Introducing: The H. Moser & Cie. Streamliner Concept Minute Repeater Tourbillon
The H. Moser Streamliner just had its Haute Horlogerie chops dialed up to eleven. The result is a thoroughly modern and characterful watch that cannot be confused with anything other than a Moser. What we get is the familiar Streamliner case with its organically integrated bracelet and sterile dial. Don’t fret, though, because “sterile” does not equal “boring.” In fact, everything that makes this new model distinct is visible on and through the dial. Let’s have a closer look.
The new H. Moser & Cie. Streamliner Concept Minute Repeater Tourbillon with an Aqua Blue enameled dial is limited to 50 pieces and priced at CHF 269,000.
The H. Moser & Cie. Streamliner
Before we get into this specific new reference, allow me to take you back to 2020. It may seem like only yesterday, but the world — and the watch world, specifically — looked very different. The COVID-19 virus had just started showing its potency, and news of lockdowns emerged. The watch world, ironically, was preparing for an absolute boom as a result of this.
With demand for luxury watches and prices soaring, certain watch genres led the way. Among them were sports watches with integrated bracelets. Pushed by the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and the Patek Philippe Nautilus, it seemed every brand out there needed a watch in this mold. This resulted, above all, in a ton of “me too” products that felt uninspired and derivative.
Enter, H. Moser. Just before all the above would unfold, the house released the Streamliner. It was a radically different take on the steel integrated-bracelet sports watch. For starters, it looked organic with flowing, curved shapes. Next, it had a cushion-shaped case and a fascinating fusion of modern and 1970s style cues. I had to look up the introduction date because it weirdly feels as if the Streamliner has been around for ages, but it really has been only four years.
Adding a flying tourbillon and minute repeater
Fast-forward to today. We have seen many iterations on the Streamliner platform in the meantime, cementing it as a familiar profile. Today’s version is possibly my favorite so far. Moser introduces a Streamliner with a flying tourbillon and a minute repeater. Oh, and it has a hammered gold dial with a Grand Feu gradient enamel finish. Nice!
The case measures the same 42.3mm across as the original Streamliner. In total, the watch comes in at 14.4mm thick, with the domed sapphire crystal accounting for 2.2mm of that. Of course, you get to admire the beautiful caliber inside through a sapphire window in the case back. The water resistance is also rated at a predictable 5 ATM.
Inside ticks caliber HMC 905, a hand-wound movement with a tourbillon at 6 o’clock, exposed through a cutout in the dial. Moser promises an ample power reserve of 90 hours. The combination of a tourbillon and a minute repeater required some clever engineering. The mid-case had to be widened to create space and to make it function optimally from an acoustic perspective. The circular gongs, lying exposed around the dial, required special curvature to shape them around the tourbillon architecture.
A mesmerizing new dial for the Streamliner
Considering Moser’s tendency towards sterile dials and all these dial-side complications on display, you might expect a rather restrained dial here. Nothing could be further from the truth. The brand went all out for this one. The dial itself is made of gold and features a beautiful hammered texture and raised edges.
Next, the surface is enameled with no fewer than four different pigments. These are blended by hand to form a perfect fade from a dark outer perimeter to a bright center. It takes a master enameler about an hour to arrange the different pigments properly, before firing the dial. It then takes twelve firings to get to the final fumé effect you see here.
Now, if you follow my writing, you know fumé dials are something of a pet peeve for me. But I will happily admit that I shouldn’t be dogmatic about it after seeing this. On most watches, I feel it just adds unwarranted visual complexity. The fact that every other new release features a fumé dial nowadays doesn’t help. But credit where credit is due; this one is stunning. For starters, the color and texture are close to perfection. But perhaps just as importantly, this dial offers the perfect refined contrast against the more industrial aesthetic of the rest of the watch. For once, a dial like this makes perfect sense from both a conceptual and a visual perspective. Kudos, Moser!
What do you think of the new H. Moser & Cie. Streamliner Concept Minute Repeater Tourbillon? Let us know in the comments below!
