Moser, Johann Heinrich

Johann Heinrich Moser is a hereditary watchmaker, the youngest son in a large family. Henry was very smart, observant and independent, which affected the formation of his character. He understood early that knowledge and skill is the capital in which it is worth investing his time and energy and, with zeal surprising for a young man, he learned the secrets of watchmaking and developed his skill. Not seeing growth prospects in his hometown, he left his parental home to continue his studies in Le Locle , the capital of watchmaking at that time. When he felt the strength in himself to create his own business, he came up with the daring idea to apply the ambitions of a young specialist and the accumulated knowledge base far from his native places. By that time, he already owned his own workshop in Le Locle for the production of watches and watch parts.

In 1827, he went to St. Petersburg . To make up for the tedious and long journey, he had to get a simple apprentice to the watchmaker. Very soon, he was able to demonstrate extraordinary abilities and skills in this craft, which gave him the opportunity to earn money to open his own store.

Moser appeared in Russia in the 1820s, and in 1826 he created a watch workshop in St. Petersburg, slightly changing the sound of his name in the English manner - Henry Moser . Already in 1828, G. Moser opened a sales office in St. Petersburg; the first gold watch made there, having serial number 12, was presented as a gift to Emperor Nicholas I. In 1839, the Trading House in Moscow and G. Moser watch stores were opened. All the components of the Moser watches were ordered from Le Locle's workshops, and in St. Petersburg they were assembled from them. Moreover, some cases and dials were made in St. Petersburg, as evidenced by the Russian-language inscriptions “G. MOZER V MOSCOW ”on some copies.

The first store in St. Petersburg was opened in 1828 . Then there were shops in Moscow, Kiev and a representative office at the Nizhny Novgorod Fair , through which the clock fell into Asia. Especially for his business in Russia, Moser acquired a factory in Le Locle. Almost all parts were made in Switzerland, only some dials and cases were made in St. Petersburg, as evidenced by the Russian brand “Henry Moser and Co.” on some products and packaging.

Over the years of successful work, the factory has produced many types and modifications of watches: pocket, wrist, wall, table, watches for sailors, soldiers, for people who have lost their eyesight, for the rich and poor. Moser watches used the famous jeweler Faberge for his creations. But regardless of the cost of the product, the Moser mechanism was the key to reliability and durability. At the beginning of the 20th century, the company “Henry Moser and Co.” became the supplier of the Empress Alexandra Fedorovna , which was an official confirmation of its quality.

The factory of G. Moser produced a wide range of pocket watches - male and female, with and without a fight, in gold, silver and steel cases of various styles, with a factory key and a “handle” (that is, with a repairman), chronographs. Gold watches with a repeater, with a fight of quarters and minutes, were considered especially expensive. In 1874, in the seventieth year of his life, Henry Moser died, leaving the right to manage the company to his second wife Fanny. In 1877, she handed over all the affairs in Russia to Mr. Winterhalt, and the factory in Le Locle was headed by Paul Gerard. According to the contract, these companies were to carry out all operations under the registered brand name “Henry Moser & Co.” or “Henry Moser & Cie”.

Watches of the Moser brand were so popular that they were simply called Moser. This was a great temptation for not so successful watchmakers, who began to make fakes with the name of a famous master. In order to deal with such dubious fruits of his popularity, Moser designed a protection system in the form of “Cautions”, which explained in detail to customers the use of the name in the form of a mark, its location and original outline. Moser and his staff did not forget to pay attention to trifles: catalogs, instructions, cases, straps, chains, even some innovative mechanisms and accessories for watches were designed with Swiss thoroughness and thoroughness.

Soon, a well-established business allowed Henry Moser to pay more attention to his family in Switzerland, entrusting his representatives to conduct business in St. Petersburg and Moscow. Henry Moser was able to apply his talent as an organizer and entrepreneur in his homeland in Schaffhausen. He was the inspirer and organizer of work on the Rhine River, which resulted in the construction of a hydraulic station that produces mechanical energy for factories, including the enterprises of the International Watch Company (IWC), which is still the leader in the watch industry and gave new life to Schaffhausen .

Unfortunately, the 1917 revolution made adjustments to the development plans of a successful enterprise. Having lost the Russian market, the company had to focus on other countries, which after some time compensated for this loss. Moser watches can be found in antique shops in New York, Paris in China, the Gulf countries. Until now, many of them demonstrate amazing accuracy.

In the 1950s, the production of watches increased sharply, which was a serious competition for the company's products. And in the 70s, during the crisis of quartz movements , the factory became part of the Dixi-Mechanique Group.

In 1996, in Moscow, the company Inter-Hour became the owner of the name “Henry Moser & Co” (“Henry Moser & Cie”) and a collection of antique watches of the legendary brand. The company produces gold wrist watches with Swiss movements.

In the song “30 meters of crepe de Chine” there is a mention of the Moser watch:

  ... White wool half-tusks
    Moser Watches
    Two satin blankets 
    And sports pants .. [1] 

In the story of Dina Rubina's "Blockade stories" from the collection "Copper box" the phrase "Moser clock" is found.

• H. Moser & Cie
• Moser Familienmuseum Charlottenfels (German)