High-Tech Meets High-Art: Introducing H. Moser & Cie. New Streamliner Concept Minute Repeater Tourbillon

In a striking tribute to tradition and innovation, H. Moser & Cie. presents the Streamliner Concept Minute Repeater Tourbillon Blue Enamel. This masterpiece boasts a timeless case that can withstand water pressure up to 5 ATM. The crown jewel of this watch is its minute repeater function, which has been elevated to the forefront and displayed proudly on the dial. The choir of the elegant hammers sings in a mesmerizing ensemble with a flying tourbillon at 6 o’clock waltzing and twirling away. The dial, in a mesmerizing Aqua Blue color, allows for an unobstructed view of this mechanical spectacle, crafted with "Grand Feu" enamel on a hand-hammered base. 

The Streamliner Concept Minute Repeater Tourbillon Blue Enamel showcases a perfect fusion of classic watch complications and contemporary design. It took numerous attempts and arduous efforts to bring this creation to life, including curving the gongs to avoid interfering with the flying tourbillon while maintaining the sleek and balanced aesthetics of the Streamliner collection. The integrated steel bracelet mimics the fluid curves, gracefully following the wrist's contours.

To understand these challenges a bit more and uncover the story of the Streamliner Concept Minute Repeater Tourbillon, we spoke to the brand’s CEO, Edouard Meylan. 

What challenges did you face when designing the Streamliner Concept Minute Repeater Tourbillon?

Minute repeater is one of the oldest and most challenging complications. It was conceived for traditional pocket watches and has virtually no water resistance. Other challenges included how to integrate a complication like this (which is not exactly developed for sports watches) into the Streamliner case and how to create something robust that people will use.  

What innovations did you have to imagine to bring the Streamliner Concept Minute Repeater Tourbillon to life?

The most complicated thing here was to bring the gongs to the front. Usually, those are placed at the back of the watch, which is not the case with the Streamliner Concept Minute Repeater Tourbillon. When you develop a movement like this one, you cannot get inspired by what already exists, you need to think differently – that was the biggest challenge. With the water resistance, we know how to make watches that can withstand 12 and 30 ATMs, this one is five ATMs. It’s not that complex, but the trick is to ensure you can hear the sound of the gongs. The questions we considered were: how do you create an isolation system against the water that still allows vibrations and resonance? 

What innovations did you have to imagine to bring the Streamliner Concept Minute Repeater Tourbillon to life?

The most complicated thing here was to bring the gongs to the front. Usually, those are placed at the back of the watch, which is not the case with the Streamliner Concept Minute Repeater Tourbillon. When you develop a movement like this one, you cannot get inspired by what already exists, you need to think differently – that was the biggest challenge. With the water resistance, we know how to make watches that can withstand 12 and 30 ATMs, this one is five ATMs. It’s not that complex, but the trick is to ensure you can hear the sound of the gongs. The questions we considered were: how do you create an isolation system against the water that still allows vibrations and resonance? 

And if I understand correctly, the design of the gongs themselves is quite special as well.

Gongs for me is not science, it's an art form. There’s a little bit of science, of course, to create the geometry so that they can be fitted on the same level [with the tourbillon] to keep the watch as compact as possible. The rest is art. You need to try and fine-tune them, you need experts. We do not have an in-house gongs expert, so we work with a friend of the brand externally; there are very few people who have mastered this. Our reference is always Patek Philippe and somebody who’s worked with them. Again, gongs are not something you can reproduce – you don’t have universal dimensions, and you need to fine-tune them. It’s similar to the violins or pianos.

Could you tell us about their Grand Feu enamel on the Streamliner Concept Minute Repeater Tourbillon?

Traditional minute repeaters found in old pocket watches from famous brands had beautiful white enamel dials. So, I wanted a similar enamel but fit for a sports watch. I thought the traditional one would be a bit too old-school. So, we decided to rethink it and create this very transparent enamel – it’s a hammered gold plate, and the color comes from a mix of four blue pigments that needed to be applied in several layers and go into the kiln 17 times. It’s very complex, but the result is vibrant and has a dimension to it – you can still see the gold peeking through, shining away.