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Water resistance: 120 meters. Cheeky. From general idea to minute particulars reminiscent of pressure-resistance rankings, the H. Moser & Cie. Streamliner assortment makes no secret of the truth that its creator is again within the ring, choosing fights manner exterior its division. The query stands: Is the most recent H. Moser & Cie. Streamliner Centre Seconds Matrix Inexperienced watch adequate for a memorable Ok.O. or only a battle all the way down to the factors?
As a consequence of the exceptional success of luxurious metal “sports activities” watches of Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe, this calculated boxing match amongst just a few giants has been became a cage battle with so many fighters within the ring directly, it’s onerous to maintain observe of what’s really occurring. From Bulgari to A. Lange & Söhne and Girard-Perregaux all the way in which to Laurent Ferrier (sure, Laurent Ferrier), manufacturers we’d by no means ever have imagined have joined the battle for a second of glory offered by the profitable launch of a luxurious metal watch with an built-in metal bracelet.
When metal Daytonas are promoting within the twenties and Patek Nautili are promoting for triple over retail and extra, it’s clear that such ridiculous over-demand will in some unspecified time in the future encourage further provide. These manufacturers we simply talked about have bitten this bait, and H. Moser & Cie. — a small, Schaffhausen-based manufacture that masochistically (and charmingly) enjoys the function of an underdog — desires in on this, too. The primary one-two punches have been delivered by the Streamliner Flyback Chronograph Computerized we debuted right here, which is so unbelievable we received’t even start to attempt to do it justice right here. You’ll have to take a look at our Bilal’s article and pictures for that.
Launched as a continued assault on the competitors, the H. Moser & Cie. Streamliner Centre Seconds Matrix Inexperienced is a noticeably extra compact, extra restrained-looking, and extra competitively priced follow-up to the chronograph that boasted a remarkably complicated caliber by Agenhor. This, on a quick private observe, marks my first time seeing the H. Moser & Cie. Streamliner case and built-in bracelet, so this piece is each a evaluation and a mirrored image on first impressions.
Conceived by Marcus Eilinger, a contract designer who has lately labored on watches for IWC, Montblanc, and Huawei, the Streamliner is a kind of only a few watches that feels recent regardless of an underlying (however noticeable) classic vibe. Upon first look, the bracelet, particularly because of the form and brushed prime of its hyperlinks, jogged my memory of a watch from the Seventies and Nineteen Eighties. I couldn’t, nonetheless, bear in mind which one precisely, to save lots of my life, so massive kudos to SJX for figuring this out: the Ebel Sport Traditional from 1977, made well-known within the Nineteen Eighties on the wrist of Don Johnson within the tv sequence Miami Vice. I’d positive hope a up to date Miami Vice star can be rocking the Streamliner — it might look so proper, now that I come to consider it.
Regardless of appearances, the bracelet will not be a single hyperlink, however a two-link design: Take a look at its flipside and you will note how the overarching exterior hyperlinks are held collectively by narrower rectangular hyperlinks. The top result’s a inflexible bracelet that, at first, is a scary factor to really feel out: nearly all of bracelets with out absolutely versatile hyperlinks (the place consecutive hyperlinks can freely rotate and swivel) are likely to sacrifice at the least some sporting consolation resulting from stupidly inflexible end-links and connections that make it onerous for the bracelet to circulate neatly across the form of the wrist.
The H. Moser & Cie. Streamliner bracelet is a optimistic exception to that rule as even the final two end-links can flip downward at an angle of 90° — a godsend for these with slim wrists. So, even when you have a smaller wrist (like I do), and 41-42mm is the dimensions restrict for sports activities watches that also look good on you, the Streamliner received’t look goofy-large or lengthen far past the perimeters of your wrist. In brief, it’s a bracelet intelligently designed to be not simply fairly but in addition comfy.
There’s one nit I do have to select with it, although, however be warned that it could simply be my mind that’s wired up all incorrect. Anyway, right here goes: The beveled and polished strains that stay contained in the longer, horizontal edges of the hyperlinks are so stunning, it’s borderline disappointing that I can’t see extra of them, extra of the time. What I do see are the comparably massive, brushed surfaces which can be merely not as good to take a look at because the dense, wealthy, glistening polish they appear to be hiding. I perceive these surfaces, if all polished, would probably make for a cheesy watch, however the proportion between fats, brushed surfaces and delightful, hard-to-see surfaces appears a bit off.
Again to positives, there may be the remarkably clean really feel of the bracelet. It is exceptional as a result of that smoothness will not be merely a results of glassy surfaces, however that of the flush integration between the hyperlinks. The entrance and likewise the again of the bracelet feels nice to the contact, like a river pebble — nearly 100 instances extra complicated, as you’re feeling the hyperlinks swivel and transfer round barely.
On the wrist, the satin-brushed areas dominate the H. Moser & Cie. Streamliner Centre Seconds Matrix Inexperienced watch sporting expertise. The bezel is a large and domed design that follows swimsuit with a discreet sunburst model brush the place each line appears to be directed in direction of the very heart of the dial, though this sample will not be carried on by the “face” of the Streamliner Centre Seconds.
