A Conversation with Saquon Barkley on His H. Moser Watch Collaboration

On a recent trip to Philadelphia for an Eagles game, I sat at A Man Full of Trouble Tavern and planned out three objectives.

1. Eat scrapple. 
2. Do something historical (aforementioned tavern is pre-revolutionary, check!).
3. Learn all about Saquon Barkley’s stunning new collaboration with luxury watchmaker H. Moser & Cie.

I won’t bore you with the scrapple. But you might be interested to know that I did meet up with the enterprising Eagles running back in the City of Brotherly Love to talk about his touchdown of a timepiece.

His limited-edition Pioneer Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton highlights the alignment between Saquon and H. Moser. Both combine elite craft with pure fun. As Saquon and I discussed his maturing personal style and what this watch represents, it reminded me how much of a resource H. Moser is for those seeking a grown-up style of serious quality without compromising joy.

“You hit the nail on the head,” Saquon told me, not at all taken aback with my comparison of elite pro-athletes and H. Moser & Cie’s watches. 

After all, Barkley is known for his spectacular hurdles, proving that you can be technically brilliant and still playful. “The best way I can attribute that to is when we go out there and we play football, one of the biggest things our coach says to me is to let your personality show… I try to apply my life to that.” And apparently, he applies it to his watch designing as well.

The Pioneer Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton Aventurine, Saquon Barkley Edition, is glamorously dimensional and remuneratively spec-forward. The New York-born, Pennsylvania-raised NFL star says he’s always enjoyed how skeleton watches showcase the inner workings. His H. Moser watch certainly exhibits a purity of form. There’s a lot there, but nothing that doesn’t need to be. For example, the cylindrical tourbillon is a visual testament to master craftsmanship, while the shimmery aventurine subdial embodies attention to aesthetics, materials, and taste. 

“Obviously H. Moser is clean-cut, but they do have fun, they do bring some splash to you,” Saquon mused. “It’s a different type of splash. It’s not loud. It’s not hey look at me.”

He opened up about how his personal style evolved as he got older, something all guys can relate to. Now a father of three, he forgoes big neck chains and conspicuous hype watches, so it makes sense he’d connect with a Swiss watchmaker that often omits its own logo on many models.

“If you know, you know. That’s my favorite thing about H. Moser,” said Barkley, who first wore the brand to the Met Gala.

As well as being a go-to watchmaker for those seeking the opposite, more sophisticated end of logo-mania, H. Moser is known for creating horological showstoppers. Meanwhile, Saquon is so electric to watch on the gridiron that his iconic reverse hurdle isn’t just featured in video games. It’s on the cover of Madden NFL 26. So of course, we ended our conversation where it started. I asked Saquon, even as his sartorial tastes mature, how important is it for him to still have a good time with style?

Ever thoughtful, he connected watchmaking, style, and football into a concise thesis. “You gotta go out there, you gotta be detailed, but at the end of the day, you’re going to play your best when you’re having fun.”

Saquon built his watch off of H. Moser’s Ref. 3811-1200, featuring the athletic yet reasonable 42.8-millimeter case, the impeccable tourbillon at the six marker, and the domed subdial. Still, the football luminary’s touches tell his story, further ennobling this edition to fans of the man, his teams, and for those who love eloquent design, regardless of your fandom.

Uniquely, Ref. 3811-1205, the Saquon Barkley Edition’s aventurine subdial evokes a starry night, adding a touch of non-ostentatious glitz. This, partnered with the white rubber strap, represents his time at Penn State and offers a stylishly calm high-contrast look. The two and six markers lume up in kelly green, a nod to the Eagles and his jersey number. Style-wise, I think the asymmetric lighting also aligns with the organic, peppered aesthetic of the dial. As all limited releases, the Saquon Barkley Edition boasts a collector’s edge, the 97-piece limit paying tribute to the pro-athlete’s birth year. 

And of course, thanks to the skeletonization, you can admire the HMC 811 movement, which I’ve always considered a genuine piece of kinetic art. The in-house cylindrical hairspring offers constant oscillation which, combined with that famous flying tourbillon, produces streamlined precision.

H. Moser & Cie is one of the few independent, still family-run watchmakers in the luxury segment. In fact, Saquon mentioned that he first met the brand owners, Bertrand and Eduoard Meylan at his house surrounded by family. Not in a conference room surrounded by shareholders.

The brand’s artistic freedom from corporate bureaucracy is exemplified across its range. I think about how the Off-Grid, with its entry-level luxury pricing, pulls off making a digital watch look and wear like high horology. Or the iconic Streamliners, which manage to make contemporary minimalism look as classically elegant as Art Deco. I personally always loved the incorporation of H. Moser’s beloved Funky Blue fumé dial into the pocketwatch-inspired Heritage Centre Seconds.

It was important to Saquon that he work with this kind of independent creativity. A core tenet of H. Moser’s collaborations? The fact that, behind each creation, is an individual human story. 

The Pioneer Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton Aventurine Saquon Barkley Edition is $99,600 and available now.