Behind The Scenes OF Miami Grand Prix F1 With H. Moser, BWT Alpine F1

Richard Mille took two spots in the top three of the Miami Grand Prix Formula 1 race yesterday. TAG Heuer was flanked in the middle by Mille, while H. Moser came in at the 10^th spot and a host of other watch brands roared around the Miami International Autodrome that wraps around the Hard Rock Stadium – home of the Miami Dolphins.  Yes, it does sound like a race among watch brands, but the reality is time came down to hundredths of a second for teams like McLaren (sponsored by Richard Mille), whose Lando Norris won his first F1 victory, Team Oracle Red Bull/Honda (sponsored by TAG Heuer), whose 3-time F1 champion Max Verstappen came in second, and Ferrari (also sponsored by Richard Mille), whose Charles Leclerc came in third.

It was a rip-roaring race, though, on Sunday May 5^th, as teams vied for important placement for the 2024 Formula 1 racing season. H. Moser & Cie, partner with BWT Alpine F1 team, witnessed driver Estebon Ocon taking the 10^th spot and teammate Pierre Gasly – H. Moser’s first-ever  brand ambassador – coming in 12^th.  This placement may sound somewhat unimpressive in the scheme of the victors, but it was an important placement for BWT (Best Water Technology) Alpine – giving them the first Top 10 placement point of the season.

Many view the Renault-owned BWT Alpine F1 team as somewhat of an underdog, but when Alpine Motor Sports approached Swiss independent watch brand H. Moser & Cie (which builds just about 3,500 watches per year) to discuss a possible partnership, the brand’s owners and executives were eager to talk.

“When they approached us, we had to have  a deeper conversation,” explains Edouard Meylan, CEO of H. Moser during a small presentation of the new Alpine limited edition watches. “My father collects and drive Alpines on tours and it seems they are trying to be more modern, and we want to go into bolder, sportier watches, so the fit between the brands is great. Plus, we can do a lot of other activities, like ice driving and more, with Alpine.”

Meylan was also quick to point out that the appointment of Pierre Gasly of the team as brand ambassador marks the first time H. Moser has ever had a brand ambassador – a real departure for them. “Pierre loves watches, he loves fashion, he has such style and we wanted to work with him.”

Currently, to celebrate the association, H. Moser turned to its Streamliner Cylindrical Tourbillon watch as the “out of the gate” timepiece. The first limited-edition issue was with a blue dial and blue strap, while the second limited -edition version – launched during Miami Grand Prix this past weekend – is the pink version in honor of the team’s second livery. It boasts a synthetic spinel offset dial and pink rubber strap. Both versions retail for $98,000. The latter will have a 21^st version made that will go up for auction to benefit the Alpine Foundation.

During the weekend leading up to the final race, we had the chance to go behind the scenes with BWT Alpine F1 Team, in the garage with them and even sit in on an exclusive interview with Gasly. (I even got some private interview time with him – with that news forthcoming in another article soon.) It will be very exciting to see where this partnership leads H. Moser & Cie. Stay tuned.