Timing It Right: H. Moser & Cie.’s Edouard Meylan On India And Independent Watchmaking

Independent watchmaking can be tricky business. Staying true to trends, market volatility, finding the right components, movement manufacturers and competing against big, established brands and bigger budgets can be taxing. But when an independent watch brand does get it right, the results are spectacular. Swiss watchmaker H. Moser & Cie. has proven that time and again, especially in recent years.

Founded in 1828—and after a formal relaunch of the brand in 2005—H. Moser remains independent and family-owned today. Edouard Meylan became the CEO at H. Moser & Cie. in 2013. More than a decade later, Meylan believes independent brands are now pushing the boundaries when it comes in-house innovation and making timepieces that resonate with everyone. Its Streamliner Perpetual Moon Concept Meteorite, a watch with a meteorite dial, is an example of that innovation. The watch brings a piece of the cosmos to your wrist.

But he admits to still learning along the way as he continues to rebuild and lead an independent Swiss watch brand. “I think you need to be able to filter the good things from the bad things, try to understand where the market is going, which is never easy,” Meylan says during an interview on the side-lines of the Dubai Watch Week 2025. “Try to surround yourself with good people who can give you feedback. You need to fail and that’s how you find your way.”

Meylan’s thoughts echo during our interaction: when it comes to independent watch brands, you’re not buying a product line. You are buying into a person’s vision. That personal connection is powerful and hard to replace. Edited excerpts.

What does it take to rebuild and lead an independent Swiss watch brand, while preserving heritage and your identity?

Naïveté. You need to be a little bit naïve. It takes some courage. It’s not easy, I must admit. What it also takes is some introspection and taking distance, especially when you don’t start with a brand from zero. You need to think why is this brand there, what’s special about it, what do I want to keep, what do I want to throw away, how do I maintain consistency and continuity? All those elements need to be defined at some point, and as early as possible. Otherwise, you can get lost.

What makes independent watchmaking so appealing to consumers? Is it the design or the element of rarity?

I think it’s the people. Design is one thing, which reflects the character of the people. But I think it’s this relationship. You see it here (at Dubai Watch Week). People want to see the product, but they want to meet the people behind the product. You have all the artisans, watchmakers, creators, designers, the people that are the faces of those brands. I think a lot of the crowd that comes here is surprised how approachable a lot of those people are. You meet a Kari Voutilainen (the renowned Finnish watchmaker), a Maximilian Büsser (founder of MB&F), and then you meet the CEO of Rolex in the same environment. That is what’s incredible with independent brands and even with bigger brands.

You showcased the Streamliner Perpetual Moon Concept Meteorite at Dubai Watch Week. What was the goal with this launch?

The Perpetual Moon is a movement we originally developed and launched in 2006 at the same time as the Perpetual Calendar. It was a beautiful, hand-worn movement. It’s a pretty niche complication. Not everybody understands the Moon. It’s a very romantic and philosophical complication.

Now I always love to use it with elements that relate to the universe. We did Vantablack, like a black hole, we did Aventurine, it was like the Milky Way. Now, we wanted to do something with the Streamliner because we had not done it yet.

The Streamliner is a sporty watch, so a hand-wound is not always the most practical option. We had to redevelop this movement to make it automatic. Then it started to make sense. And then, the meteorite is another piece of universe that we put in the watch. I find the contrast between the cold steel and the warm gold so mesmerising. It all came together. It’s also now a relatively small watch, at 40mm, which was also the objective. It’s a sweet spot for us.

Are independent watchmakers finding more relevance in India’s luxury market?

I think they do. I think Ethos and the media have contributed a lot to that. I remember when we started, it was very small: few people, some clubs, collectors would understand what we were doing. That has changed a lot. I hope we’ll have fairs like this one eventually in India, because the potential is huge.

We travelled a long way since 2016 when we went to India for the first time. I see the level of education, interest and understanding of what independent brands are. It is incredible. We were probably one of the first to go with H. Moser. Now you see URWERK, and many other brands out there.

You also debuted your first standalone boutique in India recently. What kind of consumers are you targeting?

I think it doesn’t change. It’s the same: we like men and entrepreneurs in their 40s. But we sell a lot to (buyers in their) 30s and 50s. You have a lot of entrepreneurs in India. It’s a very entrepreneurial country. You see the mentality. I had the chance to study with a lot of people from India. Their drive and ambition are incredible. That fits a lot with the Moser philosophy.

The brand will be celebrating 200 years in 2028. But what can we expect from H. Moser in 2026?

It’s going to be a big year. There’s going to be a lot of new movements, some complicated, simple ones. There’s going to be new materials and striking collaborations. There’s going to be much smaller watches. We’re moving to the Champions League in Watches & Wonders by taking over one of the biggest booths out there. So, we need to deliver. For that we have lined up, I think, probably the best line-up we have ever had at H. Moser.