Unveiled yesterday, controversial watch brand H. Moser & Cie. has taken cheeky clichés to the next level with their latest release, a tribute to ABC’s beloved sitcom Happy Days. Yes, that Happy Days. Its theme tees up an unavoidable conversation rife with cringe-worthy commentary… and yes, you could say they definitely “jumped the shark.”
Nicknamed “the Fonz,” the tourbillon minute repeater is one of the more unique statement pieces for the brand, however unsurprising considering their track record for novelties—watches cased in Swiss cheese, Apple watch retorts, and signature design cue orgies. Moser’s context is key here, most easily understood as a haute horology take on low brow humor. Between 1969 and 1974, Happy Days was America’s family-friendly window to recalling its guys and dolls of fifteen years prior. For television ratings, it was pop-culture primordial soup for the soul with reach that would extend far greater than its catchy theme song (incidentally a chime that can be heard every hour) through seven spin-offs.
News of the Fonz’s release comes in the wake of Audemars Piguet’s latest controversial reveal, the Black Panther Royal Oak. Purple, boisterous, and phallically suggestive, it sets a new precedent for the traditionalist brand, encroaching on the territory typically cornered by Citizen. It’s this same over-the-top departure from design that have left some wondering, “where do we go from here?”
CEO Edouard Meylan was elated to comment on the Fonz’s release, “I wanted to go for something that was just really cool beans, you know? A nifty timepiece for daily wear… and one that I could enjoy Monday, Tuesday all the days… Wedneday, Thursday… all the days, happily wearing all days all the time, rockin and rollin all week long…” adding, “Think AP can beat us? You’d be wrong.”
In addition to a minute repeater tourbillon movement, the watch will boast a 150m depth rating (ideal for waterskiing), and feature 18kt white gold casts of real shark teeth for hands. Suggested retail price is $28,000 with only ten models produced, so if it’s hooked your interest, you best get chummy with a dealer.
Damon is based out of the Bay Area, where he’s a black sheep among Apple Watch loyalists. Having served as a Combat Engineer with the USMC, he believes a true field watch’s success is measured by how closely it compares to a “G-Shock.” Nonsensically, a background in design has guided his preference toward higher craft, as he struggles to become the lifestyle his watch tastes more closely reflect.