Streamliner

Where the Streamliner came from

Moser launched the Streamliner in January 2020 with a flyback chronograph in a cushion-shaped stainless steel case. The first reference was 6902-1200, with an anthracite fumé dial and an integrated bracelet with a three-blade folding clasp. The shape and bracelet are the line's signature, and the design takes its cues from streamlined styling of the 1920s.

The Streamliner Perpetual Calendar followed in August 2021. It runs the hand-wound HMC 812, rated to at least 168 hours, in a 42.3 mm stainless steel case with a transparent caseback and 120 meters of water resistance. The Streamliner family also includes a center seconds automatic on the HMC 200, so the line covers several movement types.

Because the design is so specific, a Streamliner's service and value depend on the exact reference. Check the reference against the papers, and confirm the movement before you book work, since a chronograph and a perpetual calendar call for very different skills.

The chronograph and perpetual calendar movements

The 2020 flyback chronograph runs the HMC 902, an automatic movement developed with AGENHOR. It measures 34.4 mm across and 7.3 mm thick, with 434 components, 55 jewels, a column wheel and a horizontal friction-wheel clutch designed to reduce hand jump at engagement. The brand gives its power reserve as at least 54 hours. The rotor sits between the dial and the movement, so the mechanism stays visible through the caseback.

The perpetual calendar's HMC 812 is hand-wound and rated to at least 168 hours. The date and month can be set forward or backward, and the leap-year indicator is visible through the caseback. Don't assume it shares a service procedure with the HMC 800 in the Endeavour Perpetual Calendar. The reference names differ, and the calibers are their own.

Ask the watchmaker which caliber is in your watch before they quote. For the chronograph, a full service covers the column wheel, the clutch and the flyback function, and each should be tested after the work. For the perpetual calendar, test the calendar changes and the reserve in the same session so the results can be compared.

Servicing a cushion-cased sports watch

Moser's route for service runs through the manufacture or an authorized retailer. Contact the company first, expect an arrival inspection and a quote, and ask for the inspection in writing, since it records the state of the case and seals before anything is changed.

The integrated bracelet adds work. Links, end pieces, the clasp and any pins need checking, and loose links tend to rattle or sag. Ask for the bracelet to be measured, cleaned and checked for wear, and ask whether any link replacement is proposed before the work starts. Ask whether the links are sized to the wrist as part of the service, since a bracelet changes feel after any link is removed.

Water resistance matters on a sports watch. Ask for the case to be pressure tested after the seals are replaced, and ask whether the crown and pushers were checked as well. A written list of replaced gaskets is a good sign that the job was done properly.

Buying a pre-owned Streamliner

Check the guarantee card, box and papers, and confirm the reference against the dial, the caseback and the movement. The chronograph and the perpetual calendar have very different function lists, so ask the seller to demonstrate every function, not only the time.

Look at the bracelet first. Stretched or worn links, a loose clasp and edges polished down over the years are the most common signs of a watch that has been worn hard. A bracelet with mismatched links or a replacement clasp deserves a question about originality.

Test the pushers and the chronograph reset, and check the crystal and the fumé dial under good light. Ask for the last service record. A watch with no record of its last overhaul is a good reason to plan for one before you rely on it. Check the chronograph's start and stop response in the same test, since a sluggish pusher can point to a problem inside the case.

Keeping the bracelet and the chronograph in shape

A sports watch on a bracelet needs a regular check of the links, the clasp and the pins. Wear loosens the bracelet over time, and a loose link can rattle, pinch the skin or scratch the case. Ask for the bracelet to be checked at every service, and keep the sizing tools and spare links from the original delivery if they came with the watch.

The chronograph should be exercised occasionally, even if you don't use it every day. Start, stop and reset the function several times a month so the pushers and the mechanism don't stiffen from disuse. If a pusher feels soft or a reset feels slow, stop using it and have it checked before it gets worse.

Keep the watch's papers and the box together. A Streamliner's guarantee card and the service records are often what a buyer or appraiser asks for first, and a complete file makes a resale faster and easier to price than a watch with a gap in its history.

What to check on a Streamliner

• Experience with cushion cases and integrated bracelets
• Knowledge of the HMC 902, HMC 812 and HMC 200, and how they differ
• Pressure testing after gaskets are replaced
• Bracelet measurement and link checks before any work begins

Common questions