ReviewThe H. Moser Streamliner Collection Expands With The New Perpetual Calendar

There’s something about the number three that makes a set of things seem more complete. One could be a one-off. Two could simply be a sequel or follow-up, or something of a yin-and-a-yang situation. Three, however, feels more diverse—not a crowd, but a group; not a pair, but a collection. It adds variety, and it makes something feel more whole. And that’s what one feels when one considers the third Streamliner watch. After the launch of the Streamliner Chronograph (as well as its colour variant launched later), and the Streamliner Centre Seconds—all in 2020—H. Moser & Cie. have now unveiled the perpetual calendar edition of the Streamliner. It comes as no surprise really, since this interpretation of the perpetual calendar has been the brand’s pride and joy, ever since the fantastic innovation won the complication prize at the 2006 GPHGs (Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève). And to top that, the first Streamliner won the chronograph prize at last year’s edition of the GPHGs. It certainly makes perfect sense then for them to build on their new, award-winning pillar of watches with an award-winning complication that has been such a success story for them for 15 years.

The Brilliance Of The Moser Perpetual Calendar—Now In The Streamliner

The latest version of their GPHG-winning perpetual calendar, the manual-winding calibre HMC 812 captures all the goodness of the interpretation that won H. Moser & Cie. all the acclaim. It pares down the complication, and does away with all the frills that perpetual calendar watches usually come with, yet offering the essence of the complication—no date adjustment ever required, practically speaking. This includes the ‘flash calendar’ system. “The ‘flash calendar’ system ensures that, say, even going from the 28th to 1st, the date change takes place instantaneously, and not gradually, over the last few hours of February in a non-leap year, as in most watch calendars and perpetual calendars,” explains Edouard Meylan, the brand’s CEO. “Even around midnight, the date can be adjusted because of this system, since the mechanism has already snapped into place. And adjusting it around that time won’t even damage the movement, as would be the case with other perpetual calendars.” To help make this possible, the movement features two discs for the date—one with dates from the 1st to the 15th, and the other with dates from the 16th to the 31st. In the case of February, or months with 30 days, the second date disc stops at 28, 29 or 30—as applicable—and the first disc comes into place, displaying the 1st of the following month. The mechanics to make these discs work together, with the teeth and the spring that help switch the discs as they work, are very complex, Meylan informs.

This watch pares down the complication, and does away with all the frills that perpetual calendar watches usually come with, yet offering the essence of the complication—no date adjustment ever required, practically speaking. This includes the ‘flash calendar’ system

The movement, which guarantees a power reserve of 168 hours (seven full days), in this Streamliner actually features finishing and decoration that is different from what we’re used to seeing in other Mosers. “The new finishing on the movement is what’s going to differentiate one category of movements from the others,” Meylan states. This calibre has a PVD finish, but includes the double Geneva stripes that Moser’s movement decoration is known for.

The movement, which guarantees a 168-hour power reserve, in this Streamliner actually features finishing and decoration that is different from what we’re used to seeing in other Mosers

This calibre has a PVD finish, but includes the double Geneva stripes that Moser’s movement decoration is known for. It can be seen through the transparent caseback

The Perpetual Calendar’s Presence Expands

In a way, the presence of Moser’s signature perpetual calendar in the Streamliner collection solidifies its status as a brand pillar. It’s a rite of passage that’s been seen by all the present collections of the brand. The classical Endeavour, the sportier Pioneer, and the more distinguished Heritage series—all have a version of this perpetual calendar. The signature details are the minimalistic power reserve, the date aperture, and a stunted central hand that indicates the months by pointing at the hour markers, which double as month markers. This is the most different watch from Moser’s stable to feature this complication, with its steampunk-inspired design that is quite a departure from the far more archetypal Endeavour, Pioneer and even Heritage. The perpetual calendar naturally required an overhaul of all the details and displays, for it to fit in to the newer collection, while taking on its nuances.

Adapting The Streamliner For The Perpetual Calendar And Vice Versa

The only major difference in the basic presentation of this complication in the Streamliner edition is the seconds display. While previous editions had a small seconds sub-dial, this one has a central seconds hands, which is in keeping with the central seconds and chronograph seconds hands of the Streamliner Centre Seconds and the Streamliner Chronograph that came before this. “We had to change the gear system a little bit to make this happen.” Meylan elucidates, “Central seconds were used instead of small seconds, in order to maintain homogeneity across the Streamliner collection. This is also why the date and crown are at four [while they are usually at three o’clock in Moser’s other perpetual calendar watches]. Yes, that wasn’t the case in the Centre Seconds launched in August 2020, but back then, we hadn’t thought about it. If we were to launch the Streamliner Centre Seconds now, we would shift the date and crown to four o’clock in that as well.” Shifting the date to four from three o’clock also meant that the power reserve display would go from nine to 10 o’clock in the Streamliner, to maintain that diametrical symmetry and also, one would imagine, for a more seamless adaptation of the movement itself.

