Edouard and Bertrand Meylan, the brothers at the helm of H. Moser & Cie., discuss the risks and rewards of resurrecting the niche independent watch brand
If there is one thing a watch enthusiast can count on when speaking with the owners of H. Moser & Cie., it is their disarming candour. From unfiltered recollections of building up a centuries-old brand that they took over a decade ago, to forthright opinions on the state of the watch business, brothers Edouard and Bertrand Meylan—CEO of H. Moser & Cie., and its parent company MELB Luxe Subsidiaries, respectively—do not shy away from frank conversations.
In a way, H. Moser & Cie. operates with a similar spirit. Though the brand was established back in 1828 by Swiss watchmaker Heinrich Moser, H. Moser & Cie.’s modern history was truly set in motion only in 2012, when it was acquired by its current owners, MELB Holding. And in this time, H. Moser & Cie. has been restructured, reinvigorated, and remoulded to become the creative and iconoclastic brand it is now.
“I don’t think we had an idea that the brand would become what it is today,” says Edouard. “We wanted to refresh the brand, that’s for sure. How we would do it, and what form it would take, that was difficult to say. There were a lot of experiments, trying, failing, trying again, and then figuring out what worked.”
It is safe to say that 12 years on, H. Moser & Cie. has found its footing. The brand’s succinct tagline, ‘Very Rare’, encapsulates the exclusive nature of its releases, from the watches’ limited quantities to their distinct styles that blend contemporary and retro aesthetics with time-honoured technical refinement and in-house manufacturing prowess.
A recent watch that caught our eye is the limited edition Pioneer Perpetual Calendar watch that commemorates the 70th anniversary of Sincere Fine Watches. What is your approach when it comes to making collaborative timepieces?
We don’t really do that many collaborations, but when we do, it is important for both parties to understand each other. The good thing about the partnership with Sincere Fine Watches and its CEO Ong Ban, is that he is experienced watch connoisseur. He knows H. Moser very well and what we are capable of, so that really helps a lot in coming up with a watch that we are both proud of.
What other new releases are you especially proud of?
The Streamliner Tourbillon Skeleton is a big achievement for us—it features a new movement and we have been working on the watch for some time. Another highlight is the Streamliner Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton Alpine Limited Edition. It is a beautiful and complex watch, and it is the first time we have partnered with a Formula One team, the Alpine F1 Team. This watch represents a step-up for us, especially in terms of visibility and working with a global sporting partner.
H. Moser & Cie. has gained a reputation for pushing the envelope in both the design and mechanical aspects of watchmaking. But do you think you’ve been more strategic in terms of risk-taking over the years?
First of all, we always think that the watches we make will “work”. Of course, this comes with risks. The worst case scenario? It flops. This has happened before and there is no reason why it won’t happen again. But if we don’t try, we will never know.
The watchmaking business is so rooted in tradition, yet H. Moser is perceived now as a young and contemporary brand. How do you ensure continuity in terms of working with the next generation?
It is not easy. The first thing to do is to recognise this changing environment, and make sure that everyone stays connected. For us, the key is to make people proud of what they do and to recognise their work—this is a generation that needs flexibility and recognition as well. It’s important to make them feel a sense of ownership, whether it is through market feedback about what we have done, or opportunities to grow within the company. For the new generation, it is less about the money. It’s more about finding fulfilment from their jobs.
The luxury watch business in general seems to be in a consolidation phase, following a boom during the pandemic years. Is it the same for H. Moser & Cie.?
Actually, we had one of our best years in 2023—we grew by over 40 per cent. For the first half of this year, we have grown by another 20 per cent, so it is very positive for us. I think this is a consequence of us continuing to do the hard work during the good times. Even if the industry is slowing down, we believe that it presents opportunities to gain market share. This year, we doubled down on our marketing efforts, and continued to release strong watches.
Having undergone the experience of building H. Moser & Cie., how would you do things differently if you were to launch a new luxury independent watch brand in today’s climate?
I think it’s the beginning of an amazing cycle for independent brands. In fact, I would say that it’s much easier now compared to 10 years ago. But you do need to be creative, bold, and embrace change. You also need to be different. There are a lot of companies that create great products, but building a brand is different.
