If I’m being brutally honest with myself, looking at H. Moser & Cie. watches is something of a masochistic pastime. They’re achingly beautiful and also achingly expensive. The new Streamliner Small Seconds Blue Enamel hasn’t done anything to help with this problem as it combines my favourite style of H. Moser case and favourite type of H. Moser dial while introducing a new micro-rotor movement and continuing to be out of my budget.
Let’s start with the Streamliner case, which is H. Moser’s nod to industrial, integrated bracelet design. This iteration of the design is made from stainless steel at a new sizing of 39mm, dramatically slimmer than its 42mm predecessors such as the Streamliner Perpetual Calendar. The flowing shape of its case and the links of its integrated bracelet are inspired by the appearance of legendary Streamliner trains from early 20th century America.
Then we get to the dial, which is made from Grande Feu enamel with a cool grainy texture and a blue fumé colourway. It’s similar in style to the Tantalum Blue Enamel from earlier this year and the Concept Lime Green that first introduced the grainy enamel design. I really like how the intricate texture enhances the smoky appearance of the fumé.
Unlike those previous models through this one features a small seconds subdial interrupting the enamel at 6 o’clock. It adds a new dimension to the display with its snailed finishing, creating a nice point of textural contrast. It works well with the relatively minimal hour markers to create a cohesive display that could become over-complicated very quickly and yet remains stylish and contemporary. Perfectly balanced.
Powering the Streamliner Small Seconds Blue Enamel is the brand-new Calibre HMC 500, an automatic movement with a 74-hour power reserve which is provided by a micro-rotor that’s visible through the sapphire caseback. It’s H. Moser & Cie.’s first ever micro-rotor, a landmark moment for the brand, which they’ve used in order to accommodate for the reduced case size.
The bi-directional rotor is made from platinum and is emblazoned with the company hallmark. At the same time, it also allows for unparalleled views of the movement itself with its Moser stripe finishing and anthracite colouration. The HMC 500 promises to be a basis from which H. Moser can explore smaller watches of all varieties.
Of course, all that doesn’t come cheap. It’s priced at CHF 29,900 (approx. £27,000). As you may have been able to glean, I’m a big fan of this watch. I love the dial, I love the case and the new movement is the icing on the cake. If only H. Moser were part of the Swatch Group so I could look forward to a potential Swatchliner collab and actually get my hands on one.
Price and Specs:
More details at H. Moser & Cie.
