If you’ve read my writing for a long time, you’ll find that I have a soft spot for independents – wolwork, WRK clocks, and the Arminstrome of the world. These are brands, in my opinion, that tend to push the envelope and take the risk that most others don’t. I first met Lukas Young, one of the co-founders of Fam Al Hut. After becoming a collector for a long time, Lucas wanted to launch his own for a long time. That “something” is Fam al Hut Mark 1Möbius, a debut that doesn’t just feel like a warm-up act.
Möbius is not a toe on the market. Rather, you will be responsible for the first charge of the head with biaxial tour bellon, retrograde minutes, retrograde jump time complications. That’s the firepower of many watches packed into non-traditional cases.
What’s the name?
Fam Al Hat takes its name from Fomalhaut, a bright white star located about 25 light years from Earth. It is the brightest star of the constellation Pisis Austrinas, and has long captured the imagination of astronomers and storytellers. The name comes from the Arabic phrase Fom al-haut, meaning “fish mouth.” It may sound like an unusual choice for Chinese brands, but there is a way behind the insanity.
In Chinese tradition, the same star is known as the Bei Luo Si man, and is roughly translated into “Northern Camp Army Gate,” a poetic image of a lonely soldier protecting the suburbs. In both cultures, stars symbolized glow, loneliness, and quiet strength. It was a fitting parlance for the independent pass that Lukas and co-founder of Fam Al Hut, Xinyan Dai chose to take. As they explained, the idea of naming a brand after the star felt like the correct expression of what independent watchmaking represents. Therefore, choosing an Arabic name for a Chinese brand was not a branding gimmick, as it was a compliment. It nodded to the shared, astronomical history spanning culture and the signal that the brand has not drawn inspiration from its obvious location.
First impressions: From skepticism to curiosity
When I first saw the early renderings of Mark 1 Mobius, I admit I wasn’t entirely certain about it. The incident was a love love that looked a bit alien, or a pill-shaped oval that I disliked. In a world filled with round cases and integrated lugs, this one protruded. I couldn’t think of anything that I really liked it, and I wasn’t sure if it was a good thing. While I’m a huge fan of unconventional things when it comes to watchmaking, there are a few things I often love to remain traditional to keep grounded. Outside of the accepted standard case shape, I can have a hard time adapting.
But then I met up with Dai. I’ve been looking forward to seeing this watch for quite some time, after missing out on seeing the brand on my watch earlier this year. It didn’t take long for that initial skepticism to melt. This case has an unusually concave side set that can capture light so that a highly polished surface is difficult to explain, but is very satisfying to see it moving. It’s compact and hugs your wrists like an image on the screen has a hard time capturing it. This reminds me that the dimensions of the spec sheet only tell part of the story. Mobius is beautifully worn.
That said, it is worth mentioning the dimensions. The case is a core, 42.2mm long, 24.3mm wide, and 12.9mm thick. However, the bubble-shaped sapphire crystal has a thickest portion of 17.4mm, allowing the tour bellon space to be freely breathed and rotated on a vertical axis. The caseback is slightly curved for comfort and you really feel that curve on your wrist. Ergonomics is well taken into consideration, especially considering how experimental the form is.
Is it stainless steel or something more exotic?
The prototype I’ve spent time on is the standard version of stainless steel, but the production model offers customers a more unusual upgrade option, amorphous zirconium, for those who want something special.
For beginners, amorphous zirconium falls into a broader range of materials called bulk metallic glasses (BMG). Unlike traditional metals with crystal structures, BMG cools very quickly during processing, and the atomic structure remains a disturbance. This gives you reinforced properties such as extreme hardness, resistance to wear and corrosion, and unique glass-like sheen.
In the case of watch cases, it is converted to a very scratch-resistant surface that is more dense than titanium and has a completely different shiny finish from the others. It’s an ambitious choice, but it fits pretty perfectly into the Möbius spirit, for a small upgrade of just 1,000 USD.
Mechanisms and symbolism of equal scales
One of the more fascinating things about Mark 1 Mobius is how much thoughts are put into the concept. Its layout is essentially split into two halves. The top half of the dial is for the biaxial tour billon, and the bottom is where you can find indications for twin retrograde. Both the minute and time hands sweep past the arc before snapping to start the cycle again. However, the 1 hour indicator jumps between each time, while the 1 minute hand is very smooth.
This duality reflects the Möbius strip that gives the watch its name. In fact, the shape of the tourbillon cage itself reflects this infinite symbol. This is a visual metaphor as a continuous loop, a theme that works particularly well when you see the spin and reset mechanisms of Tour Bjorn come together. It’s more than just a trick-out move. There is a genuine philosophical cohesion here, but I am always grateful.
