Media K it BA SELWORL D 2 012
MOSER SCHAFFHAUSEN AG SWITZERLAND
CON T EN TS 3
L eg a l N o t e
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P r o d u c t N e w s 2 012
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M eridian - D ual T ime M onard Date M arrone M ay u M arrone D iamonds
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C o m pa n y P o r t r a i t
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T he watch brand H . M oser & C ie H einrich M oser T he watch factor y M oser S chaffhausen A G T he M oser G rou p A G T ime L ine
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S u ppl e m e n ta ry In f o r m at i o n
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T he Per p etual C alendar from M oser T he D ouble Pull C rown s y stem T he interchangeable esca p ement module S traumann H airs p ring 速 S traumann D ouble H airs p ring Tourbillon or S traumann D ouble H airs p ring
P i c t u r e s P r o d u c t N e w s 2 012 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
M eridian D ual T ime R ef. 3 4 6 .12 1- 0 2 3 dark background M eridian D ual T ime R ef. 3 4 6 .12 1- 0 2 3 white background M eridian D ual T ime R ef. 3 4 6 .12 1- 0 24 dark background M eridian D ual T ime R ef. 3 4 6 .12 1- 0 24 white background M eridian D ual T ime lifest y le p icture M eridian D ual T ime dial v iew C al . H M C 3 4 6 .12 1 M eridian D ual T ime mo v ement v iew C al . H M C 3 4 6 .12 1 M eridian D ual T ime winding mechanism pawls and pawl wheel M onard Date R ef. 3 4 2 . 5 0 2- 0 0 6 dark background M onard Date R ef. 3 4 2 . 5 0 2- 0 0 6 white background M onard Date R ef. 3 4 2 . 5 0 2- 0 0 7 dark background M onard Date R ef. 3 4 2 . 5 0 2- 0 0 7 white background M onard Date lifest y le Picture M ay u R ef. 3 2 1. 5 0 3 - B15 dark background M ay u R ef. 3 2 1. 5 0 3 - B15 white background M ay u R ef. 3 2 1. 5 0 3 - B16 dark background M ay u R ef. 3 2 1. 5 0 3 - B16 white background M ay u R ef. 3 2 1. 5 0 3 - B16 lifest y le Picture
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Copyright Moser Schaffhausen AG, March 2012 All products as well as the tr ademarks are protected and remain the exclusive propert y of Moser Schaffhausen AG. Technical specifications and avail abilit y of all models are subject to change.
Press Contact : Picture Contact :
Denise Studer, denise.studer@ h-moser.com, T +41-52-674 00 54 Verena ZIMMERMANN, verena.ZIMMERMANN @ h-moser.com, T +41-52-674 10 94
H. Moser & C ie moser schaffhausen AG rundbuckstr asse 10, ch-8212 neuhausen am rheinfall, switzerl and t +41 52 674 00 50, w w w.h-moser.com Member of Moser Group AG
Legal note
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Meridian - Dual Time
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Meridian - Dual T ime A f t e r a n i n t en s i v e p e r i o d o f d e v e lo p m en t, H. M o s e r & C i e w i l l p r e s en t i t s fi r s t au to m at i c m ov e m en t to t h e p u b l i c at Ba s e lw o r l d 2 012 . T h i s c o m p l e t e ly n e w m ov e m en t fe at u r e s au to m at i c w i n d i n g a n d t w o t i m e zo n e s .
The movement exclusive to the Meridian - Dual Time combines well-known and popular complications with a special new feature: an AM/PM display, which changes automatically from 12 to 24 hours. The prominent window at the top of the dial displays a 12 in the morning (AM) and a 24 in the afternoon (PM) for the home time zone. The somewhat smaller red hour hand for the second time zone can be adjusted forwards or backwards in steps of one hour by means of the crown. Thanks to Moser’s patented Double Pull Crown system, the central position of the crown can be easily located without the watch being inadvertently stopped or the home time being adjusted. If the second time zone is not required, the different-coloured hour hand is hidden under the normal hour hand and thus moves along with it unseen. With a power reserve of 72 hours, i.e. three full days, the Moser automatic movement HMC 346.121 is one of the longest-running models available. The large, solid gold rotor bears the engraved company seal, a symbol of the quality and authenticity of every Moser watch for 185 years. The rotor transfers its energy to the large barrel by means of a pawl winding system which is wound up in either direction. One of the two pawls turns the pawl wheel on pull, the other on push. The accuracy of the Meridian - Dual Time is assured by Moser’s characteristic interchangeable escapement module which, naturally, also features a Straumann Hairspring, produced in-house, a Breguet overcoil and a pallet fork and escapement wheel in hardened solid gold. The Meridian - Dual Time also has Moser’s characteristic freely formed lateral surfaces on the case flanks. The see-through sapphire glass back of the watch allows the observer a closer look at the new mechanical automatic movement developed by Moser.
A lt e r n at i n g 12- a n d 24 - h o u r d i s p l ay
To indicate morning and afternoon, the Meridian - Dual Time uses a completely innovative system. A slide, moving back and forth, contains only the digits 1, 2 and 4. The correct display is achieved by either the digit 4 being hidden to the right of the window in the dial or the digit 1 being hidden under the dial to the left. The change of display at noon or at midnight takes only a second to complete. This has been accomplished by using a spring, which gains tension over a period of about eight hours without affecting the workings of the rest of the movement. Twice a day, the power of this spring is released at once to produce the rapid movement of the slide.
Meridian - Dual Time
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Meridian - Dual Time
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T echnical details Meridian - Dual T ime R e fe r e n c e N o. 346.121-023 Case
-- 18ct. rose gold, three-part, round case -- Graining and polished finish -- Diameter 40.80 mm -- Height 10.97 mm -- Gold crown with «M» sign 6.00 mm -- Sapphire crystal with internal antireflective coating -- See-through cambered sapphire glass black Movement
-- Automatic caliber HMC 346.121 -- Manufactured mechanical -- No movement holding ring -- Diameter 34.00 mm -- Height 6.51 mm -- Number of jewels 29 -- Frequency 18’000 vibrations per hour -- Power reserve of at least 3 days -- Adjustment 6 positions -- Automatic pawl winding system -- Solid gold rotor -- Moser tooth system in wheel train and pinions -- Moser interchangeable escapement -- Original Straumann Hairspring ® with stabilized Breguet overcoil -- Pallet fork and escapement wheel made of hardened solid gold FUNCTIONs
-- Second Time Zone Display -- 12- and 24-Hour Display -- Double Pull Crown Mechanism -- Patented winding system with two fixed stops -- Hacking Second DISPLAY
-- Silver-plated dial with sun pattern ground finish with diamond polished indexes -- Hours, minutes, off-centered pocket watch size second with three-dimensional form hands with a bright-polished eye -- Second time zone display indicated by a centered red hour hands -- 12- and 24-hour display at 12 o’clock Strap and buckle
-- Hand-sewn brown alligator leather strap -- solid 18k rose gold folding clasp with Moser logo
Meridian - Dual Time
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Meridian - Dual Time
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T echnical details Meridian - Dual T ime R e fe r e n c e N o. 3 4 6.121- 0 2 4 Case
-- Platinum, three-part, round case -- Graining and polished finish -- Diameter 40.80 mm -- Height 10.97 mm -- Gold crown with «M» sign 6.00 mm -- Sapphire crystal with internal antireflective coating -- See-through cambered sapphire glass black Movement
-- Automatic caliber HMC 346.121 -- Manufactured mechanical -- No movement holding ring -- Diameter 34.00 mm -- Height 6.51 mm -- Number of jewels 29 -- Frequency 18'000 vibrations per hour -- Power reserve of at least 3 days -- adjustment 6 positions -- Automatic pawl winding system -- Solid gold rotor -- Moser tooth system in wheel train and pinions -- Moser interchangeable escapement -- Original Straumann Hairspring ® with stabilized Breguet overcoil -- Pallet fork and escapement wheel made of hardened solid gold FUNCTIONs
-- Second Time Zone Display -- 12- and 24-Hour Display -- Double Pull Crown Mechanism -- Patented winding system with two fixed stops -- Hacking Second DISPLAY
-- Ardoise slate dial with sun pattern ground finish with diamond polished indexes -- Hours, minutes, off-centered pocket watch size second with three-dimensional form hands with a bright-polished eye -- Second time zone display indicated by a centered red hour hands -- 12- and 24-hour display at 12 o’clock Strap and buckle
-- Hand-sewn black alligator leather strap -- solid platinum folding clasp with Moser logo
Meridian - Dual Time
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Monard Date Marrone
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Monard Date M arrone M e d i t e r r a n e a n e l e ga n c e a n d j o i e d e v i v r e g i v e t h e M o n a r d Dat e by H . M o s e r & C i e . a fr e s h n e w lo o k . T h e p o p u l a r dat e watc h fr o m t h e S c h a ffh au s en - b a s e d watc h m a n u fac t u r e r i s n o w ava i l a b l e w i t h M o s e r ’s c h a r ac t e r i s t i c b r o w n d i a l .
