H. Moser & Cie’s new Streamliner Perpetual Calendar brings together two of the brand’s men’s luxury watch icons – the Perpetual Calendar and the Streamliner.
Related: Watch review: Chopard L.U.C Perpetual Chrono
Founded by Heinrich Moser in 1828, this Swiss watchmaker is well-known for his role in the industrialization of his hometown of Schaffhausen. It was there that he built a factory of several hundreds of skilled craftsmen. Today the boutique watchmaker employs about 60 people.
H. Moser & Cie has developed 14 in-house calibres to date. And the atelier produces about 1500 watches annually. The nearly 200 year-old company is independently family-owned and operated. They design and produce their own in-house mechanical movements.
Features in-house hand-wound H. Moser & Cie HMC 812 calibre
The brand made its reappearance onto the luxury watch market in 2005. First there was the rejuvenation of its perpetual calendar with the Perpetual 1. Then in 2020, H. Moser & Cie launched its Streamliner collection. This 2021 release of the Streamliner Perpetual forges together these two company flagships.
HMC 812 Calibre
Featuring its in-house, hand-wound H. Moser & Cie HMC 812 calibre, the movement uses the indices to indicate the months via a small red and white central hand. The men’s luxury watch has a generous 168-hour power reserve. You’ll see it at the 10 o’clock position on the dial via an indicator.
At 4 o’clock, a window displays the date in large format crafts from two overlapping discs which operate in succession, from 1 to 15 and 16 to 31. The date window on the H. Moser & Cie men’s luxury watch aligns with the off-centre crown. So the numerals had to be positioned at a 26-degree angle in order to read with ease. And the maison’s signature ‘M’ adorns the crown.
H. Moser & Cie Streamliner Perpetual Calendar: Don’t be fooled by the first glance
The date changes instantaneously at midnight with the “Flash Calendar” date-mechanism. You can adjust it forwards or backwards at any time of the day. That’s an added luxury most other watch brands do not offer. In order to keep the minimalist appearance of this watch face, you’ll find the leap year indicator on the movement side. That is visible via the sapphire case-back.
The HMC 812 calibre is complete with the atelier’s traditional Moser double horizontal stripes. And an anthracite grey PVD coating on the balance bridges, train wheels, barrel and escapement plate. Overall, it’s an intuitive complication. To top it off, the main plate features anthracite rhodium plating.
At first glance this watch may give the impression of being too simple. But as one looks carefully, the intricacy of its dial becomes more apparent. Looking down at it on the wrist, the watch is confident and bold. In between the hour markers are interchanging sets of indices.
The five hands of the watch (small red month indicator, in addition to the power reserve hand) do not overwhelm the face, but rather develop the character of the smoky dial.
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Throwback to high-speed trains from the 1920s and 1930s
It’s designed to evoke elements from the very first high-speed trains of the 1920s and 1930s. The steel bracelet’s engineered wave-like rivets provide an elegant aerodynamic smoothness. And they also resemble train tracks. The Glassbox-type sapphire crystal atop the dial on the H. Moser & Cie watch is reflected by the see-through caseback.
The gold accents of the movement which are exposed are as pleasurable to look at as the face of this watch. It will be something the owner will surely curiously look upon each time they adorn this masterfully crafted timepiece.
Simple and minimalistic design
Around the edge of the signature fumé dial, the red and white outer minute track measures the movement of the central seconds hand. The seconds hand, power reserve hand and the months hand are designed to resemble those of dials of measuring instruments. On top of that, the hour and minute hands feature inserts made from Globolight. That’s a ceramic-based material containing Super-LumiNova.
The elegant and high-quality appearance of this watch is undeniable. It really is stunning, a difference-maker for anyone looking to make an impression. However, H. Moser and Cie could have done more to make its dial more intriguing. If, however, the simple and minimalist look is the one you are seeking in a multi-functional watch, H. Moser & Cie’s Streamliner Perpetual Calendar is the pièce de résistance.
The H. Moser & Cie Streamliner Perpetual Calendar men’s luxury watch retails for $54,900 USD ($68,700 CAD).
Daron Halajian received his bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Ryerson University. He has worked for American Express as a Travel and Lifestyle Consultant servicing elite clientele. He writes in both English and Armenian and his works have appeared in publications in Beirut, Los Angeles, Montreal and Toronto.