Among the watches, I used the M-01T, a manual winding movement developed by Fam Al Hut. It has one of the most fun, meandering sounds I’ve ever encountered. The movement almost rings as you wrap it. This is a feature that Dai pointed out to me. It operates at a 3Hz frequency (21,600VPH) and provides approximately 50 hours of power reserve. Given how compact the case is, it is impressive how the brand adapted such complex movements to this footprint. The movement architecture itself is also smartly laid out, and future productions will further refine the manual finish.
Today’s prototype, tomorrow’s production
Let’s talk about where this prototype is and where the production model is heading. This is not the final work, but it’s close. According to the brand, there are some subtle yet meaningful changes in front of the watch ship.
The first is hand fishing. The prototype of this Mark 1 Mobius is already very good, but the production works are even higher. I had the opportunity to see the updated prototypes during London Watch Week, but the differences were noticeable. The movement’s small components transitions are sharper, the bevel is more pronounced, and the touch is polished to a more glossy finish. It felt like a proper upgrade, not just Poland and Buff’s work. Dai informed me that this will be further improved in the final production unit.
Secondly, the speed of Tour Billon is changing. Currently, the dual axis tour bilon rotates on the second axis every 150 seconds with one axis every 60 seconds. Lucas correctly pointed out to me that he felt the 150 second rotation was a bit slow. Visually, you lose the magic of motor magic that is so fascinating to see the tourbillon. In production works, its slow axis will speed up 90 seconds of rotation at maximum. Yes, it’s a small tweak, but it’s clever.
Is it easy to read? That’s not particularly true. Are you curious? not much.
This is not a field watch. I’m not a diver. It certainly isn’t something you’ve seen at a glance while ramming around the train and reading the time right away. But it’s not trying to do that. The double retrograde time display is a bit theatre and decoding takes a little time. I’m fine with that. In fact, I would encourage it. By discovering so much with this watch, it’s a joy and not a chore to take the extra time to understand it. If you’re buying a watch like this, it’s not readable instantly. You’re doing it for mechanics, designs, and the way it makes you feel. And Mobius delivers a lot of it.
Unisex by design
One thing I am thoroughly grateful for is that Mark 1 Mobius was designed to be unisex from day one. The case size, shape and straps all help with a comfortable wrist wear experience, whether large or small. It is especially worth mentioning the straps. The tapered tapered from approximately 23mm on the case to the ultra narrow 12mm on the unfolding clasp. It’s a dramatic transition and there’s no doubt about it, but that means the watch can sit well on the small wrists without overwhelming them.
As for my preference, the taper is probably a little too extreme. On my 16.75cm (6.6 inch) wrist I like something that is probably narrowed to about 16mm. The nice pin buckles are also weird, but they are just personal preferences. The elastic strap is comfortable. There is no doubt about that. My partner, who has a wrist that is much smaller than my wrist, tried out the watch, but the long tail of the strap required a bit of dent, which quickly looked at the house. Still, it proves the point: this strap was designed with inclusiveness in mind. I would probably ask for some habit from delugs with green canvas to better suit my taste, but I’m off track.
A confident debut from a brand with a clear voice
As a debut, The Mark 1Möbius doesn’t feel like a first attempt. It feels like a third or fourth release from an established indie. Here we have a lot of confidence, from design languages to movement architectures to pure ambitions for complex stacks.
Additionally, they are holding flags on the ground of high-end watchmaking in China. This is a completely homemade, Chinese-designed, and Chinese-made watch with a clear voice. And importantly, it is hand-finished to a level that pushes expectations. And what about the old assumptions about the gap between European and Chinese watchmaking? Such clocks make the division appear much less relevant than before.
Let’s talk about prices
Mark 1 Mobius costs USD 32,000. It’s not a pocket change. However, think about what you’re getting, including two-axis tour billons, retrograde jump times and minutes, more than 200 hours of craftsmanship per clock, and impressive hand fishing. If a European brand drops something similar, you’re probably looking at the numbers of six. This makes the value here even more impressive. It’s even more interesting when you put in the option to upgrade to amorphous zirconium. For me, Mark 1 Mobius is more than just a great debut. It is also a strong candidate for the wider landscape of modern independent watchmaking. In a not too distant future, expect to see more from this brand. You can imagine this watch shaking the GPHG award later this year. You first heard it here.
Final Thoughts on Fam Al Hat Mark 1 Mobius
The Fam Al Hut Mark 1Möbius is one of the most interesting debut watches I’ve worked on for a long time. It’s all right, it’s weird, it’s not compromised, it’s ambitious in a way that feels technically not ambitious and exciting. Plus, it’s an original wearable and one of the most exciting watches I’ve come across at my desk for a long time. If this is something the brand can do right away from the gate, we can’t wait to see what’s next for Lucas and Dai!
