It’s better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.

HERMAN MELVILLE

As true watch enthusiasts ourselves, we understand the yearning for originality in today's watch landscape flooded with uninspiring designs with numerous brands simply duplicating existing models instead of daring to be original. In reaction to this design stagnation, we embarked on a journey to break the mould of conformity. Möels 528 is a fresh design perspective that fuses the clean lines of minimalism with the elegance of mid-century aesthetics, resulting in a timepiece that's modern and vintage at the same time.

Unconventional

As you explore the world of watchmaking, you'll notice that the majority of watch brands still use the round case, a design that has been a standard since the 18th century. Rather than sticking to this tradition, we've chosen a more daring approach. Rectangular-shaped cases are not a new concept; they were frequently used in the past. Nowadays, this design is primarily found in high-end timepieces by independent watchmakers at astronomical prices. At Möels&Co, we believe that everyone should have access to good design without the steep price tag, so we've developed a timepiece that combines exquisite design, quality craftsmanship and affordability, all in one.

GENDERLESS

For us, good design has no gender. We are a gender-inclusive brand, we do not categorise our designs into men's and women's. Our designs are unisex, intended for all individuals, regardless of gender identity. We avoid using gender-specific terms to name our timepieces; instead, we use numbers. Even if certain terms may appear in the male form, they are applicable to men, women and diverse in the same way.

BESPOKE TYPOGRAPHY

We recognise the power of a well-designed font, which is why we invested time in creating a custom typeface from the ground up. Although there are only four digits displayed on the dial, they play a significant role in the design. These elongated numerals seamlessly harmonise with the rectangular-shaped case, creating a contemporary look, they are also generously sized, ensuring excellent legibility. By employing the same font for the number 528, we maintain consistency in our design language.

STATE-OF-ART manufacturing

The 528 case is not standard; a special mould had to be created and further refined by a 5-axis CNC milling machine. The precision needed for the holes and threads for the screw-down crown, movement holder and case back is around 5 microns, which is approximately 1/20th of the average thickness of a human hair. The two-part solid case construction, combined with the screw-down crown and a thick double-domed sapphire crystal, ensures water resistance of up to 100 metres (10 ATM).

SWISS Mechanics

  • The Sellita SW200-1 is a Swiss-made automatic movement widely used in the watch industry. With a proven architecture developed over the years, this workhorse movement is well known for its quality, accuracy, and reliability, making it a top choice for numerous prestigious luxury brands. We opted for the SW200-1b movement which does not have a date indication. This choice was made to reduce complications to a minimum and align with our design philosophy of simplicity.

  • The SW200-1 movement is recognised by watchmakers worldwide and can be easily serviced and repaired. Sellita's continued success as a movement manufacturer guarantees a steady supply of spare parts for the long term. You can count on your Möels 528 to run reliably for many years to come, with low servicing costs, thanks to the affordability and availability of Sellita parts.

HIGH GRADE MATERIALS

  • While surgical steel is a type of stainless steel, all stainless steels are not surgical steels. Surgical steels are those with the greatest amount of corrosion resistance and are designated for medical applications. When compared to other steel types, surgical steel is the most expensive, due to its exceptional resistance to corrosion and staining which are crucial properties for materials in contact with the skin.

  • Sapphire crystal is a standard feature in most high-end timepieces due to it’s a virtually unscratchable nature. It ranks among the hardest materials on Earth, surpassed only by diamond or tungsten carbide. Möels 528 is equipped with a double domed sapphire crystal and three layers of anti-reflective coating is applied on the underside, ensuring exceptional clarity and legibility across the entire dial from any viewing angle.

WATER RESISTANT CASING

  • Möels 528 is engineered for daily use, offering a remarkable 100 m water resistance rating, surpassing the common 30 m rating found in most dress watches. Crafted from surgical steel grade, the case is CNC machined to micro-scale tolerances, ensuring a high level of sealing and protection. Synthetic gaskets are used for the crystals, case back, and screw-down crown, effectively shielding the watch from external substances and preserving the movement's integrity.

  • The stainless steel screw-down crown is equipped with an 'O' ring, effectively compressing and sealing the opening to safeguard the movement from dust, moisture, and water. This added feature ensures an extra layer of protection against unexpected knocks. The date ring was removed by the manufacturer, Sellita, eliminating the 'ghost date' position on the crown. Prior to its departure from the Swiss assembly line, Möels 528 undergoes a dry test, assuring a water resistance of up to 100 metres.

DESIGN UNITY

In our view, if a design lacks unity, no matter how beautiful a design may be, without some kind of unity that brings all the elements together, the design may fail to achieve its goal. In every design we create, unity is our guiding principle. While designing Möels 528, our aim was to convey a message of strong unity, where all elements fit together and feel like they all belong to each other in a unified piece.

DESIGNED FROM SCRATCH

We invest a considerable amount of time in refining and perfecting every detail, custom-designing each element to align with our vision. Our design approach is simple and straightforward: we eliminate the superfluous, allowing only the essential to remain. This results in a sleek, yet functional product, where each element serves a distinct purpose ensuring the design stands the test of time.

automatic movement

SELLITA SW200-1 b (No date)

Features: Hours, minutes and sweep seconds 

Diameter: 25.6 mm

Height: 4.6 mm

Jewels: 26

Vibrations Per Hour: 28,800 (4 Hz)

Hand-Winding Possible: Yes

Power Reserve: 38 hrs fully wound

Rotor Style: Ball-bearing

Anti-shock Device: Incabloc

Grade: Standard – adjusted in two positions

Accuracy: +/-12 sec/day up to +/- 30 sec/day

Country of Manufacture: Switzerland

Limit everything to the essential but do not remove the poetry.

DIETER RAMS

THE GOLDEN RATIO

The golden ratio is a useful tool for the evaluation of symmetry, dominance, and proportion in product design. The perfect proportion of our rectangle case and the asymmetric dial come from the Fibonacci sequence which is the most famous series of numbers in history. Also known as the 'Divine Proportion', this mathematical principle is an expression of the ratio of two sums whereby their ratio is equal to the larger of the two quantities. For example: 2 + 3 = 5, 5 + 3 = 8, etc. This constant creates a very close relationship with the ‘Golden Ratio’, which mathematically represents the 'perfection of nature' and the ability to connect us to higher energy through the contemplation of beauty. Following the rules of harmony used for centuries in the most harmonic constructions, paintings and compositions, Möels 528 takes its inspiration from the ‘Golden Ratio’, widely used in the arts, architecture and music, from Leonardo Da Vinci, Debussy and Piet Mondrian to Le Corbusier.

ERGONOMIC CASE SHAPE

The stainless steel case was designed with both style and comfort in mind. Its ergonomic rectangular shape naturally follows the contours of the forearm. Measuring just 33 mm in height (41 mm with lugs), 45 mm in width, and 11 mm in thickness, this size is a perfect fit for most wrist sizes, allowing for easy cuff movement.

SMALL WRIST

large WRIST

If you think like everyone else, you'll end up like everyone else. 

MATSHONA DHLIWAYO

DESIGN FEEDBACK

WE'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU

At Möels&Co, we always welcome feedback, as we can only improve ourselves and our products through both positive and negative criticism. It's an important part of what helps us continuously validate and enhance our designs. We would love to hear your opinions and any suggestions; all comments are greatly appreciated.