So far, everyone considered H. Moser & Cie. to be a tame, classical watchmaking brand. Its design acumen was focused on elegant, lean timepieces which were in stark contrast to its youth and spirit. Now, H. Moser & Cie. is proving everyone wrong with the Streamliner. A new line, a new case, a new integrated bracelet, a new chronograph movement, a new dial, new hands... everything about the Streamliner collection is new and different. And to everyone who’ll object to the design, let the golden rule of watches apply : do not judge on pictures. More than any other timepiece, the Streamliners truly reveal themselves on the wrist. After releasing the Streamliner Flyback Chronograph Automatic earlier this year, H. Moser & Cie. is now offering a threehands version with a distinctive Matrix Green dial, the Streamliner Centre Seconds.
OUTSIDE THE BOX
Rather than imitate, H. Moser & Cie. chose to design from scratch and think outside the box, a demanding effort that took over five years of development. Fluid lines, geometric curves, dynamic shapes, a harmony of contrasts and textures: this is a true design object, reminiscent of the likes of Raymond Loewy or Alvar Aalto. The initial idea was to design a steel case model with an integrated bracelet. The notions of fluidity and curved continuous lines quickly became inextricable. The name of this collection was also an obvious choice : Streamliner takes after the first high-speed trains from the 1920s and 30s with their rounded and aerodynamic curves. The Streamliner Flyback Chronograph Automatic has a 42.3mm-diameter steel cushion-shaped case. These lines extend to the highly complex, organic and integrated steel bracelet. All the links are articulated and feature a gentle wave combining a vertical brushed finish with polished surfaces.
GRIFFÉ AND FUMÉ
Its chronograph caliber is considered by a number of watchmaking experts to be one of the best ever made. This new caliber was developed by AGENHOR with support from the teams at H. Moser & Cie. With dynamic water resistance to 120 meters, the chronograph function can be used underwater. In order for the watch mechanism and the operation of the chronograph to be admired, the oscillating weight has been placed between the movement and the dial and is therefore invisible. Featuring two chronograph hands, one for the minutes and one for the seconds, and two central time-display hands, the Streamliner Flyback Chronograph Automatic is nothing if not understated. For the dial, H. Moser & Cie. has revisited the brand’s signature element, the fumé dial.
Featuring a new anthracite shade of gray, the dial is not only fumé, it is also griffé. Around its edge are two white and red minutes tracks, the outer one measuring the seconds and the inner one counting the minutes. At 12 o’clock, the 60 numeral dominates the dial, harking back to the stopwatches of the 1960s and 70s, when legibility and functionality were key.
LEAN AND GREEN
The Streamliner Centre Seconds takes after the Chronograph. It has only three hands, but that’s not enough to make it really different from the unusual chronograph layout of is larger sister. So the second model in the line is smaller, at 40mm in diameter and 9.9mm thick (11.8mm with the curved sapphire crystal). The case and integrated bracelet are the same, so it became the dial’s task to make this a standalone timepiece. The fumé dial is, as usual, circular- brushed with a sunburst pattern, and ventures into green territory with an olive metallic shade with a black outer ring. The Matrix Green surface is punctuated by the same minutes track as the chronograph, but monochromatic, and with applied indices. Overall, it’s even leaner and cleaner, therefore a Streamliner in its own right. This design’s ability to evolve does indeed mark the start of a new era for H. Moser & Cie.
