Moser Launches The Streamliner Perpetual Moon Concept Meteorite

I must admit at the outset that the announcement of this watch left me with a slight case of cognitive confusion. The name of the watch includes the word “Perpetual” and so, despite the fact that there is no indication whatsoever that this watch is actually a perpetual calendar, I spent several minutes hunting for the extremely minimalist indications Moser uses for its perpetual calendars, without success, before I realized that this is in fact not a perpetual calendar at all. The term “perpetual” here refers not to the Gregorian calendar complication in a watch, but rather, to the high precision moonphase display Moser uses – in this case, with a precision of one day’s error in 1027 years which, given the lifespan granted to us of threescore years and ten, may as well be precision in perpetuity.

The meteorite used for the Perpetual Moon Concept Meteorite is composed of a mixture of iron and nickel, and the metals in such meteorites form very large crystals. These meteorites were produced early in the history of the solar system, as fragments of larger planetoids with iron nickel cores. Normally the crystal structure of such metals is microscopic, but the meteorites take millions of years to cool, which means that the crystals can grow to a very large size. The patterns, called “Widmanstätten patterns” after one of the earliest scientists to observe them (Count Alois von Beckh Widmanstätten, in 1808) can be revealed by etching the cut surface with acid, and companies which use meteorite dials can then leave the natural grey coloration of the material, or color it using PVD or electroplating techniques – in this case, with the addition of both a golden color and a gradient fumé effect.

Thanks to the length of time necessary for such large crystalline structures to form, they cannot be produced artificially and these patterns are definitive evidence of an extraterrestrial origin.

In keeping with the aesthetic of the Streamliner case design, the dial is completely unadorned, in keeping with the designs of previous Concept watches, all of which omit the Moser logo.

The Streamliner case is as the name suggests, inspired by historical Streamliner Moderne movement, which began in the 1930s as part of the larger Art Deco era. The Streamliner Moderne design language relied heavily on clean, almost biomorphic lines that reflected the growing awareness of streamlined aerodynamics as an essential part of aviation and automotive engineering, and was first used as a practical enhancement to the performance of locomotives and cars, although it was also used for purely decorative effects in a wide range of other examples of industrial design and even architecture. You wouldn’t necessarily think that the moonphase complication, with its slightly old-fashioned aura, would work well in a case with modernist design inspiration but in fact the combination works quite well, thanks to the generous use of negative space, the large diameter of the moonphase display itself, and the subtle texturing of the dial (along with the dial tone gradient).

Inside is the semi-skeletonized Moser caliber HMC 270, which is a somewhat large movement at 32.0mm x 6.3mm; however the size makes it a good visual match for the Streamliner case. The skeletonizing of the rotor and bridges as well as the anthracite finishing adds some additional visual interest, but the effect is not so ornate as to seem dissonant with the rest of the watch.

I think the Streamliner case and bracelet continue to be one of the best examples of an integrated bracelet watch design in the business, and the Perpetual Moon Concept Meteorite does an excellent job of integrating a moonphase complication with the basic design. The golden color of the dial and the moonphase is very compelling – like seeing the Moon slowly rising, on a clear desert night, over a sea of sand dunes.

The Moser Streamliner Perpetual Moon Concept Meteorite, ref. 6270-1200: case, stainless steel with integrated Streamliner bracelet, 40mm x 13.2mm including the highest point of the domed sapphire crystal; sapphire crystals front and back; 120M water resistance. Movement, HMC 270 caliber, 32.0mm x 6.3mm, running at 21,600 vph in 27 jewels; bi-directional automatic; 72 hour power reserve; semi-skeletonized. Moser Straumann balance spring. Hours, minutes, central seconds hand with stop seconds; moonphase adjustable with pusher on the case flank. Price, $43,700.

The 1916 Company is proud to be an authorized retailer for H. Moser & Cie. watches; contact us for pricing and availability.