5324-1205 | Swiss Alp Final Edition | Stainless Steel

The Swiss Alp Final Edition* is the penultimate addition to the saga that is the Swiss Alp series, pushing H. Moser & Cie's concept to its limit, and released in 2021. The tongue-in-cheek dial of this Final Edition is coated entirely in Vantablack, with subsidiary seconds placed at 6 o'clock, mimicking the "loading" indicator typically found on Apple products. Visible through the sapphire caseback is the HMC 324, an in-house created movement finished to the highest watchmaking standards.

Initially intended to be a tongue-in-cheek wink at smartwatches, the series has achieved quite a bit of success with its ironic concept. The Final Edition was limited to just 50 pieces, highlighting the impression of exclusivity against a backdrop of mass produced products. 

The series first began in 2016, with the original Swiss Alp Watch, which bore a striking similarity to the Apple Watch with its rounded rectangular case shape. The watch quickly became a cult classic, spawning several variations across the years, including versions with a minute retrograde complication, another with a minute repeater tourbillon, one titled "Watch on the Rocks" and encrusted with baguette-cut diamonds, and a minimalistic version named "Zzzz", which this example bears the closest similarity to. 

The dial of this Final Edition is coated entirely in Vantablack, a coating substance of carbon nanotubes invented by Surrey NanoSystems in 2014, and which claims to be the "darkest man-made substance". Blackened leaf-style hands pair with this minimalistic backdrop, a concession to time-telling while still giving the impression of a dial just starting up. A subsidiary seconds is placed at 6 o'clock, mimicking the "loading" indicator typically found on Apple products and acting as a metaphor for the passage of time. This effect is achieved through a brass disk painted in a gradient from white to grey and then black, rotating beneath the main dial. 

The HMC 324 movement powering the watch is visible through the sapphire caseback, which boasts the in-house Straumann hairspring with Breguet overcoil, in addition to an escape wheel and pallet lever in 14k solid gold. All wheels and pinions also feature "Moser teeth", which have curved lines as opposed to straight. The watch features a four-day power reserve and hacking seconds. It is beautifully decorated, featuring polishing, bevelled edges, as well as the manufacture's signature double-crested Cotes de Geneve. 

At 38.2mm in width and 44mm in length, the watch sits similarly to its digital counterpart, but with a lot more machinery backing it. The watch is an excellent find for any collector with an appreciation for irony and who is looking for one of the very last pieces in the series with the perfect blend of humour and high-end watchmaking. 

Closer look

Condition

This H. Moser & Cie Swiss Alp Final Edition is in excellent overall condition. The case and lugs show virtually no signs of wear and has only just recently returned from a service with the manufacturer. The dial, hands, and movement are free from any signs of imperfections.

Warranty

The watch comes with a two-year warranty from A Collected Man, alongside a lifetime guarantee of authenticity.