[Hands-On] H. Moser Refines Streamliner with New Small Seconds Blue Enamel

H. Moser made waves with their Streamliner watch when it was first released in 2020 thanks to the unconventional case and integrated bracelet design. In a market flooded with integrated bracelet sport watches, the Streamliner somehow manages to stand apart with its scale-like bracelet. It’s a watch we’ve taken a closer look at here, and here. This year, the Streamliner takes a new form in a move toward a more wearable experience in the form of the Small Seconds Blue Enamel. The result is a 39mm watch with a revised case and bracelet design that remains true to the original DNA while being far more wrist-friendly in the process. 

The Streamliner has always been defined by its bracelet, with the cushion case transitioning to a dial with largely minimal takes on complications from perpetual calendars to chronographs. The newest addition adjusts the proportions of everything just enough to make a tangible difference on the wrist, without compromising the impact of the shapes and forms at work. In fact, the bracelet is in peak form with this release, combining the dramatic architecture with a silky taper that works incredibly well in practice. What’s more, the tweaks reduce some of the tension between the shoulder of the case and bracelet integration, making for an overall more graceful appearance.

That said, if you were never a fan of the Streamliner, this new example isn’t likely to change that. This is still a Streamliner through and through, and fans of the watch likely land on the dial as the only potential point of contention. We’ve seen a variety of dial designs within the Streamliner, but nothing quite like this to date. The deep blue fumé Grand Feu enamel dial is done in typical H. Moser fashion, with the same texture we find on their other enamel dial watches. It’s an aggressive texture that breaks up the color transition, and sets it apart from other dial finishes at a glance. 

As the name suggests, this Streamliner gets a subsidiary seconds dial at 6 o’clock thanks to the micro-rotor HMC 500 movement inside. This is a new in-house movement from H. Moser, and is the smallest they’ve manufactured to date. It is a manufacturer movement from the platinum micro-rotor mechanism, right down to their own Straumann hairspring. It’s finished with their own striping technique and offers an open view to the gear train. This smaller movement was not only developed to be smaller (while still providing 74 hours of reserve), but to serve as a base upon which complications can be added, so the HMC 500 is just the starting point, and allows for a greater level of control over dimensions thanks to its tighter footprint.

The benefits of the smaller movement are immediately apparent when you slip the Streamliner Small Seconds Blue Enamel (SSSBE?) on the wrist, where this formula really begins to make a lot of sense beyond just the aesthetic. This feels like a maturity of the concept and what I hope will mark a new chapter for the collection as a whole. I’d expect not only complicated variations to come, but also non-enamel dial versions as well, which make this a compelling package for daily wear, stacking up against watches like the Chopard Alpine Eagle, or Laurent Ferrier Sport Auto quite nicely. The H. Moser falls somewhere in between those two in terms of pricing, which is now $32,900. 

Keep an eye out for a more comprehensive review of this watch coming soon. Until then, learn more at H. Moser.