Moser’s distinctive satin-finished and polished side surfaces, which do not form any geometric shapes, give the Monard Date case its unmistakable appearance. The three-part case measures 40.8 mm in diameter and is 10.85 mm thick. The dial gleams with a brown hue that is nuanced to suit the case material. The warm golden tones of the rose gold design harmonize perfectly with the elegant light brown colour. The cooler white gold case is set off to striking effect by a dark dial. As in all of Moser’s date watches, the date of the Monard Date jumps forward by one day in the space of a second at midnight every day. Depending on the length of the month, the date can be adjusted as required by hand via the crown regardless of whether the movement itself is changing at the same time. This procedure is made possible by means of a complex coupling, which separates the movement from the adjustment mechanism and ensures that no part is blocked. The large date on the lower part of the dial is formed by two rings lying one on top of the other. The upper date ring is printed with the numbers 1 to 15 and the ring beneath it with the numbers 16 to 31. Single-digit numbers are thus positioned centrally and the date is easy to read thanks to its large size. The master watchmakers at Moser have developed the unique Double Pull Crown mechanism so that the date is not inadvertently adjusted when the time is being set. This patented system ensures that only the date adjustment position is reached when the crown is pulled out once. Only by releasing the crown briefly and then pulling it out again is the hand-setting position engaged. The see-through sapphire glass back of the watch allows the observer to marvel at the manual-winding calibre HMC 342.502, measuring 34 mm in diameter. Two barrels ensure a power reserve of at least seven days. The accuracy of this long-running watch is assured by Moser’s characteristic interchangeable escapement module which, naturally, also features a Straumann Hairspring, produced in-house, a Breguet overcoil and a pallet fork and escapement wheel in hardened solid gold.
Monard Date Marrone
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Monard Date Marrone
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T echnical details Monard Date R e fe r e n c e N o. 3 4 2 .5 0 2- 0 0 6 Case
-- 18ct. rose gold, three-part, round case -- Graining and polished finish -- Diameter 40.80 mm -- Height 10.85 mm -- Gold crown with «M» sign 6.00 mm -- Sapphire crystal with internal antireflective coating -- See-through cambered sapphire glass back Movement
-- Hand-wound caliber HMC 342.502 with true bevel wheels -- Manufactured mechanical -- No movement holding ring -- Diameter 34.00 mm -- Height 5.80 mm -- Number of jewels 28 -- Frequency 18’000 vibrations per hour -- Power reserve of at least 7 days -- Adjustment 6 positions -- Double barrel -- Power reserve display on the movement side -- Moser tooth system in wheel train and pinions -- Screwed gold mounts -- Moser interchangeable escapement -- Original Straumann Hairspring ® with stabilized Breguet overcoil -- Pallet fork and escapement wheel made of hardened solid gold FUNCTIONs
-- Calendar adjustable forwards and backwards at any time via the crown independently of the movement -- Double Pull Crown Mechanism, -- Patented winding system with two fixed stops -- Hacking second DISPLAY
-- Light brown dial with sun pattern ground finish with diamond polished indexes -- Hours, minutes, centre seconds with three-dimensional form hands with a bright-polished eye -- Big date Strap and buckle
-- Hand-sewn brown alligator leather strap -- Solid 18ct. rose gold buckle with Moser logo
Monard Date Marrone
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Monard Date Marrone
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T echnical details Monard Date R e fe r e n c e N o. 3 4 2 .5 0 2- 0 07 Case
-- 18ct. white gold , three-part, round case -- Graining and polished finish -- Diameter 40.80 mm -- Height 10.85 mm -- Gold crown with «M» sign 6.00 mm -- Sapphire crystal with internal antireflective coating -- See-through cambered sapphire glass back Movement
-- Hand-wound caliber HMC 342.502 with true bevel wheels -- Manufactured mechanical -- No movement holding ring -- Diameter 34.00 mm -- Height 5.80 mm -- Number of jewels 28 -- Frequency 18’000 vibrations per hour -- Power reserve of at least 7 days -- Adjustment 6 positions -- Double barrel -- Power reserve display on the movement side -- Moser tooth system in wheel train and pinions -- Screwed gold mounts -- Moser interchangeable escapement -- Original Straumann Hairspring ® with stabilized Breguet overcoil -- Pallet fork and escapement wheel made of hardened solid gold FUNCTIONs
-- Calendar adjustable forwards and backwards at any time via the crown independently of the movement -- Double Pull Crown Mechanism, -- Patented winding system with two fixed stops -- Hacking second DISPLAY
-- Dark brown dial with sun pattern ground finish with diamond polished indexes -- Hours, minutes, centre seconds with three-dimensional form hands with a bright-polished eye -- Big date Strap and buckle
-- Hand-sewn brown alligator leather strap -- Solid 18ct. white gold buckle with Moser logo
Monard Date Marrone
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Mayu Marrone Diamonds
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M ay u M arrone Diamonds T h e c l a s s i c t i m e p i e c e fr o m H . M o s e r & C i e h a s b e en g i v en a n e l e ga n t en h a n c e m en t to a d o r n t h e fe m a l e w e a r e r ’s w r i s t. S pa r k l i n g b r i l l i a n t- c u t d i a m o n d s o f t h e h i g h e s t p u r i t y a d d a fe m i n i n e to u c h to t h e watc h , w h i c h i s n a m e d a f t e r H e i n r i c h M o s e r ’s fi r s t w i fe C h a r lo t t e May u.
