 2028, it will move into a fully renovated historic building nestled in the centre of Neuhausen am Rheinfall — where Heinrich once lived — directly opposite Europe’s largest waterfall by volume.
Nicknamed the “Moser Ship”, the new 6,000 sq m site spanning six storeys will serve as a unified hub for the maison and its entities. The expansion will double production capacity to over 8,000 pieces annually and welcome collectors directly into the brand’s creative heart.
This article first appeared in 'Calibre' on July 27, 2026 in The Edge Malaysia.