Design Decisions

There are also several more nuanced differences between earlier renditions of the perpetual calendar display and this one. “We didn’t want to draw too much attention towards any one part. We decided that the minutes and seconds hands would be in a darker grey, as opposed to the earlier Streamliners, in order to have them blend in with the monochromatic look,” states Meylan. “Overall, we wanted to do justice to all that the perpetual calendar is about as well as what the Streamliner is about. We want people to not see only the details, and not simply like it or dislike it for individual elements, but for everything about the watch…all of it—the cushion-shaped case, the integrated bracelet, the finishing on the metal, the streamlined construction, and all the display elements, as well as the movement’s ingenuity.”

The most distinctive element in this Streamliner that wasn’t in the earlier watches from the collection, is the ‘transparent’ logo—debossed rather than printed or applied

“We want people to not see only the details, and like it or dislike it for all of it—the cushion-shaped case, the integrated bracelet, the finishing on the metal, the streamlined construction”

Here’s a fun fact: H. Moser’s watches are all pictured in the official visuals with the date set at December 12, which is the birthday of Heinrich Moser, the brand’s founder

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Like the previous Streamliners, the hour and minute hands have overlays of Globolight—a ceramic-based material that is infused with Super-LumiNova. In fact, the stunted month hand, and the power reserve pointer are also adapted to look like the overlaid hands in the centre. They don’t feature Globolight though. Nor do the luminous date digits. “We couldn’t use Globolight for the date, because of the two discs placed one on top of the other. There would be too much friction, or we wouldn’t be able to place them so close,” Meylan explains. While we’re on the date, here’s a fun fact: H. Moser’s watches are all pictured in the official visuals with the date set at December 12, which is the birthday of Heinrich Moser, the brand’s founder.

Like the previous Streamliners, the hour and minute hands have overlays of Globolight—a ceramic-based material that is infused with Super-LumiNova, offering advanced luminosity

The most distinctive element that one sees in this Streamliner, and that wasn’t in the earlier watches from the collection, is the ‘transparent’ logo. Rather than printed or applied, the brand emblem is debossed in order to be extremely subtle and not scream for attention. It continues the brand’s efforts to ‘erase the brand’—a campaign they launched earlier this year. “It’s an attempt to make the brand’s presence more for the user than anyone else, as only they will be able to see it clearly, and in certain angles,” Meylan expounds. “This is what we’ll be using across all our watches,” he informs. “We could have more pronounced logos in special editions, while Concept dials will have no logo at all, which is what they’re about. But our regular editions in our watches will all have the transparent logo, which started with the Mega Cool launched at Watches and Wonders Geneva (April 2021).”

Colour Choices

The largely grey colour scheme of this watch is interestingly a nod to the first dial made by H. Moser that featured their now signature ‘fumé’ or smoked look with its light-to-dark gradient from the centre to the edges. The colour used in this one is what they call ‘blackor’, and this dial has a sunray finish. “While we chose a sporty blue for the Streamliner Chronograph and an offbeat green for the three-hand Streamliner Centre Seconds, with the perpetual calendar, we wanted a more classical, monochromatic look, on the grey side. And blackor fumé was our first ever fumé, so we thought it would be fitting.” For those who recall, the first Streamliner Chronograph (January 2020) did have a grey dial, but that was the launch edition—a one-off, which was replaced with the blue-dial chronograph released later, in November.

“With the perpetual calendar, we wanted a more classical, monochromatic look, on the grey side. And blackor fumé was our first ever fumé, so we thought it would be fitting,” informs Edouard Meylan

With the third Streamliner, the collection is now a whole. “These three Streamliners are not limited editions, but they are in limited production, and they’ll only be available in their respective colours,” reveals Meylan. “We can produce about 100 each of the Chronograph and Perpetual Calendar, and about 200 to 250 of the Centre Seconds per year.” He also told us about the possibilities of what one might expect from the collection in the future. “As the Streamliner expands, we do have a lot of ideas of what all we can do with it. There is so much, from Concept dials to Vantablack, and so on, but for now, we already have our hands full, meeting the demand for our current offering.” Yes, for now, this is the Streamliner—a bona fide collection, which also now includes H. Moser’s signature perpetual calendar.

See all three Streamliner watches together here