This new version of the Mayu Marrone features a light-reflecting brown dial and a bezel set with brilliant-cut diamonds. The watch is available in two different designs. One has a light brown dial with a special sun pattern ground finish which coordinates perfectly with the warm golden tones of the rose gold case. The other, a white gold design, contrasts a dark brown dial with a gleaming white case. The Moser movement HMC 321.503, visible through the sapphire glass back, is an extra-long-running manual winding mechanism with a power reserve display on the back. A large barrel guarantees a power reserve of 80 hours, which ensures that the watch will continue to run for at least three days after being fully wound. True bevel wheels in the winding system assure smooth, low-wear operation. Cut-off and polished edges, a sun pattern ground finish on the plate and bridges, as well as the Moser ground stripes, emphasize the intrinsic value of this manufactory movement, which is engraved with the Moser seal, a symbol of quality and authenticity for 185 years. The accuracy of the Mayu movement, 32 mm in diameter, is ensured by the Straumann Hairspring, produced by Moser at its premises in Neuhausen, and the stabilized Breguet overcoil. The design of the pallet fork and escapement wheel crafted in hardened solid gold, housed in Moser’s characteristic interchangeable escapement module, is also exclusive and unique. Moser’s distinctive satin-finished and polished case surfaces and bevel set with 64 Top Wesselton brilliant-cut diamonds characterize the gold case, which measures 38.8 mm in diameter. The harmonious design of the dial is particularly enhanced by the rare, large pocket watch seconds hand. Modelled on the historic pocket watches from H. Moser & Cie, the lower end of this subsidiary seconds display sits as close as possible to the minute ring. This position can only be achieved with a large movement designed specifically for the purpose without a movement retaining ring.
Mayu Marrone Diamonds
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Mayu Marrone Diamonds
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T echnical details M ay u R e fe r e n c e N o. 321.5 0 3 - B15 Case
-- 18ct. rose gold, three-part, round case -- Graining and polished finish -- Bezel set with 64 brilliant-cut diamonds -- Diameter 38.80 mm -- Height 9.30 mm -- Gold crown with «M» sign 5.50 mm -- Sapphire crystal with internal antireflective coating -- See-through cambered sapphire glass back Movement
-- Hand-wound calibre HMC 321.503, with true bevel wheels -- Manufactured mechanical -- No movement holding ring -- Diameter 32.00 mm -- Height 4.80 mm -- Number of jewels 27 -- Frequency 18’000 vibrations per hour -- Power reserve of at least 3 days -- Adjustment 6 positions -- Power reserve display on the movement side -- Hacking second -- Moser tooth system in wheel train and pinions -- Moser interchangeable escapement -- Original Straumann Hairspring ® with stabilized Breguet overcoil -- Pallet fork and escapement wheel made of hardened solid gold DISPLAY
-- Light brown dial with sun pattern ground finish with diamond polished indexes -- Hours, minutes, off-centred pocket watch size second with three-dimensional form hands with a bright-polished eye Strap and buckle
-- Hand-sewn dark brown alligator leather strap -- Solid 18ct. rose gold buckle with Moser logo
Mayu Marrone Diamonds
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Mayu Marrone Diamonds
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T echnical details M ay u R e fe r e n c e N o. 321.5 0 3 - B16 Case
-- 18ct. white gold, three-part, round case -- Graining and polished finish -- Bezel set with 64 brilliant-cut diamonds -- Diameter 38.80 mm -- Height 9.30 mm -- Gold crown with «M» sign 5.50 mm -- Sapphire crystal with internal antireflective coating -- See-through cambered sapphire glass back Movement
-- Hand-wound calibre HMC 321.503, with true bevel wheels -- Manufactured mechanical -- No movement holding ring -- Diameter 32.00 mm -- Height 4.80 mm -- Number of jewels 27 -- Frequency 18’000 vibrations per hour -- Power reserve of at least 3 days -- Adjustment 6 positions -- Power reserve display on the movement side -- Hacking second -- Moser tooth system in wheel train and pinions -- Moser interchangeable escapement -- Original Straumann Hairspring ® with stabilized Breguet overcoil -- Pallet fork and escapement wheel made of hardened solid gold DISPLAY
-- Dark brown dial with sun pattern ground finish with diamond polished indexes -- Hours, minutes, off-centred pocket watch size second with three-dimensional form hands with a bright-polished eye Strap and buckle
-- Hand-sewn dark brown alligator leather strap -- Solid 18ct. white gold buckle with Moser logo
Mayu Marrone Diamonds
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T he legendary watch brand, H. Moser & C ie T e a m w o r k s i n c e 18 28
In 1826, towards the end of his apprenticeship and a period spent as a journeyman, Heinrich Moser contemplated where and how he might build a successful future for himself. In fact, his aim was to introduce the manufactory method of working based on the principle of the division of labour in his home town of Schaffhausen, and to establish a small watch factory for this purpose. However, the Town Council at the time declined his proposal and awarded the honorary office of town watchmaker to another individual. Moser emigrated to St. Petersburg, in Russia, where he founded the trading company, «H. Moser & Co.», at the end of 1828. From this company name, Moser also developed the company signature in cursive script, which was almost always supplemented by a medallion. Until about 1918, with rare exceptions, the company name in Cyrillic and/or Latin script, as well as the medallion, remained the standard signature on all the watches marketed by Moser’s watch companies, whether sourced from its own production or from outside suppliers. In 1829, he established a watch factory in Le Locle, which manufactured the pocket watches for his businesses in the European and Asiatic regions. By 1831, Moser was also able to open a branch in Moscow. Another astute business decision was the establishment of further branches in Nizhniy Novgorod and in Irbit – at the time the most important trade fair venues in Russia. The house of Moser thus had a presence in both of the Russian administrative centres, as well as at central trade fair venues. Little by little, Heinrich Moser overtook the old-established businesses and its newer competitors. Within just a few years, he was selling watches to Japan and China, Persia and Turkestan, Siberia and Kamchatka. By around 1845, he had become the undisputed market leader in the whole of Russia, and he dominated the watch trade there. He had also established business links with Paris. Moser’s Russian enterprises at the time employed around 50 persons. Among them were German, Swiss, Russian and Swedish watchmakers. The names of the Swiss watchmakers, Johann Jakob Bär, G. Ganther, Johann Winterhalter, Victor Guye, Palk and Schwab, as well as Moser’s son-in-law, Adolf Richard, are known from letters. An Italian, Bianco, is also mentioned. His most capable employee was undoubtedly J. Winterhalter, who subsequently took over Moser’s company in Russia. Even after Moser returned to Schaffhausen as a successful and prosperous businessman, he remained a passionate watchmaker at heart. He was aware from his training that, as far as pocket watches were concerned, case manufacture and quality often represented a weak point in the watch manufacturing process, and he opened a workshop with around 20 workers in Schaffhausen in 1853, where mainly silver watch cases were made. Three or four years later, he added a second workshop. In 1863, he equipped the workshops with completely new mechanical equipment, mostly to his own design, to facilitate case manufacture. His only son, Henri Moser (1844-1923), showed little interest in the watch business, much to his father’s displeasure. As a result, they went their separate ways in 1870. On the death of Heinrich Moser in 1874, his second wife, Fanny, inherited all his business interests and the watch factory in Le Locle. She had no desire to accept the responsibility, however, and in 1877 she sold the entire trading business to Johann Winterhalter and the watch factory in Le Locle to Paul Girard. In both transactions, she included conditions in the contracts to ensure that all the successor companies would continue to operate in perpetuity under the brand
The watch brand H. Moser & Cie
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names of H. Moser & Cie. or Heinrich Moser & Co., in accordance with her husband’s instructions. All of the enterprises passed into other hands in this way. The only son of Heinrich Moser, Henri, had no male offspring, and the name Moser also died out in this family. In accordance with the contractual undertaking, the company name and the brand name remained unchanged, both in the global trade and in the watch factory at Le Locle. This situation continued until about 1917, when the Russian October revolution completely closed the watch market in the country that had been dominated by the Swiss watchmakers. The last of the Swiss Directors of the Moser company – Cornelius Winterhalter from about 1908 to 1918, and from 1910 to 1918 Octave Meylan – travelled back to Switzerland. The Moser Russian business was totally expropriated early in 1918. In about 1920, the State-owned «Central Watch Repair Workshop» in Moscow was formed from the remains of the Moser watch businesses, and between 1927 and 1930 a start was made on the establishment of its own watch production. Moser watches continued to be regarded as a synonym for work of the highest quality for some considerable time afterwards. As late as 1966, the USSR presented one of its high-ranking military officers with an original Moser pocket watch in 18-carat gold, dating from the period before the expropriation, with a specially engraved dedication. This watch is now owned by Moser Schaffhausen AG as a special contemporaneous exhibit. Even after the take-over by the Girard family, the facility in Le Locle remained a production location for fine watches. It continued to adhere to Moser’s philosophy of supporting the business on several pillars – pocket watches and wristwatches – and of working closely with the best suppliers. However, the Cyrillic script on the inside of the dust cover that had frequently been used until then was now omitted from the signature. Information from 1953 points to an expansion in wristwatch production, and reference is made to a waterresistant 12-ligne watch and an 11 ½-ligne automatic watch, among others. H. Moser & Co. was also mentioned in 1973 as a manufacturer of precision lever escapement watches and special watches, predominantly in 18-carat gold and in cases set with precious stones. In 1979, the watch factory in Le Locle became part of the «Dixi-Mechanique» Group and traded as «H. Moser & Cie». The original brand of the founder, «H. Moser & Cie», was newly registered internationally by Dr. Jürgen Lange in 2002. Moser Schaffhausen AG was launched jointly with representatives of the Moser family. Today the great-grandson of Heinrich Moser – Roger Nicholas Balsiger – is Honorary Chairman of the Board of Directors. The company returned to the international watch arena in the autumn of 2005 on the bicentenary of Heinrich Moser’s birth. The new watches that have been developed by H. Moser & Cie over recent years add a hint of understatement to their traditionally elegant appearance, and, entirely in keeping with the tradition of the company, utilize
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mechanical movements designed in-house and executed to the highest quality standard. It goes without saying that these movements, which incorporate a abundance of technical innovations and offer high customer benefit, can only be found in watches from H. Moser & Cie. We have now come full circle, and, as Mosers great-grandson expressed it so poignantly in an interview: «I find it very moving that we were able to make Heinrich Moser’s return to Schaffhausen as a watchmaker possible 200 years after his birth.»
