Those who own a minute repeater hear it but rarely see it: hammers and gongs usually lie hidden on the back of the movement. H. Moser & Cie. of Neuhausen am Rheinfall turns that principle on its head: on the new version of its flagship model, the striking mechanism works in full view on the dial side.

This required a complete rethink of the caliber's architecture, the manufacture writes. The hand-wound HMC 909 movement is fully skeletonized, laying all 415 components bare. Added to this is a one-minute flying tourbillon at 6 o'clock.

A Night Sky at 2 O'Clock

The name comes down to one detail: at 2 o'clock sits a domed sub-dial of aventurine glass, shimmering with the finest copper crystals. Mother-of-pearl strips, inlaid by hand, streak across the dark surface like a shower of stars in the night sky. Hence the epithet «Cosmic Rain».

The tourbillon's hairspring is another rarity: its cylindrical shape derives from the marine chronometers of the 18th century and is rarely mastered today. It is produced by sister company Precision Engineering.

Titanium as a Soundbox

The 40-millimeter case is made of titanium, which benefits the sound of the chiming mechanism. The power reserve is 90 hours, and the watch is worn on a gray alligator strap. The edition is limited to 20 pieces.

Moser is not naming a price. For context: the base model without the aventurine decor, launched this spring, costs 330,000 Swiss francs (excluding VAT), according to trade media.

Small Manufacture, Big Reputation

Founded in 1828 by Heinrich Moser (1805-1874), the brand today employs 120 people and produces around 4,000 watches per year.

This puts it near the front of the pack in the niche of independent haute horlogerie: at the 2024 Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève, Moser took the prize in the «Time Only» category with the «Streamliner Small Seconds Blue Enamel» (finews.com reported).