If you’ve been following the trajectory of H. Moser over the last few years, you know how important the Streamliner platform is to them. It’s one of very few entrants into the competitive integrated bracelet sports watch landscape that feels truly original, taking inspiration not from earlier integrated bracelet sports watches, but from the streamline moderne design philosophy, an offshoot of sorts of the Art Deco movement that gave us iconic building, train, and car designs, and eventually seeped into many other aspects of our everyday lives. The flowing lines of the Streamliner’s case and bracelet are often called “organic” for the way they evoke something that’s about to come to life, especially as it’s draped over your wrist, but one look at the aerodynamic locomotive designs of the 1930s tells you all you need to know about where the design inspiration for the watch really comes from.
H. Moser Gets in the Salmon Game with a New Streamliner and a Smokey Textured Dial
In any case, the Streamliner has struck a chord with watch lovers, and if we’re to believe forum chatter and anecdotes from collectors, it’s one of the tougher watches to get your hands on in the world of independent sports watches. So the release of any new Streamliner is a bit of an event, and the latest example begins a new chapter, replacing the green fumé Center Seconds model (the purest and least complicated version of the Streamliner) with a dial that the brand calls “smoked salmon,” and features a griffé finish that is typically reserved for Moser limited editions. According to the brand, the dial is designed to shift in color with the light, and can move from chocolate to gold depending on the viewing angle and lighting. The dial texture appears to be very subtle, and is made up of fine lines running vertically up and down it. It’s still a fumé dial (the “smoke” in the smoked salmon) so there’s additional complexity here with the tone of salmon subtly shifting to black as you get closer to the outer edge. The intent here seems to be to evoke both classic watch designs of the pre-war period that used similar dial colors, as well as the appearance of a dial that has naturally aged and developed a light patina.
As you would expect, Moser hasn’t made any changes to the Streamliner case and bracelet for this edition. The steel case still measures 40mm in diameter and 10.3mm tall (without the domed sapphire crystal), and it’s still mounted to that incredible bracelet, which remains one of the most comfortable and technically impressive I’ve had a chance to wear. I talk about it in more detail in my review of this solid gold Streamliner, but suffice it to say, I find it to be incredibly easy to wear while also being visually interesting. Thinking through conversations I’ve had with other watch enthusiasts, I struggle to recall an example of someone finding real fault with this bracelet, even including those who are critical of the brand and their designs. They really nailed it, and it’s worth seeking one out to try on if you ever have the chance.
The watch runs on the HMC 200 automatic movement, an in-house caliber found throughout Moser’s catalog. It has three days of power reserve, beats at a somewhat old-fashioned rate of 21,600 vibrations per hour, and is very nicely decorated with the brand’s “Moser stripes” and an engraved and skeletonized solid gold winding rotor.
In terms of availability, the new Streamliner Center Seconds Smoked Salmons isn’t a numbered limited edition, but the brand has stated it will only be available for one year. Orders or open today via authorized H. Moser channels, and the retail price is $21,900. H. Moser