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Heinrich Moser A s u c c e s s fu l watc h m a k e r a n d i n d u s t r i a l p i o n e e r fr o m S c h a ffh au s en
Heinrich Moser was born on 12 December 1805 and grew up in a Schaffhausen watchmaking family. Both his grandfather, Johannes Moser (1730-1820), and his father, Erhard Moser (1760-1829), worked as town watchmakers in the town by the Rhine Falls. He learned the traditional watchmaker’s craft from his father between 1820 and 1824, and went on to broaden his knowledge after 1824 in the master watchmakers’ workshops in Le Locle, Switzerland. He had already come to recognize the restrictions imposed by the guild regulations, and he was a vehement opponent of these. At the same time, however, he did not ignore the qualitypromoting aspects of these regulations, and he was even responsible for improving them. He rapidly gained respect as a skilled watchmaker, and he was able to start a successful small business to supply spare parts. It only took Moser about eighteen months to develop a reputation as an outstandingly talented specialist, and he received offers of work from Italy and Paris. From 1826, he was able to work for the first time on his own account for a German merchant, for whom he built clocks into cases and pieces of furniture. In November 1827, the prospect of good business drew him to St. Petersburg in Russia, where in 1828 he opened H. Moser & Co. This marked the hour of inception of what would eventually grow into such a successful brand. Moser’s business flourished. This was certainly thanks to the painstaking care that he took throughout his life to ensure that the watches sold by him were supplied to a high quality standard. Not a single watch was allowed to pass over the shop counter unless it had been inspected personally by him or one of his representatives. In order to maintain this demand on superior quality, he established a watch factory in Le Locle in 1829, which produced watches exclusively for his businesses in Europe and Russia. The building that was home to the company exists to this day. The range of Moser watches grew to include 70 different calibres. In addition to the movements supplied by his own factory, he also purchased movements from such renowned companies as Urban Jürgensen or JaegerLeCoultre. The latter’s company archive lists him as a customer from 1860 onwards. From them he procured up to 64 different calibres, of which 24 complications. The uncompromising quality of his watches gained him access as a supplier to the Imperial Russian Court, various royal houses and the armed forces. Within just a few years, he was selling watches to Japan, China and Persia, but also in the West in Paris and New York. Business continued to thrive, even in times of crisis, and Moser, who was by now a prosperous merchant and watch manufacturer, decided to return to Schaffhausen with his family at the end of 1848. From this point on, he would see his true life’s work as the transformation of Schaffhausen, a very quiet town in those days, into a lively and attractive industrial location, which also had room for a watch production facility. At the same time, he set about the construction of the magnificent Charlottenfels manor house for his family. In 1851 he completed the construction of a canal on the Rhine, which supplied the water to drive a turbine with an output of about 80 h.p. This was followed in 1853, in a joint venture with other personalities from Schaffhausen, by the establishment of the «Schweizerische Waggonfabrik bei Schaffhausen» (Swiss Wagonworks at Schaffhausen) and, in the same year, the establishment of the «Schweizerische Industriegesellschaft (SIG) Neuhausen» (Swiss Industrial Company Neuhausen). Moser was a co-founder of the railway line Schaffhausen-Winterthur, also in 1853. Subsequent additional participations, company formations and
Heinrich Moser
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cofinancing of company formations during this period can also be attributed to his tireless involvement. In the winter of 1863/64, he embarked on the construction of the largest Swiss dam over the Rhine, with the intention of supplying neighbouring industrial companies with inexpensive energy via a power transmission system. The turbines fed their energy into huge wire cable transmission systems, which then supplied it directly to a very wide range of production halls and workshops. This hydromecanic power station marked the dawn of the industrial age in Schaffhausen. In spite of the recognition which Moser now enjoyed in Schaffhausen, he was free from disappointments. He never got over the fact that his only son, Henri Moser (1844-1923), showed no inclination to join his father’s watch company, let alone to succeed him at the helm. Heinrich Moser died on 23 October 1874. His second wife, Fanny, in accordance with his last will, inherited all his business interests. This made her one of the wealthiest women in Switzerland, although she had no desire to accept responsibility for what had by now become a global watch business. She sold the entire Russian operation to the local Managing Director, Mr Winterhalter, in 1877. The watch factory in Le Locle went to Paul Girard. It was stipulated in the contracts of sale that all successor companies would continue to operate in perpetuity under the registered brand names of H. Moser & Cie. or Heinrich Moser & Co. Heinrich Moser remains omnipresent to this day in Schaffhausen. The house in which he was born in the old town still exists, as does Charlottenfels. The modern Schaffhausen generating station today stands on the site of the historic dam on the Rhine. A large number of the businesses formed by him or with his help are still operating successfully. The residents of Schaffhausen have themselves honoured their famous fellow citizen with the eponymous Moserstrasse (Moser street), with a bronze bust in the Mosergarten park that is used as a venue for events and, not least, by opening Charlottenfels to the public. In November 2010, the Heinrich and Henri Moser Foundation opened the Moser Family Museum at the Charlottenfels with financial support of the Moser Group AG. The permanent exhibition of the former family mansion in Neuhausen shows the life of the Moser family during the mid-19th century. Valuable personal belongings of Heinrich Moser, a watchmaker atelier as well as pieces from Henri Moser’s oriental collection can be viewed on the first floor of the manor.
