Even before the unveiling of the Apple Watch, there were many that were critical of Apple’s decision to jump into the luxury watch market (which, because it’s Apple, was obviously what they were going to do).
That train of thought didn’t stop after Apple unveiled the Apple Watch and, with the Watch and Watch Edition, certainly did enter the high-end watch market. Many different manufacturers voiced their opinion on the most personal device from Apple to date, many of which said that while it was a nice device, it simply didn’t have the design, or background to compete against the likes of the distinguished Swiss manufacturers.
Of course, even those who rallied against Apple’s efforts to create a smartwatch eventually tipped and created their own, including TAG Heuer running with an Android Wear-based wearable. And now another high-end manufacturer, H. Moser & Cie, has apparently decided to take a few design cues from Apple’s own smart wearable and swing for the fences.
“Today, H. Moser & Cie. launches the Swiss Alp Watch as a statement of this new challenge and to prove that traditional mechanical watchmaking has a future, and it is, in fact, the future. It is much more than a watch for us. The Swiss Alp Watch is symbolic. It represents our resilience, our ferocious desire to fight for our values and traditions. It embodies everything we believe in.”
The watch was originally surfaced by Hodinkee, and it does indeed look quite a bit like the Apple Watch. That includes a rectangular face (albeit not completely an Apple Watch original design), lugs for the band, and rounded edges. One might suggest the crown on the side is indicative of Apple’s design, too, but the crown on the side of a watch isn’t anything new by any means.
This particular watch is a mechanical timepiece, and it’s constructed solid 18-karat white gold and it has the size that’s comparable to the 42mm Apple Watch. That strap, which is eye-catching in its own right, is a beige leather kudu strap, that’s attached to a white gold pin buckle. You can see the mechanical workings on the inside if you turn the watch upside down, which is a nice touch for its own part.
H. Moser & Cie is releasing only 50 of these watches, and they come with a particularly hefty price tag: $24,900. Of course, with its mechanical design, one would argue that $24,900 is buying a watch that will last many, many years, and could easily be handed down through the generations, as opposed to other $10,000+ watches out there.
What do you think of the Swiss Alp Watch?
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