Swiss Watch Icons: Moser Tribute Quiz

Alkiro1 · 2018-01-12T09:44:31Z

Uncover the iconic design elements of Swiss watch brands missed by H. Moser & Cie's 'Swiss Icons Watch.' A community quiz on brand DNA.

Alkiro1

WPS member · Horological Meandering forum

28 replies6877 views2 photos

Alkiro1 initiates a fascinating quiz, inviting the community to identify the most iconic design elements of major Swiss watch brands that were notably absent from H. Moser & Cie's controversial 'Swiss Icons Watch' tribute. This post builds upon the discussion surrounding Moser's provocative piece, challenging collectors to articulate the defining visual DNA of brands like Blancpain, JLC, and Omega.

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Hi all,

We talked a lot about the very divisive “Swiss Icons Watch” made by H. Moser & Cie and unveiled yesterday.

My goal here is not to spark more controversy but to underline the fact that Moser found, for each brand included in its watch, the perfect element which “symbolises” it for most of collectors.

Just a reminder of the brands and iconic elements we can find in the Moser watch (I hope I won’t forget anybody):

- Breguet hands
- Hublot screws and case
- Girard Perregaux Golden Bridge
- Cartier cabochon crown (not absolutely sure of this one)
- Panerai numerals and crown guard
- Rolex GMT Pepsi colours bezel
- Audemars Piguet octogonal bezel
- IWC logo typography
- Patek Philippe Nautilus dial

So now, my question and little quiz is to know what could be for you the iconic/most emblematic elements for the following Swiss brands which were not in the Moser timepiece:

- Blancpain
- Breitling
- Franck Muller
- Jaeger-LeCoultre
- Omega
- Piaget
- Ulysse Nardin
- Vacheron Constantin
- Zenith

I’m waiting for your thoughts 😉

Best wishes

Alkiro

Key Points from the Discussion

The Moser 'Frankenstein' watch includes obvious elements, but other iconic choices could have been made, such as the Royal Oak's hobnail dial, IWC Big Pilot's crown, Blancpain Fifty Fathoms' sapphire bezel, or classic Omega Seamaster hands.
Some elements in the Moser watch, like the Panerai sandwich dial and crown guard, have Italian origins, while Breguet hands may have French origins, raising questions about their 'Swiss icon' status.
Proposed iconic elements include: Blancpain's unidirectional Fifty Fathoms diving bezel, Breitling's slide rule bezel, Franck Muller's colorful crazy hour numerals, Jaeger-LeCoultre's reversible Reverso case, Omega's Hippocampus case back, Ulysse Nardin's marine chronometer dial, Vacheron Constantin's tear drop/horn lugs, and Zenith's El Primero movement.
JLC might have been excluded from the Moser tribute because they consistently create new watches rather than constantly re-interpreting old designs.
Additional suggestions for iconic elements include: Blancpain's moonphase/wavy date arm, Breitling's Chronomat bezel, Franck Muller's large numerals, JLC's simplistic but classic design, Omega's sturdy case, Piaget's thin case, Ulysse Nardin's anchor motif, Vacheron Constantin's slim hands/minimalist design, and Zenith's sweeping seconds hand.
For Omega, twisted lugs are a strong identifier, often bringing Speedmasters to mind. For Breitling, complex chronograph dials are iconic, making their simpler designs less immediately recognizable.

The Discussion

DSF

Jan 12, 2018

- Blancpain unidirectional fifty fathom diving bezel - Breitling slide rule bezel - Franck Muller colourful crazy hour numerals - Jaeger-LeCoultre reversible reverso case - Omega Hippocamps case back - Piaget (sorry I don’t know enough about the brand) - Ulysse Nardin marine chronometer dial - Vacheron Constantin tear drop/ horn lugs - Zenith el primero movement David

Alkiro1

Jan 12, 2018

Definitely agree with you, at least for Breitling, JLC and Franck Muller. Thank for your input. Best wishes Alkiro

g_schroder

Jan 12, 2018

- Blancpain: Moonphase/wavy date arm - Breitling -Chronomat Bezel - Franck Muller -Large numerals - Jaeger-LeCoultre - Simplistic but classic design. - Omega - Sturdy case - Piaget -Thin case - Ulysse Nardin -Anchor on basically anything - Vacheron Constantin - slim hands/minimalist - Zenith - Sweeping seconds hand.

KMII

Jan 12, 2018

While slim is undoubtedly the most important DNA element, in terms of design I find the gadroons from the Piaget Polos (up to the S, which does not have them) the most visible and typical design element of theirs.

shortys home

Jan 12, 2018

... and I struggled with it for a while. The Moser Frankenstein Swiss Icons watch assembles some pretty obvious elements of various brands, they could have chosen others like the hobnail dial of a Royal Oak, the crown of a IWC Big Pilot, the sapphire bezel of a Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, a set of classic Omega Seamaster hands - just to name a few. There are elements in the watch that bug me, like the Panerai sandwich dial construction with the huge numerals. To me this one of the Panerai elements

Alkiro1

Jan 13, 2018

And I didn’t have thought to the sapphire bezel of the FF. Very well played my friend and thank you very much for all the other elements of design you have mentioned. Sometimes, that can appear obvious for few brands with a lot of iconic element and, sometimes, it’s much more difficult to find just one. Best wishes Alkiro

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