Heinrich Moser
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T he Moser Schaffhausen AG watch factory Pa s s i o n at e ly d i ffe r en t – n u r t u r i n g t r a d i t i o n
Moser Schaffhausen AG has achieved an exceptional performance in just a few short years since 2002, when it was established in Schaffhausen by the great-grandson of Heinrich Moser, Roger Nicholas Balsiger, and the acknowledged horological expert, Dr. Jürgen Lange, with the backing of a select group of investors. Although the main concerns initially were the international registration of the H. Moser & Cie brand name and research into the history of the Moser family and its watches, the nature of the work changed radically over time to take account of new watchmaking technologies. It very soon became clear to all concerned that success would be gained not only through target-oriented marketing, but above all from traditional watchmaking with an innovative approach and substantial customer benefits. This can only be achieved by using your own movements, a truly Herculean task for a recently established company. However, two of Heinrich Moser’s guiding principles supported this company strategy. First principle: You can only build the best watches if you use the best suppliers. A clear rejection of the beliefs advocated so strongly by manufacturers in recent years, that you should try to make as much as possible yourself. Traditional watchmaking is characterised by a plethora of special solutions and century-old experiences, so that you can only obtain a really out-of-the ordinary component by going to specialists who have already been producing it for several generations. This is precisely what we do: We collaborate intensively with the best practitioners in their field, predominantly in the Swiss Jura. However, component parts for prototypes and pre-production batches are only manufactured in Neuhausen using state-of-the-art machinery. This is also where technology development takes place, although as a general rule series production requirements are met by a specialized supplier in the Jura. Second principle: Moser specializes in movements whose component parts, because of their refined engineering, cannot be produced cost-effectively in large volumes. This is precisely what interests lovers of mechanical watches most. A modern wristwatch with a traditionally crafted movement, assembled by hand from parts which, because of their intricate manufacturing technology, are no longer available from the volume manufacturers. For example, an escapement with a gold pallet fork and a gold escape wheel; bevel wheels in the winding train; screwed gold mounts; a temperature-compensated balance spring with an overcoil; a true screw balance with white gold weight compensation screws and steel adjusting screws retained in a slotted thread; traditional adjustment via the screws on the balance in place of an index system, etc. By attracting experienced horologists, watch designers and prototype watchmakers, Moser was able to assemble a highly motivated team which unites experience and passion. Supported on a broad and financially sound footing, this team has achieved an extraordinary feat. In November 2005, to mark the bicentenary of Heinrich Moser’s birth, the new watches were presented to the public for the first time at a lavish celebration held against the backdrop of the Rhine Falls. The timepieces met with an enthusiastic response. By adopting an internationally orientated stance from the outset, the team was able to appoint its first authorized sales partners at the unofficial preview of the prototypes at Baselworld 2005. Moser watches have thus been available once again all over the world since the autumn of 2005.
The Moser Schaffhausen AG watch factory
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T he Moser Group I n v e s t m en t s i n t h e v e r t i c a l o r ga n i s at i o n o f i t s c o m pa n i e s
In line with the company motto, «Passionately different», Moser not only produces elegant watches with just a touch of understatement, together with exquisite internal workings, but also manufactures highly complex escapement components which, within such a short time, have taken the horological industry by storm. The «Moser Group AG» holding company has now grown to include four manufacturing companies: Moser Schaffhausen AG, Precision Engineering AG, PEG GmbH, MSG AG,
a watch company with the internationally established premium brand «H. Moser & Cie» a specialist in complex escapement components, with internationally registered brands such as «Straumann Hairspring» and «Nivaflex» a manufacturing company with a high level of horological know-how a manufacturing and management company with state-of-the-art technology and excellent mechanical equipment.
The Moser Group therefore has everything in place in order to move into the horological future with confidence. However, value is also placed on good relations with other sectors, such as medical technology, allowing for cross-sector technological and supplier partnerships which safeguard the commitment of tens of millions by the Moser Group AG shareholders. In Neuhausen am Rheinfall, our own manufacturing premises have, in the first instance, been renovated and extended. State-of-the-art technology has been guaranteed through the procurement of the latest machinery, while important know-how has been expanded by taking on more staff. More than 70 highly skilled jobs have been created in the region in recent years. With all due discretion and without state support. «The authenticity of what we do should be evident in the history of the brand, the engineering, the highly specialised team and the mastery of technology.» This statement is one of four key points which describe the vision of the board of directors. It is on these key points that the growth of the Group to date has been founded. Thinking, actions and decision-making characterised by a long-term approach is the second Moser Group target. A swift response to acute problems, but an approach based on long-term and sustainable management principles in order to guarantee the companies’ future. This includes maintaining full independence, but in conjunction with extremely close, long-term cooperation with the best suppliers. However, it is also important that we do not lose sight of the ethical dimension of our activities and management approach. We must ensure ethical standards in our relations with our customers, our own staff and our suppliers, as well as in regard to the environment and the resources we use. This is the third guiding principle which we have adopted at Moser. Last but not least, our fourth leitmotif and another important factor is the international nature of all our activities. Our founding father, Heinrich Moser, can confidently be described as one of the first international-
The Moser Group
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ists. His activities were not bound by any geographical border at a time when this was far from usual. In alists. His activities were not bound by any geographical border at a time when this was far from usual. In keeping with this fourth leitmotif, customers who buy our watches can still be found all around the globe, as can the purchasers of our highly advanced escapement and other components. The Moser Group, which is a privately held company, plans to make further investment in expanding premises, machinery and available technologies in line with these four guiding principles in the near future. The resultant further verticalisation of the manufacturing facilities will improve not only the independence of the group, the means for reacting to external factors and the opportunities to create prototypes and pilot production models, but also the construction of tools and equipment for regular production. Together, the companies within the group are already in the position, with just a few exceptions, to offer all relevant technologies involved in watch manufacture, ranging in some cases from the melting of the base material to the finished component. Traditional solutions, which cannot be efficiently massproduced, combined with a high degree of flexibility and extensive know-how, result in products which are unrivalled. Understatement, combined with internationally registered brands and a second source for the most important components of mechanical watches recognised throughout the market, makes cooperation with the Moser Group companies an attractive proposition.
The Moser Group
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TIMELINE
Timeline
1730
Johannes Moser, grandfather of Heinrich Moser, is born in Schaffhausen. After an apprenticeship as a watchmaker, he assumes the hereditary and honorary position of town watchmaker. He later becomes a Cantonal Councillor.
1760
Erhard Moser, father of Heinrich Moser, is born in Schaffhausen. He succeeds his father in the position of town watchmaker and is himself a member of the Cantonal Council.
1805
Johann Heinrich Moser is born on 12 December. He learns the traditional watchmaker’s craft from his father between 1820 and 1824.
1824
Heinrich Moser continues his training in Le Locle, Switzerland, in the master watchmakers’ workshops in the town. He rapidly gains respect as a skilled watchmaker, and he starts a small business to supply spare parts. It only takes Moser about eighteen months to develop a reputation as an outstandingly talented specialist, and he receives offers of work from Italy and Paris.
1826
Moser works on his own account for the first time by building clocks into cases and pieces of furniture.
1827
The prospects of good business draw Moser to St. Petersburg in Russia. After an adventurous journey by horse-drawn coach and by sea, he nearly runs out of money. He starts work as a watchmaker in the local workshops.
1828
Moser opens the trading company H. Moser & Co. in St. Petersburg. This marks the hour of inception of what would eventually grown into such a successful brand. Moser’s business flourishes, which can certainly be attributed to the fact that the watches sold by him are supplied only in high quality. Not a single watch is allowed to pass over the shop counter until it has been inspected personally by him or by one of his representatives.
1829
In order to maintain this claim to superior quality, Moser establishes a watch factory in Le Locle to produce watches exclusively for his businesses in Europe and Russia.
