MIH Watches

MIH Watch

There are cult watches… and then there’s the MIH Watch.

Designed by a museum. Powered by a historic movement. Built with more horological brainpower per square inch than most brands can dream of. No branding on the dial. No fluff.

Just pure mechanical purpose, distilled down to its cleanest form.

A Little History

The MIH Watch was created in 2005 by the Musée International d’Horlogerie (MIH) in La Chaux-de-Fonds — Switzerland’s national museum of watchmaking. The goal?

To fund museum preservation work by designing and selling a limited mechanical watch.

But they didn’t just slap their logo on something. They brought in Ludwig Oechslin — legendary watchmaker and mastermind behind the Ulysse Nardin Freak and astronomical

complications for Ochs und Junior — to design it from scratch.

The result was the MIH Watch: a 42mm titanium piece with a minimalist dial, a mono-pusher chronograph, and an annual calendar complication that used just 9 additional parts.

A masterclass in functional reduction.

Only around 1,000 pieces were made, sold directly through the museum. No advertising. No hype. Just quiet, brilliant watchmaking.

What Collectors Love

The MIH Watch is a case study in understated genius. It’s one of those watches where the more you know, the more impressive it gets.

What makes it special:

  • Annual calendar + mono-pusher chrono — a rare combo, executed with shocking simplicity

  • Valjoux 7750 base — reliable and easy to service, heavily modified to accommodate the Oechslin-designed calendar

  • Grade 5 titanium case — lightweight, non-flashy, and durable

  • Radial date window — showing the full date scale in a clean arc

  • Dial with no branding — just “MIH” in one subdial if you know where to look

It wears like a modern field watch, reads like an academic thesis, and collects like a museum piece — because it literally is one.

Why MIH Deserves Respect

Because it’s one of the purest expressions of functional horology ever made.

No marketing team. No Instagram drops. Just a museum, a movement genius, and a mission to support cultural preservation through smart design.

In a sea of over-designed watches, the MIH stands out by refusing to shout. It’s a conversation piece for people who know — and that’s the best kind of collector’s watch.

What’s Out There Now

The MIH Watch was discontinued after a limited run, and it’s become a cult favorite among collectors.

  • Only ~1,000 pieces were made

  • Prices on the secondary market vary but are consistently rising, especially for full kits

  • Some later pieces were produced with minor dial tweaks or engraving differences

A few related concepts live on through Ochs und Junior, the brand founded by Oechslin, but the original MIH Watch remains unique in its blend of institutional provenance

technical restraint, and total design clarity.

Fed’s Take

I’ve only handled a couple MIH Watches — and every time, I think: this is what happens when horology is done for the right reasons.

The dial is so clean it’s almost meditative. The calendar function is wild once you realize what it’s doing. And the watch just wears well. You could daily this. You could collect it.

Or you could just appreciate it for what it is: a watch built by a museum, designed by a legend, and owned by people who get it.

Check Out Our MIH Inventory

Delray Watch is always on the lookout for MIH Watches — especially full-set examples and early production runs.

If you have an MIH Watch you’re ready to sell or trade – reach out. We’re always buying.

To be the first to know when new MIH watches are available subscribe for insider access here.