They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, which is clearly something H. Moser & Cie. takes pretty seriously. The independent Swiss watch retailer has just released a new spoof smart watch, and, goodness, is it a thing of beauty. But at over $30k, the price is eye-watering too.
The Swiss Alp Watch is the latest and last product in its smart watch-inspired series, first developed by H. Moser & Cie back in 2016, not long after Apple released its first Watch. Designed to be a tongue-in-cheek take on these new digital wearables, the unique design and sense of humour wasn't lost on the world, with the designs going down a storm and people eagerly waiting to see what H.Moser would come up with next. And it hasn't disappointed with this final design, which we think is its best.
The timepiece, titled 'Swiss Alp Watch Final Upgrade', features a very familiar-looking design, complete with rounded-rectangle face and large crown. But the similarities to the Apple Watch end there – for this is, in fact, a fully mechanical watch. (Check out our best Apple deals if you're in the market for a watch that won't set you back $30k.)
Describing the device as a "paradoxical, satirical and whimsical," H. Moser admits that the design "mimics the look of a "smart watch"," (and it's pretty clear which smart watch is being mimicked here). But instead of a digital screen, the watch features a Vantablack dial sitting atop a traditional watch mechanism, offering "the tried and tested ingenuity of a traditional, mechanical watch movement".
This is not an Apple Watch (Image credit: H. Moser)
But perhaps the cleverest design touch here is the 'loading wheel' below the watch hands. This isn't just a visual gag – sure, it looks just like Apple's scrolling icon (the one you never want to see for too long), but it's also a fully-functional mechanical second hand indicator, with a rotating dial turning the cutouts white every few seconds.
$30,800 is a lot to pay for a spoof, but hey, if you've got the cash to spare, H. Moser's invention is a rare example of a luxury product with a sense of humour. Unlike Caviar's abominable iPhone 12 mod and gold PS5 (both immeasurably garish), this is a weird design that comes with a knowing wink. It's collectible too, with only 50 pieces available.
The Apple Watch Series 6 (left) vs. H. Mosers' Swiss Alp Watch (Image credit: Apple/Future owns)
But let's be honest – anyone who sees this on your wrist is likely to take it for an Apple Watch. Either you'd better get used to explaining the joke, or you could save yourself a lot of time (and a lot of money) by going for an actual, you know, Apple Watch (check out the best Apple Watch deals available today). The new Apple Watch SE is available for a hundredth of the price of H. Moser's offering. Just saying.
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Daniel John is Design Editor at Creative Bloq. He reports on the worlds of design, branding and lifestyle tech, and has covered several industry events including Milan Design Week, OFFF Barcelona and Adobe Max in Los Angeles.