1848
Moser, by now a wealthy merchant and watch manufacturer, decides to return to Schaffhausen with his family. From this point on, he sees his true life’s work as the transformation of Schaffhausen, a very quiet town in those days, into a lively and attractive industrial location. At the same time, he builds the magnificent Charlottenfels country manor house for his family.
1851
Moser completes the construction of a canal on the Rhine, which supplies the water to drive a turbine generating about 80 hp.
1853
In a joint venture with other Schaffhausen personalities, Moser establishes Schweizerische Waggonfabrik bei Schaffhausen (Swiss Wagonworks at Schaffhausen), which later changes its name to Schweizerische Industriegesellschaft (SIG) Neuhausen (Swiss Industrial Company Neuhausen). Moser is a co-founder of the Schaffhausen–Winterthur railway line, also in 1853. Furthermore, he opens a workshop for the manufacture of watch cases in Schaffhausen.
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1860
The company archive of Jaeger-LeCoultre from this year lists Heinrich Moser as a customer. Over time, he sources up to 64 different calibres, including 24 complications. The uncompromising quality of his watches gains him access as a supplier to the Imperial Court, royal households and the armed forces. Within just a few years, he is selling watches as far afield as Japan, China, Persia but also to the West, in Paris and New York.
1863/64 Heinrich Moser embarks on the construction of the largest Swiss dam on the Rhine, to supply neighbouring industrial companies with inexpensive energy via a power transmission system. This hydroelectric power station marks the start of the industrial age in Schaffhausen. 1868
Moser supports F. A. Jones in the foundation of the International Watch Company (IWC) by providing premises and energy to drive the machines.
1874 Heinrich Moser dies on 23 October. His will names his second wife, Fanny Moser, as the heiress of all his business interests.
Timeline
1877
Fanny Moser sells the entire Russian trading operation to its managing director Winterhalter. The watch factory in Le Locle goes to Paul Girard. The contracts of sale stipulate that all successor companies must continue to operate in perpetuity under the registered brand names of H. Moser & Cie or Heinrich Moser & Co.
1917
The Russian October Revolution completely eradicates the private watch market in the country that is dominated by the Swiss watchmakers. The last of the Swiss Directors of the Moser company return to Switzerland totally expropriated in early 1918. The business in Le Locle is unaffected by the political turmoil and carries on as before, attempting to compensate for the loss of the Russian markets through increased exports to other countries.
1920
The State-owned «Central Watch Repair Workshop» in Moscow is formed from the remains of the Moser watch businesses.
1953
Wristwatch production in Le Locle is expanded, and the proportion of pocket watches produced decreases steadily. Some of the watches also bear the name «Henry Moser», in spite of this being in breach of the 1877 agreements.
1973
H. Moser & Co. is mentioned as a manufacturer of precision lever escapement watches and special watches, predominantly in 18-carat gold and in cases set with precious stones. The quartz watch crisis that is widespread in the Swiss watch industry also affects the business in Le Locle.
1979
The watch factory in Le Locle becomes part of the Dixi Mechanique Group and trades as «H. Moser & Cie».
2002
The original brand of the founder, «H. Moser & Cie», is once more registered internationally by Dr. Jürgen Lange. The Moser Schaffhausen AG watch company is launched jointly with representatives of the Moser family. The great-grandson of Heinrich Moser, Roger Nicholas Balsiger, is today Honorary Chairman of Moser Group AG.
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Timeline
2005
To mark the bicentenary of Heinrich Moser’s birth, the successor company Moser Schaffhausen AG, under the H. Moser & Cie brand, once again launches a range of watches that are faithful to the legacy of the founding father on the international watch arena.
2006
H. Moser & Cie introduces its four watch ranges, Moser Perpetual 1, Monard Date, Monard and Mayu, to a broad public for the first time at «Baselworld 2006».
2006
Montre de l’année 2006 – 2nd prize for the Moser Perpetual 1. In the opinion of the professional jury of the special-interest watch magazine, Montre Passion: «The classic case of the Perpetual 1 / Flash Calendar from Moser conceals a highly innovative mechanical movement».
2006
Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève – Prix de la Montre Compliquée. In November 2006, H. Moser & Cie wins one of the most highly coveted prizes of the Swiss horological industry. The Moser Perpetual 1 takes first place in the complicated watches category.
2007
«Baselworld 2007» is the venue where H. Moser & Cie introduces the Straumann Hairspring®, developed jointly over several years with its associate company Precision Engineering AG, Schaffhausen, to an international specialist audience.
2007
The new Henry Double Hairspring watch line, a tonneau watch with the revolutionary double hairspring escapement from Moser and a specially designed movement, is presented at «Baselworld 2007».
2007
Palladium, an extremely rare precious metal with a brilliantly radiant white lustre, also embraces the realm of watches from H. Moser & Cie. The Mayu Palladium model is presented to the public.
2007
Moser Group AG is formed from Moser Schaffhausen AG. All the associate companies are now united under a single roof. Moser Schaffhausen AG, Precision Engineering AG and MSG AG Manufacturing Support Group together guarantee the independence, the considerable public success and the substantial growth of the H. Moser & Cie brand.
2008
The H. Moser & Cie brand celebrates its 180th anniversary.
2008
The Mayu Black Pearl and Mayu White Pearl with mother-of-pearl dials and elegant stingray leather straps are launched.
2008
The Mayu Palladium is equipped with the Straumann Double Hairspring escapement with capement wheel in hardened white gold. An external indication of this is provided by the new colour used for the dial.
2009
Moser Group AG continues to invest in the verticalization of production for its group members. Around 70 jobs have now been created and an in-house production facility has been set up.
2009
In view of the great success of the highly elegant fumé dial, the Henry and Monard models are now made available in this design with a brilliant white palladium case with Straumann Double Hairspring escapement.
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Timeline
2009
A reproduction of the original book dating back to 1875 on the life of Heinrich Moser is produced in an exclusive private edition. The book, which was written shortly after his death and which is rarely to be found in the original, is now presented in a boxed set together with the translation into other languages, in modern typography.
2010
The multi-million investments by the Moser Group in expertise, longevity and growth are largely completed. The Moser Group emerges strongly from the international financial crisis. H. Moser & Cie acts as principal sponsor of a major equestrian event for the first time. The 4-star CSI Basel 2010 tournament achieves a spectacular debut with outstanding international competitors and an exclusive programme of associated events.
2010
The Moser Perpetual Moon is unveiled. Another superlative watch with a moon phase display which can be set accurately to the minute and can run over 1,000 years without adjustment.
2011
The CSI in Basel, the world’s best-endowed indoor show jumping competition, is awarded 5-star status, not least because of the sponsorship of H. Moser & Cie. Moser celebrates this with the launch of the Monard Marrone.
2011
The Perpetual 1 Golden Edition is premiered. With solid gold fumé dial, gold hands and a movement with solid gold plate and bridges, together with the interchangeable Straumann Double Hairspring escapement, it releases a torrent of emotions, the high point being the world’s first functional diamond end stone in a shock-absorber.
2011
The Moser Perpetual 1 Fumé Palladium is the first watch with a perpetual calendar combining the advantages of the double hairspring escapement with the complexity of an elegant, quintessentially Moser watch.
2012
The first Moser watch with automatic movement is presented at «Baselworld 2012». With its innovative second time zone, the Meridian range again underlines Moser’s expression of elegance and throws light on the meaning of its maxim «passionately different».
