I've been a big fan of H. Moser & Cie since it first launched the, shall we say 'vaguely familiar', Swiss Alp Watch in 2016.
It was a response to the emergence of smartwatches, expressing the brand's desire to remain faithful to its history at a time when people were predicting smartwatches would wipe out traditional watchmaking.
It showed a sense of humour – something which is very rare in the Swiss watch industry – and won the attention and praise from a lot of people.
Since then, H. Moser has stayed in the headlines by keeping its tongue firmly in its cheek, releasing a Swiss Alp Watch Tourbillon Minute Repeater with no hands and costing $350,000, as well as announcing a Swiss Icons Watch, which parodied the entire Swiss watch industry (and was eventually blocked from sale), as well as a watch made from cheese (no, we're not making this up).
This is, of course, alongside creating stunning, more serious watches, such as the Steamliner.
Being from a technology background, and covering the Apple Watch for many years, it's always been the Swiss Alp Watch that has interested me most, and now it's reached its climax with the Swiss Alp Watch 'Final Upgrade'.
The Final Upgrade is an extra special model, which, similar to previous models from this range, is inspired by the modern design of smartwatches, yet it is completely mechanical.
Inside the familiar case is a 100-percent Swiss Manufacture movement which has a minimum power reserve of 96 hours.
It features a Vantablack dial with no logo or indices – an aesthetic inspired by the 'Black Mirror' effect of technology. Vantablack is known to be the blackest material produced artificially, and the blackened hour and minute hands add to the understated appearance of the watch.
What really makes the Final Upgrade special is the small second dial at 6 o'clock, which has been redesigned as a shaded disc made up of openings. It clearly resembles a perpetual, panic-inducing 'loading wheel', and, according to H. Moser, evokes, 'this symbol serves as a reminder that the here and now is all that matters.'
It's as if the watch is loading something that will never arrive – it's one final troll form H. Moser.
Talking about how the Final Upgrade came to being, Edouard Meylan, CEO of H. Moser & Cie. explains, "This idea was conceived by a customer and friend of the brand, a true enthusiast and fan of the Swiss Alp Watch collection. He came to visit us with an extremely precise design and we immediately wanted to create this model, perfectly in line with our philosophy, with a touch of humour and a hint of provocation".
The watch is limited to just 50 pieces will retail for $30,800 USD.
What do you think of the Swiss Alp Watch Final Upgrade? Check out more images below and let us know on Facebook or Twitter.
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