Photos by Ed Rhee
The new Streamliner Tourbillon Skeleton watch by H. Moser & Cie would be right at home on Robert Downey, Jr.’s wrist in the 2009 film Sherlock Holmes. Never mind that wristwatches for men were still not a thing in the 1890s (the detective is often relying on his pocketwatch in the movie), or that the watch was released in 2024, there’s something about the steampunk aesthetic of the Streamliner Tourbillon Skeleton that fits right into Guy Ritchie’s depiction of Victorian-era London.
Moser has trained well in the art of minimalism, often rejecting anything superfluous and hiding away what it can to keep its watches confidently understated. It’s not often that the brand makes the inner workings an integral component of the watch’s external design; yet, here we are with the Streamliner Tourbillon Skeleton with its insides on full display. To be clear, this isn’t Moser’s first skeleton watch. That award goes to the Pioneer Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton introduced in 2022, which serves as inspiration for this 2024 Moser model. This is, however, the first time the sleek Streamliner model, characterized by its integrated bracelet design, gets the open-worked treatment.
The lug-less 40mm cushion-shaped steel case sits comfortably, with the integrated bracelet hugging the wrist in all the right places. (For reference, Ed’s wrist pictured here measures 6.6 inches.) The shapely singular wide links stack up beautifully on top of each other with arches tucking into dents, creating a serpentine effect. The sides of the bulbous case feature a recessed and satin-finished band, interrupted by the center placement of the M-embellished screw-down winding crown. The brushed and polished finishes of the case and bracelet play well together, and the subtly domed sapphire crystal makes the watch sit 12.1mm above the wrist (the case measures 10.3mm without the crystal). I find that the round crystal creates a nice tension with the contrasting cushion silhouette of the case that houses it, while the symmetry with all the circular details on the exposed movement brings back calmness. A little push and pull for added visual interest, if you will.
Despite the ornate nature of skeleton watches, this is still H. Moser & Cie. we’re talking about, so it comes as no surprise that the company stripped the watch and movement down to the bare essentials to be as naked and minimalist as possible. You can see right through the porous face, catching glimpses of the also-skeletonized rose gold rotor positioned on the back, and your arm will essentially serve as the dial background. The barrel has been hollowed out for a view of the spring, which according to Moser allows the wearer to verify if the watch is properly wound. On the opposite side of the dial sits the one-minute tourbillon at six o’clock, flying, of course, to remove the obstructing top bridge. The Streamliner Tourbillon Skeleton benefits from a double hairspring whereby the pair of balance springs go in opposite directions, reducing friction and improving accuracy. The double hairsping escapement was designed and produced in-house by H. Moser & Cie.’s sister company Precision Engineering AG.
This impressive movement is the automatic Caliber HMC 814, operating at 21,600 beats per hour and supplying the watch with 72 hours of power reserve. As expected from Moser, it’s exquisitely finished, and I suspect even more so than usual given that its 167 components are on display. The diamond-beveled darker anthracite mainplate and bridges sit alongside lighter-toned gears, springs, and levers. There’s also the golden-colored balance, a smattering of berry-toned jewels, and of course, the 5N rose gold open-worked rotor. As intricate as the movement is, the Streamliner Tourbillon Skeleton can be safely taken for a swim thanks to its 120-meter water resistance.
The problem that plagues most skeleton watches is legibility: it can be a challenge to see exactly what you need at that moment, without getting distracted by all the other odds and ends. Yet, Moser offsets this with prominent 5N gold-plated hour and minute hands pointing to 5N gold-plated faceted indices, creating enough contrast to make telling the time easy. What’s more, the hands include Globolight inserts, a cutting-edge ceramic material that’s infused with Super-LumiNova resulting in a brighter and longer-lasting glow.
All in all, I think the Streamliner Tourbillon Skeleton is a striking watch. It impeccably illustrates Moser’s mastery of appealing watch designs and innovative mechanics. Separately, the integrated bracelet, tourbillon, and skeletonized watch spaces are getting crowded, yet the combination of these three elements in Moser’s vision has created something I find ultra cool and different. My colleague Jacob Witkin put it best when he said, “It’s one of those watches you just want to keep rolling your wrist back and forth to stare at for hours.”
For the privilege of owning the punchy and steampunky H. Moser & Cie Streamliner Tourbillon Skeleton watch, you’ll have to shell out $86,900 USD. For more information, please visit the brand’s website.