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T he Perpetual Calendar from Moser A t e c h n i c a l d e l i c acy o f a pa r t i c u l a r k i n d
The master watchmakers at Moser have completely redeveloped the perpetual calendar, which indicates the correct date depending on the length of each month. This classic complication is combined for the first time with a neat, restrained and elegant dial. The date in the Moser Perpetual 1 is accordingly displayed in an entirely traditional way as a number in a large dial window at 3 o’clock. The perpetual calendar from Moser is the only one in the world to feature a «Flash Calendar» display. This means that the date on the watch jumps directly from the end of one month to the beginning of the following month, without any intermediate stages. No incorrect date is displayed during the switching phase; for example, from 28 February to 1 March, «28» is followed directly by «1» in the window on the dial. The perpetual calendar can naturally be adjusted both forwards and backwards. The month is indicated with a small centre hand by utilizing the hour indices. The leap year indication, which can be adjusted via a pin pusher, is present on the back of the HMC 341.501 movement.
The Perpetual Calendar from Moser
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«Double Pull Crown» – Innovation down to the finest detail T h e m e c h a n i s m o f t h e w i n d i n g c r o w n fr o m H . M o s e r & C i e .
The watch development engineers at Moser are challenging even quite traditional functional processes of the wristwatch. This also applies to the various functions of the winding crown. The winding crown in date watches from Moser also has three functions, which are selected by different positions. Position 1 is used for winding the watch, Position 2 for setting the date, and the hands can be adjusted in Position 3 – so far entirely traditional. Moser has developed the «Double Pull Crown (DPC)» mechanism to permit the various positions of the winding crown to be selected exactly. This ensures that, when the crown is pulled out fully, only Position 2 for setting the date is selected. The watch and the time display are not stopped in this position. Only by releasing the crown briefly, and by then pulling it out fully for a second time, is it possible to access Position 3, which adjusts the hands – irritation eliminated. A final press on the crown returns it to winding position 1. The tiresome searching for the central position of the winding crown for its adjustment function is now a thing of the past in all Moser watches with a date indicator. Furthermore, the date can also be adjusted without unintentionally adjusting the time. This is a new function with high exclusivity and considerable customer benefit.
The Double Pull Crown System
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T he interchangeable esca pement module E xc i t e m en t s u r r o u n d s t h e h e a r t o f a l l M o s e r watc h e s
Ever since it first made its appearance, the interchangeable escapement module from Moser has attracted a great deal of attention. It actually incorporates an entire series of accomplishments, of a kind which had long since disappeared from the arena of watchmaking technology. These are features which require extreme attention to detail in their manufacture and are not regarded as viable in large-scale production. However, this is precisely what causes the heart of all Moser enthusiasts to beat faster: a watch that embodies novel solutions, whose manufacture only makes sense in smaller series of between 5 and 10,000 watches per year: a true screw balance with weight compensation screws made from a special white gold alloy in order to combine strength and weight. Adjusting screws in steel with crossed slots in the screw head to permit very sensitive adjustment. Slots in the screw holes of the balance with a diameter of only 0.07 mm, so that the adjusting screws are held securely in any desired position. A dragon lever that is precisely adjustable via cams, which guarantees that the pallet fork comes to a full stop and as such replaces the banking pins. The lateral pallets made of solid gold with glass-smooth and hardened working surfaces and, not least, an escape wheel similarly made of hardened solid gold, to ensure that the escapement in its entirety does not need to be lubricated. It will not make any difference, however, if you lubricate it. The module itself, which represents the aspirations of the Moser watchmakers to enable the time spent in service to be reduced, has also met with a very positive reaction. It has, in fact, been found that a customer whose watch is being overhauled can get his watch back much earlier if the escapement module is replaced by an already cleaned and adjusted unit, and if the work on the dirty escapement assembly can then be undertaken by a second watchmaker at his own pace, without feeling pressurized by the customer. It makes absolutely no difference whether this work is carried out locally in the service workshop of the watchmaker or in Moser’s own workshops. Both are possible and envisaged without any problem. The module as a whole is replaced by removing only two screws. The blocking lever present in all Moser movements thus prevents the spring barrel from running down by blocking the seconds wheel. This also provides additional security in the event that the need to reduce the tension in the spring barrel beforehand is overlooked. As a result, the exchange of the escapement module proceeds so straightforwardly that a customer who prefers to get his own escapement module back after cleaning also does not pose any problem. He simply continues to wear his watch with a module provided by the watchmaker, which can be exchanged at a later date. This is ease of servicing as Moser understands it.
The interchangeable escapement module
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T HE S traumann H airspring ® O n c e aga i n , a g r e at s en s at i o n at t h e h e a r t o f a l l M o s e r watc h e s
In 2005, when the first interchangeable module with a Swiss lever escapement was introduced in the watches of H. Moser & Cie, it attracted considerable attention. The exclusivity of this horological solution is represented by the escape wheel and pallet fork in solid gold, adjusting screws on the balance instead of an index, and a completely novel stop system for the lateral gold pallet fork – the list of special and exclusive features could continue. In 2007, the passion of the Moser watchmakers went straight to the heart of the oscillating system: the helical spring. Its consistent oscillation in combination with the balance ensures the even running and the accuracy of the watch. The Moser development engineers have devoted to it the high degree of attention that it deserves. Working closely with its associate company, Precision Engineering AG, and drawing on the know-how of Institut Straumann AG, the original formula and technology of the legendary Nivarox material have been reviewed over five years. It was Prof. Dr. h.c. Reinhard Straumann – the grandfather of the present Moser Group Board member, Dr. Thomas Straumann – who in 1931 developed a fracture-resistant, self-compensating, corrosion-free and antimagnetic alloy consisting of seven elements, and applied for a patent for this invention. The patent describes the first concrete formulation, which exhibits the desired characteristics and also finds an application in watches as a balance spring material. It is still in use today in slightly modified form in practically all volume-produced movements with a mechanical oscillation system. For many years, production of this material was supervised by Straumann in the interests of quality assurance. These responsibilities were assumed by Precision Engineering AG, which has now installed its own production line, from melting of the alloy to the finished escapement system, working jointly with H. Moser & Cie. With effect from 2007, therefore, all escapement modules from H. Moser & Cie have been equipped exclusively with the Straumann Hairspring®. In tribute to their inventor, the brand names Straumann Spirale®, Spiral Straumann® and Straumann Hairspring® now benefit from international protection. The exact combination of all the highest-grade materials in the smelting charge, the processing of the raw ingot with a diameter of about 20 cm and a weight of 80 kg into a wire with a diameter of only 0.075 mm – thinner than a human hair – demand technological expertise and the best tools acquired over the generations. Yet only the final homogeneity of the wire and the ultra-precise rolling of the round wire into flat strip can provide the conditions necessary for balance springs that are sufficiently accurate for use in chronometers. The wire for the Straumann Hairspring® springs is thus flat-rolled to an astounding accuracy of 0.0001 mm, equivalent to 0.1 thousandth of a millimetre. In spite of the fact that, or perhaps precisely because, founding father Heinrich Moser had already coined the phrase, «to make the best watches in the world, you must go to the best suppliers» in the 19th century, H. Moser & Cie will not entrust production of the balance springs to anyone else. We stop just short of digging the necessary minerals out of the ground ourselves.
