A relatively small brand in the big world of international motorsport, H. Moser & Cie. continues its collaboration with the Alpine Formula 1 team with the Streamliner Tourbillon Pierre Gasly, which takes the brand’s distinctive sport watch and adds a warm red gold colourway favoured by Mr Gasly, a French driver racing for Alpine.

The Tourbillon Pierre Gasly is offered in two configurations – a 100-piece edition on a rubber strap, and an even more special edition of 10 pieces that features a full 18k red gold bracelet and a subtle baguette ruby at ten o’clock, a detail based on the racing driver’s number. Notably, both were conceived by Mr Gasly himself, who is a fan of the brown-and-red-gold aesthetic. According to Moser chief executive Edouard Meylan, Mr Gasly already owns other watches in this livery.

Initial thoughts

Celebrity endorsements can, at times, come across as inauthentic, but this type of marketing has been part of the fabric of the luxury watch industry for decades. In fact, it was another Formula 1 star, Jim Clark, who was one of the first official celebrity brand ambassadors for a watch brand, signing on to represent Enicar back in 1966.

But while Clark promoted the standard collection of Enicar watches, Mr Gasly had the chance to put his own spin (pun intended) on Alpine team sponsor H. Moser & Cie.’s top-of-the-line sport watch, the Streamliner Tourbillon.

Edouard Meylan (left) with Pierre Gasly

In many ways the Tourbillon Pierre Gasly is a typical Streamliner, with the mid-size 40 mm case we’ve become familiar with. Customers can choose between a lightweight brown rubber strap or a heavyweight bracelet in 18k red gold. The latter is certainly the one to get, though it comes at a substantial premium.

The dials of the two models are largely identical, featuring a warm chocolate-brown fumé treatment and a subtle brand logo printed in transparent lacquer. The more limited of the two editions, the ref. 6805-0411, includes an additional embellishment at ten o’clock: a single baguette-cut ruby. This detail is a reference to both the size of the limited edition and Mr Gasly’s driver number. Globolight inserts illuminate the hands for low-light legibility.

Both models share the HMC 805 movement, which features a flying tourbillon complete with horizontally opposed double Straumann hairsprings. True to its sporty tendencies, the movement is automatic, a detail that makes it quite compatible with the Streamliner’s screw-down crown. A thoroughly modern platform, the HMC 805 features a three-day power reserve, something that has become the norm in recent years.

Moser has a good reputation for value, combining industrial craftsmanship with haute horlogerie features. On a rubber strap, the 100-piece limited edition Tourbillon Pierre Gasly is priced at CHF79,000, while the more exclusive 10-piece edition, complete with ruby baguette and full gold bracelet, comes in at CHF125,000 before taxes. It’s a big step up from one to the other, but the bracelet is a core part of the Streamliner identity and the single ruby baguette is a nice touch.

Spring-loaded

The Tourbillon Pierre Gasly deepens Moser’s ties to Formula 1, something that began with the Streamliner Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton Alpine Limited Edition launched last year. This first lap was followed up by the brand’s first smartwatch and an open-worked AgenGraphe-powered chronograph.

For its third lap of this particular track, Moser collaborated directly with Pierre Gasly, who opted for the brand’s flying tourbillon with double hairsprings. Moser punches above its weight when it comes to hairsprings thanks to the expertise of its sister company Precision Engineering. As a result, Moser has a little more freedom to be creative in an area where other brands would face limitations.

This explains both the cylindrical hairspring found in the first Alpine limited edition, as well as the double Straumann hairsprings featured in the Tourbillon Pierre Gasly. Both solutions attempt to solve the same problem of isochronism in different ways. The cylindrical spring acts much like a traditional overcoil, while the twin flat hairsprings, offset 180 degrees from one another, provide a similar (if not superior) benefit.

The double hairspring has also been used by MB&F and Laurent Ferrier, but its roots are inextricable from those of Moser, having been developed for the brand in its early days by Andreas Strehler. That Moser has this capability effectively in-house is a feather in its cap and a meaningful differentiator from its peers in the industrial haute horlogerie segment of the market.

The movement is pleasantly finished and includes an open-worked gold winding mass to reveal the anthracite-coated movement bridges and the lower pivot of the 3 Hz flying tourbillon, which pivots in a ball bearing race. This feature gives an otherwise delicate gadget an aura of industrial robustness, and as a bonus it reveals the Incabloc shock absorber for the lower balance pivot, something concealed in most tourbillons.

Key facts and price

H. Moser & Cie. Streamliner Tourbillon Pierre Gasly
Ref. 6805-0411 (on bracelet)
Ref. 6805-0410 (on rubber strap)

Diameter: 40 mm
Height: 12.1 mm
Material: 18k 5N red gold
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 120 m

Movement: HMC 805
Functions: Hours, minutes, and flying tourbillon
Frequency: 21,600 beats per hour (3 Hz)
Winding: Automatic
Power reserve: 72 hours

Strap: Integrated bracelet in red gold (ref. 6805-0411) or rubber strap (ref. 6805-0410)

Limited edition: 10 pieces on bracelet; 100 pieces on strap
Availability: At H. Moser & Cie. boutiques and retailers
Price: CHF125,000 on bracelet; CHF79,000 on strap

For more information, visit h-moser.com.