H. Moser & Cie: Streamliner Centre Seconds Matrix Green & Purple Haze

Whenever H. Moser & Cie. presents a novelty to the market, it hardly goes unnoticed. We all remember the ‘noise’ that the Streamliner made at its launch. A clamour that is punctually repeated at the presentation of each variant of what is now one of the Schaffhausen-based brand’s iconic models – as was the case four years ago when H. Moser & Cie. dressed the watch in green by creating the Streamliner Centre Seconds Matrix Green.

This timepiece quickly became sought after by aficionados and earned the nickname ‘Green Dragon’. Since 2024 is the year of the Dragon in the Chinese astrological calendar, that the ‘Green Dragon’ from Schaffhausen is roaring back is no surprise. The surprise is that it is accompanied by a purple dial version. Which, to take the guesswork out of inventing nicknames, came out of the manufacture under the official name of ‘Purple Haze’.

RATIONAL TWEAKS TO THE STREAMLINERS MATRIX GREEN AND PURPLE HAZE

Compared to the first three-hand Streamliner Centre Seconds Matrix Greenof 2020, the Centre Seconds Matrix Green of 2024 and the Purple Haze are refined and updated watches. One of the aesthetic elements that characterises the new references is the brand’s logo in transparent lacquer, which is only visible when viewing the dial from particular angles. A choice that responds to one of the cornerstones of the H. Moser & Cie. philosophy, namely that the product comes before the brand and the latter, therefore, does not need to be highlighted. Design, finish, materials alone must be able to make it clear to the enthusiast’s eye which manufacture that watch came from. In short: ‘Tell me it’s a Moser without telling me it’s a Moser’.

In essence, little or nothing has changed compared to the references that came out four years ago. What has remained unchanged, principally, are the slender, fluid and balanced proportions that create a very harmonious watch in its ideal dimensions of 40 mm diameter by 12.1 mm thickness. This is mainly due to the steel case without lugs, in the shape of a cushion, water-resistant to 12 bar, and the integrated steel bracelet: two aesthetic signatures of the collection which, truly, tell us that the watch is a Moser without telling us that it is a Moser.

The Streamliner Centre Seconds Matrix Green and Purple Haze feature a hollowed-out carrure and satin-finished shapes on the sides. The use of both brushed and polished surfaces emphasises the fluid design of the collection, unusual if you like, but at the same time reassuring; indeed, it is typical of sinuous shapes to be somewhat relaxing both to the eye and to the touch. A fluidity of form that is reflected in the domed sapphire crystal and the curved, tapered bracelet, which, together with the proportions of the case, provides optimal comfort on the wrist. In particular, the bracelet of the Streamliner is itself a complex work of architecture, thanks to a design that combines organic lines and undulating links, with vertical brushed finishes and polished bevels.

IN THE DIALS, THE DNA OF H. MOSER & CIE.

What makes a Moser a Moser, however, is the work on the dials. Here we have no less than two, the smoky Matrix Green and the smoky Purple Haze. The former is in a vibrant, ‘vitamin’ green, which, depending on the angle of inclination, takes on tones of a more sober olive green. The Purple Haze, on the other hand, is in an intense purple that also has shades of blue. Both are made elegant and lively by the combination of the soleil finish and the smoky finish – the latter a ‘signature’ of H. Moser & Cie. now more imitated than the Mona Lisa. And speaking of the signature, the transparent lacquer logo on the dials is somewhat reminiscent of Breguet’s secret signature; for the French genius it was an anti-counterfeiting measure, for Edouard Meylan‘s brand we know what it means.

The essentiality of the dial is enhanced not only by the colour, but also by the absence of a date window, the racing-style chapter ring and the beautiful three-dimensional hands, each consisting of two parts. They have luminescent Globolight® inserts for easy reading of the time even in the dark. It should be noted that, among the many luminescent materials used in watchmaking, Globolight® is distinguished by being a ceramic-based compound containing Super-LumiNova.

UPDATED CALIBRE FOR THE NEW STREAMLINERS

In terms of movement, the Streamliner Centre Seconds Matrix Green and Purple Haze come to life thanks to the 100% Swiss Made automatic calibre HMC 201. This is a technical evolution of the HMC 200 that powered the first versions of the Streamliner, and it essentially results in a larger aperture on the mechanism achieved through the use of partially skeletonised bridges. 

This opening allows a more unobstructed view of the time train, the central seconds and the bidirectional wheels of the automatic winding system. With this in mind, the engraved and openworked 18-carat gold rotor has been bevelled so as not to obstruct the view of the movement. Compared to its predecessor, the HMC 201 calibre – operating at 21,600 vibrations per hour and guaranteeing a power reserve of at least three days – features an anthracite grey finish that brings its aesthetics into line with the latest trends.

Calibre HMC 201, like other movements from the watchmaker, adopts as standard the use of the so-called Straumann balance spring, which helps the regulating organ of the watch to work with precision and consistency. Reinhard Straumann, originally from Basel, is known for having created this new balance spring in collaboration with a German company, Heraeus-Vacuumschmelze, which specialises in vacuum casting. The result of this collaboration is a seven-metal alloy that Straumann called Nivarox, an acronym for ‘nicht variable und nicht oxydfest’, i.e. ‘non-variable and non-oxidising’.

The Streamliner Centre Seconds Matrix Green and Purple Haze are thus a concentrate of aesthetics, technology and materials research that H. Moser & Cie. is offering on the market for CHF 20,259 + tax. A more than reasonable figure considering the contents of both timepieces. All while maintaining the fresh, sensual, elegant and streamlined design that has characterised the collection since its inception, in contrast to many other luxury sports watches which aim to attract attention with formal solutions that are often too over the top. The strength of the Schaffhausen watchmaker lies also and above all here: if it is now a trend-setting brand in haute horlogerie, and that’s because it is capable of dictating the trend instead of following it. Which is not a detail.

By Davide Passoni