Straumann Hairspring®
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S traumann Double H airspring esca pement T w o b a l a n c e s p r i n g s to c o m p en s at e f o r g r av i tat i o n a l e r r o r
H. Moser & Cie is again revolutionizing the heart of the mechanical watch: this time, the escapement. The interchangeable Moser escapement module in all watches from H. Moser & Cie created a major sensation throughout the world at the time of its introduction. The use of traditional materials of the highest grade in conjunction with the simplest and most reliable interchangeability appealed to watchmakers and watch enthusiasts alike. The balance springs, which in combination with the balance are responsible for the basic rate of the watch, are of course still manufactured from the self-compensating material Nivarox. This allows the so-called Breguet terminal curve to be bent in the second plane above the balance spring. When correctly dimensioned, this curve ensures that the balance spring does not become distorted as it oscillates, and the centre of gravity remains at the centre of the arbor, so that the gravitational force of the earth is unable to produce any errors. Although theoretically correct, a minutely small residual error always remains in practice, because the terminal curve, which is very intricate to bend, does not actually possess a 100% ability to ensure that the centre of gravity remains at the centre of the arbor – a fact which naturally irritates the watchmakers/inventors at Moser. Accordingly, they searched for a compensation process with which to equalize this gravitational error at its point of origin, rather than attempting to eliminate the effect of the error, as is the case with a tourbillon, for example. The result is the double hairspring escapement from Moser. In this escapement, two balance springs of identical construction are arranged in such a way that one spring opens in one direction during oscillation, while the second spring moves in the opposite direction over the same arc of oscillation. In this way, the centres of gravity of the two springs are displaced outwards on opposing symmetrical paths during oscillation. The cumulative centre of gravity of the two springs thus remains at the centre of the arbor at all times, and as such has no negative influence on the accuracy of the watch. The prerequisite for manufacturing such a complicated escapement system, of course, is the ability to master the production of the balance springs down to the smallest detail. It is essential to be able to guarantee that both balance springs possess identical characteristic curves and attachments. H. Moser & Cie, working jointly with its associate company, Precision Engineering AG, has developed the Straumann HairspringŽ on the basis of the formula drawn up by the original inventor of the Nivarox material, Prof. Dr. h.c. Reinhard Straumann. This has ensured that the material exhibits the necessary homogeneity and the appropriate mechanical properties. What is more, the balance springs are manufactured so consistently that they are even able to ensure uniform compensation for any elasticity in the presence of temperature fluctuations. In this way, the centre of gravity does not wander from the centre even in response to changes in temperature. This revolutionary escapement was named the Straumann Double Hairspring escapement in tribute to Prof. Dr. h.c. Reinhard Straumann, who patented the Nivarox material and the associated manufacturing technologies in 1931. As befits Moser, this Straumann Double Hairspring escapement is also executed as an interchangeable module, which can be easily exchanged by releasing only two screws. It naturally also includes an escape wheel and pallet fork in solid gold with the hardened functional surfaces for low-friction and wear-reduced
Straumann Double Hairspring escapement
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operation that are typical of Moser. The blocking lever incorporated in all watches in the collection from H. Moser & Cie also ensures that the escapement in this extraordinary escapement module can be removed with the barrel fully wound, but without the watch running down uncontrollably. Extraordinary technology in fascinatingly elegant watches is what makes the collection from H. Moser & Cie so special and authentic at one and the same time. We imagine that our founding father, Heinrich Moser, would have done precisely the same thing today. H. Moser & Cie : Passionately different.
Straumann Double Hairspring escapement
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Tourbillon or Straumann Double Hairspring Escapement Compensation or avoidance of the gravitational error in the watch M oser ’s D o u b l e Ha i rspr i n g Esc a pem en t w i t h t wo o pp osi n g S t r au m a n n Ha i rspr i n gs pr e v en t s t h e g r av i tat i o n a l er ro r fro m o ccu r r i n g i n t h e fi rs t pl ace
In a watch, the gravitational error disrupts the stability of its accuracy. This means that when the watch is in a horizontal position – i.e. when the dial is at the top – the watch runs differently than when the dial is positioned vertically, i.e. laterally. The watchmaker counteracts this phenomenon by adjusting the watch so that the slower vibrations of the balance in vertical position are compensated for as precisely as possible by the more rapid vibrations in the horizontal position. This produces an average level of accuracy, although this is dependent on the way in which the owner wears his watch. This is because the average level of accuracy is only achieved if both positions occur with approximately the same frequency. In practice, the vast majority of watches are therefore adjusted in five standardized positions in order to minimize the discrepancies. At Moser we pursue this practice to the limit, as we adjust our watches in all six possible positions. So where, then, does this gravitational error come from? And how can we reduce its impact even further? These questions have preoccupied watchmakers for many decades. In this respect, it is important to know the type of attachment at the outer end of the balance spring. This is realized either by a flat curve or a Breguet curve. The so-called flat curve, which is used in most mechanical watches, can be implemented very easily. It does, however, present the disadvantage that the balance spring assumes an asymmetrical shape when it vibrates. In doing so, the centre of gravity in the spring moves away from the middle. If we now imagine that the spring adopts a vertical position, it then becomes clear that due to the shift in the centre of gravity, the vibrations in the «downward» direction are accelerated by the earth’s gravitational pull. At the same time, vibrations in the «upward» direction are impeded, and consequently slowed down. On the other hand, if the spring is in a horizontal position, this effect does not play a role. This is not a good starting position for the stability of the accuracy. In contrast, the Breguet curve was developed in order to avoid precisely this asymmetrical vibration of the flat curve. It does this by ensuring that the outer end is curved upwards over the high edge, and is then further curved inwards. This task demands all the skills and ability of the adjusters, since the procedure is predominantly carried out by hand. This complicated and from the point of view of craftsmanship highly demanding form of manufacture is the reason why the Breguet curve is only found in watches of very high quality. As a result, the vibrations of a spring with a Breguet curve are almost completely symmetrical. But only almost. There is still a small residual error. The approach to the double hairspring escapement with a pair of Straumann hairsprings is now very simple: the springs are arranged one above the other, with one vibrating to the left and the other vibrating to the right. If both springs have the same mechanical characteristics, then when they vibrate, the centre of gravity moves outwards from the centre – just as it does with a single spring and a flat curve. However, as both springs are vibrating asymmetrically in opposite directions as a result of the different direction of rotation, the centre of gravity, on average, remains exactly in the centre. A gravitational error due to the asymmetrical vibrations of the springs can therefore not occur in the first place.
Tourbillon or Straumann Double Hairspring escapement
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So why was a tourbillon invented to compensate for the error caused by gravity? At first, the tourbillon was developed to compensate for the gravitational error in a cut bimetallic balance with a steel spring. With this type of balance, the effect of temperature on the accuracy of the watch was prevented by the individual arms of the bimetallic balance bending outwards or inwards with changes in temperature. It is easy to see how the two arms of the balance never moved in a uniform fashion, which invariably caused a much greater gravitational error than the asymmetrical vibrations of a spring with a flat curve. This technique was used in pocket watches, which under normal conditions would be in a vertical position in the waistcoat or gilet customarily worn at the time. A tourbillon therefore made perfect sense, because the entire escapement could, for example, complete one revolution around itself per minute. The changing centre of gravity thus had an accelerating effect before slowing down half a minute later in the opposite direction. On average, the existing error was therefore compensated for within one complete revolution. This only works, however, if the watch remains in the same position for at least as long as the tourbillon requires to carry out one complete revolution. It is easy to see that this would rarely be the case with a wristwatch. Nowadays, with the use of self-compensating alloys – as in Straumann hairsprings – combined with a Glucydur balance, an imperfectly working bimetallic balance is no longer used. The tourbillon can now be used to compensate for the much smaller gravitational error relating to the vibrations of a flat curve spring. However, this too only works properly if the watch remains in the same position for as long as the tourbillon requires to complete one revolution around itself. As a general rule, we can therefore certainly say that it is better for an error not to occur in the first place than to try and compensate for it afterwards. It is for this reason that we at Moser have developed the Straumann double hairspring escapement system.
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