As an alternative, what we’ve got here’s a Matrix Inexperienced dial with a trademark contact of H. Moser & Cie.: a vignette or “ombré” execution, the place the perimeters of the dial rework from dense inexperienced into darkish black. It may be referred to as After Eight, I assume, although that’s arguably much less cool than The Matrix. Talking of the dial, it has 13 shiny utilized baton indices complemented by a bizarre association of extra minute markings; studying these to the minute provides me a headache each time, however once more, that will simply be me. I merely can’t inform the place one minute ends and the opposite begins, and I’m nowhere close to laid-back sufficient to let that go.
A crisp white H. Moser & Cie actively adorns the dial. The script is simply stunning — you inform me when was the final time you noticed a printed model title worthy of complimenting, however this one actually is. The arms are fairly a particular form that jogs my memory solely of Chopard L.U.C’s “Chrysler Constructing” arms, with two shorter strips supporting an extended heart part. This one, nonetheless, has an arguably sportier strategy with huge white sections that go superbly with the aforementioned emblem. It’s exactly these massive white sections of the arms that elevate the query of whether or not the dial would have benefitted from equally massive, printed, white hour markers versus utilized ones. The present setup is neat, however these appliqués aren’t all that tall, angular, or in any other case particular for one to not entertain the prospect of getting them changed for one thing that higher embraced the sporty nature of the Streamliner.
The thinness of the case is an actual luxurious sports activities watch trait — make this too cumbersome and you might be instantly out of the race in opposition to the likes of the Nautilus and Royal Oak. With the downward-sloped bezel and genuinely skinny profile, the H. Moser & Cie. Streamliner Centre Seconds Matrix Inexperienced seems and wears slim, as a real ultra-high-end luxurious sports activities watch arguably ought to. General weight stays at a minimal, as properly, for such a watch, with none wobble or a crown digging into the pores and skin. Your mileage might fluctuate relying on various components, however there was no hair-pulling that I may really feel, which is one other vital element to sporting consolation. The double-folding clasp is a somewhat peculiar design, although extra properly polished than others of the identical sort. Possibly you’ll be part of me in wishing that new and expensively developed bracelets would all the time incorporate some kind of a tool-free micro-adjust system — however obvious from how uncommon this characteristic is even amongst newly engineered bracelets, this isn’t fairly a lot of a precedence available in the market right this moment.
The HMC200 motion is a surprising piece of equipment and that’s solely additional enhanced by how superbly it fills up the caseback view. That basically is the icing on the cake that makes a lot of a distinction and helps spotlight the fantastic thing about this caliber. In 2017, we had the possibility to go to the H. Moser & Cie. manufacture to be taught extra about the place and the way these calibers are crafted. The large gold rotor is within the focal point for apparent causes, however because of its generously open-worked space, it permits a window loads massive sufficient to understand the fantastic thing about the underlying motion. Whereas the sweeping bevels of the plates are actually a sight to behold, a very neat factor is the extremely precisely etched H. Moser & Cie. emblem subsequent to the stability wheel. Talking of the escapement, H. Moser & Cie’s sister firm throughout the Moser Watch Holding is Precision Engineering AG, a specialised producer of hairsprings of all kinds of complexity. We gave you an intensive look into the operation of Precision Engineering AG right here — you should definitely test it out if you’re within the temper for nerding out over actual watchmaking.
In essence, the legitimacy and excessive degree of appreciation of H. Moser & Cie. are to be present in its dedication to producing its actions in-house and to creating watches which can be proudly 100% Swiss-made. The model’s fashionable historical past has loads of examples of it reminding the smoke-and-mirrors Swiss watch business of its unfastened interpretation of Swiss Made guidelines and such — together with some cases the place it was pulling no punches, inflicting absolute scandals. When one considers the borderline run-of-the-mill, roughly timid reiterations of the true stars of this section, the H. Moser & Cie. Streamliner Centre Seconds Matrix Inexperienced stands out with a surprisingly authentic look — as a result of even when its fundamental precept isn’t completely new, its redesign, execution, and presentation are.
Stunning on the inside and outside, H. Moser & Cie. additional extends its brief however wealthy legacy of disruption within the luxurious watchmaking section and that can show greater than enough to achieve the applause and open help of many well-heeled and clever luxurious watch collectors. That stated, we’ve got excessive hopes for the following technology of the Streamliner that will likely be a bit extra assured within the presentation of its superbly completed surfaces in order to placed on a but extra spectacular battle in opposition to the established heavyweights of its section.
Value for the H. Moser & Cie. Streamliner Centre Seconds Matrix Inexperienced is $21,900, and you should purchase it immediately from the model. To be taught extra, go to the official H. Moser & Cie. web site right here.
Needed Information
>Model: H. Moser & Cie.
>Mannequin: Streamliner Centre Seconds Matrix Inexperienced
>Value: $21,900
>Dimension: 40mm-wide, 9.9mm-thick with out crystal
>When reviewer would personally put on it: When amongst peeps sporting APs and PPs.
>Buddy we’d suggest it to first: Properly-heeled collector who desires to help a deserving model and be set aside from his friends.
>Greatest attribute of watch: Refreshing design, stunning motion, fascinating particulars.
>Worst attribute of watch: Reflective crystal, a tad too many uninterrupted brushed surfaces.
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