Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. H. Moser & Cie. Streamliner Centre Seconds (Live Pics & Price)
Moser's Streamliner luxury sports watch collection welcomes a 3-hand model in steel with a superb Matrix Green fumé dial.
Following fast on the heels of the January 2020 launch of the impressive Streamliner Flyback Chronograph luxury sports watch, H.Moser & Cie. presents a second, less complex three-hand Streamliner model. Flaunting the same rounded curves of the chronograph, the Streamliner Centre Seconds comes in a 40mm steel case and features a classic Moser fumé dial, now in a colour described as Matrix Green. With its streamlined case, flexible integrated bracelet and sensual contours, the Streamliner offers essential information in a very attractive package.
Background
The luxury sports watch has been interpreted by practically every Swiss watchmaker since the introduction of the Royal Oak in 1972. It’s almost a sin for any self-respecting not to have a luxury sports watch collection. The Pioneer collection at H. Moser & Cie. was the brand’s first take on a ‘sportier’ luxury watch collection. With a more robust personality, thanks to their 42.8mm steel and gold cases, water-resistance, luminescence and a beefy power reserve, the Pioneer has appeared in Centre Seconds, Perpetual Calendar and even Tourbillon configurations. However, it’s clear that the Pioneer doesn’t pretend to play the luxury sports watch card; it doesn’t have a shaped case or even an integrated bracelet and doesn’t host any sport-related functions, like a chronograph. More akin to a luxury watch with a slightly larger and more resilient case that wants to be worn and enjoyed on a daily basis, the Pioneer is Moser’s all-terrain vehicle for complications or straightforward time-only models.
What was missing in Moser’s line-up was a bona fide luxury sports watch. In January 2020, Moser unveiled one of the most surprising renditions of a luxury sports watch incarnated by its Streamliner Flyback Chronograph Automatic. What was most surprising was that it did not fall into the trap of emulating the 1972 octagonal Royal Oak designed by Gérald Genta – the indisputable leader of the pack and its countless copycats. What it does have though is a strong 1970s vibe with its rounded cushion-shaped case and spectacular steel bracelet that flows smoothly from the case. The minimalism favoured on Moser’s dials made its way to the Streamliner which relays the elapsed times of the chronograph on two peripheral scales. To get a better feel for the looks and the impressive Agenhor-developed chronograph movement, you can read Xavier’s Hands-On coverage.
Streamliner inspiration
The name of this collection is taken from the Streamliner Moderne period (1920s -1930s) that followed directly on the heels of Art Deco. Described as ‘Art Deco on the move’, the Streamliner movement celebrated the modern machine age and the new-found passion for speed with sleek, aerodynamic designs found on trains, ocean liners, aeroplanes, cars and even diners.
The three-hand Streamliner Centre Seconds is a study in proportions and fluid lines. The stainless steel 40mm rounded cushion case is gently cambered and features a matte satin-brushed finish. The height of the case is 9.9mm without the domed sapphire crystal and 11.8mm with the crystal. If you look at the watch from the side, you can see how the polished edge of the satin-brushed bezel hangs slightly over the case middle. The case middle is slightly recessed and brushed before it meets the polished bevel corresponding to the caseback. These small design details go a long way in adding character and interest to the case, which incidentally, is water-resistant to 120 metres.
As Xavier points out in his article, the design of the Streamliner began with the bracelet. Seamlessly integrated into the lug-free case, the first links of the bracelet have a subtle inclination to hug the wrist. An extremely complex construction belies the beauty and flexibility of the bracelet with its fluid lines that flow from the case to the clasp. All the links of the bracelet are articulated and their gentle wave-like pattern is picked out with a vertical brushed finish and polished bevels where one link meets the next.
Matrix Green
A new colour in Moser’s catalogue and a shade of green rarely seen in watchmaking, Matrix Green offers a complex palette of shades ranging from olive green to red gold. Using Moser’s trademark fumé dial technique, the sunburst green dial is lighter in the centre and gradually darkens towards the periphery. The combination of olive green and brushed stainless steel is spot on and caters to Moser’s idiosyncratic and refreshing take on watchmaking. The flat hour, minute and central seconds hands are made from two sections and feature Globolight inserts, an innovative ceramic-based material that contains Super-LumiNova.
Another unusual detail is the minutes track that features two shorter markers between every minute marker. Not only are they shorter in length, but they alternate in position. An attempt, I presume, at capturing the dual elapsed minutes and seconds scales on the Streamliner Flyback Chronograph Automatic, and no doubt an essential design feature for future watches in this collection.
Calibre HMC 200
The movement inside the Streamliner Centre Seconds is the HMC 200, an automatic calibre designed, developed and produced entirely in-house. Thanks to the bi-directional pawl-winding system, the watch is wound more quickly and holds power over a minimum period of three days (72 hours). Equipped with an original Straumann Hairspring® with a flat overcoil, the large solid 18k gold oscillating weight is engraved with the company logo and the movement is finished with Moser stripes.
The price of the Streamliner Centre Seconds Ref. 6200-1200 is CHF 19,900. For more information, please visit h-moser.com.
