What We Know
If H. Moser is guaranteed to do anything, it’s to surprise us. A watch made out of cheese. A watch inspired by the Reebok “Pump.” Those are easier to process because they’re fun and a bit silly. But when Moser signed a deal to be a sponsor of Alpine’s Formula 1 team, it was even more surprising to me. That’s a serious sponsorship for a brand that makes far fewer than 5,000 watches a year and doesn’t charge Richard Mille prices. But Moser is taking full advantage of the platform and turning out very sporty watches, including this new collaboration.
This isn’t the first collaboration between the brands; it began with a surprising smartwatch for the pit crew, paired with a skeletonized chronograph. Pierre Gasly (one of Alpine’s drivers) also got his own limited edition. But this one takes the automotive inspiration in a different direction: lightweight and with all the Alcantara you could want (maybe even more).
While Moser has done a Streamliner tourbillon in ceramic before, that watch came with a full dial and a ceramic bracelet. The 40mm by 12.8mm case is made of anthracite grey ceramic, but now it comes with an integrated light blue Alcantara strap, a synthetic microfiber material with a soft, suede-like texture. If you’re into cars, you’ve run into this material a lot. Unlike the previous release, this is the first skeleton-flying tourbillon version of the Streamliner, made in ceramic.
Powered by the HMC 814, the watch has blue-toned plates with diamond beveling on the skeletonized bridges. While other versions of the Skeleton Streamliner have struggled a bit when it comes to legibility, the new version seems to have more contrast between the case, bridges, and the white Gobolight luminous indices and hands. The movement has a 72-hour power reserve, runs at 21,600 vph, and is protected by a solid 120m of water resistance, making it extra sporty. I just wouldn’t take the Alcantara strap into water if I were you.
No, this isn’t the first Streamliner Skeleton Tourbillon limited edition, not even the first with Alpine, but it is probably the coolest one we’ve seen so far. It’s limited to 100 pieces and retails for $99,600.
What We Think
Alright, let’s play a little hypothetical game of “$100,000 Shopping Cart”—a game that I totally didn’t just make up. Earlier this year, Moser launched a Streamliner with a ceramic case and red dial, and it also had a ceramic bracelet. The retail price was just over $110,000. Now they’ve done the same case but with an Alcantara strap and a skeletonized movement, which is a bit sportier, but you lose the ceramic bracelet. If you pick the latter, you save around $15,000. Which would you go for?
All things being equal, I’d probably go with the newest release. It’s a good-looking watch, and there’s just something great about the mix of colors. The red on the previous release was a bit too loud for me. My only concern is the strap material. I would have loved something rubber-lined (or just rubber, period). If anyone has been in a hot sports car with an Alcantara steering wheel, it’s nice and supple for about 15 minutes before things start to get a bit too sweaty. But I’m sure you can get other strap options easily if you ask nicely.
The Basics
Brand: H. Moser & Cie.
Model: Streamliner Tourbillon Skeleton Ceramic Alpine Limited Edition
Reference Number: 6814-2100
Diameter: 40mm
Thickness: 12.8mm
Case Material: Anthracite grey ceramic
Dial Color: Skeletonized dial
Indexes: Indices in Globolight®; Hour and minute hands with Globolight® inserts
Water Resistance: 120m
Strap/Bracelet: Integrated blue Alcantara strap
The Movement
Caliber: HMC 814
Functions: Hours, minutes, one-minute flying tourbillon
Diameter: 32mm
Thickness: 5.5mm
Power Reserve: 72 hours
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 21,600 vph
Jewels: 28
Chronometer Certified: No
Additional Details: Original double hairspring; diamond bevelling; main plate and bridges with blue finish
Pricing & Availability
Price: $99,600
Availability: Now
Limited Edition: Yes, 100 pieces
For more, click here.
