Highsnobiety just reposted our Moser Streamliner Vantablack video, because it is pure voodoo insanity
Andrew McUtchenThis year at Watches and Wonders, there were some new kids in on the block. For the first time ever, street and culture title Highsnobiety was invited to the media table, along with the usual specialist, trade and mainstream suspects. And you know what, it was a joy to have them there. Highsnob’s lifestyle and streetwear-oriented audience represents a new intersectionality for the watch industry – and what their collective eye picks out is refreshingly different. Case in point, a DM from the Highsnob team to us asking to repost a video of the H. Moser & Cie Streamliner Chronograph Vantablack “blacker than black” watch I shot on my phone at the Moser booth.
The video went up on the Germany-based Highsnob account, and racked up tens of thousands of likes in a matter of hours. Not surprising when you learn that the title, launched in 2005, has in the realm of 10m unique visitors to their site a month and an insane 500m social media impressions a month. Respect to founder David Fischer, that’s around a whopping ten times more than us. Reading the comments from what’s fair to assume are otherwise non-watch-world people is a complete trip. Seeing their shock and awe at a material that seems to disappear on a black background is the kind of energy I love to see flowing through the industry in general. These are fresh eyes and it’s fresh appreciation for what watchmakers like Moser do in pushing the boundaries of material innovation.
View this post on Instagram
A little sidebar on the subject: Vantablack is currently billed as the darkest man-made material on Earth. It can absorb 99.965% of the light that hits it. It was first developed by Surrey Nanosystems in the United Kingdom, in 2014 and is comprised of carbon nanotubes with microscopic tubes one-millionth of a millimeter thick. Here, for the first time, it is applied to the case and bracelet, as well as the dial.
As for the watch itself, I have a funny anecdote. Enjoying a great, and high-access relationship with HM & C as we do, I thought it would be a snap to take things further than rival titles and get a wrist shot with the watch. “Come on man,” I said to brand co-owner Edouard Meylan, “let’s get this bad boy out for a little on-wrist roll.” “No way,” he said, “this watch is not designed to be worn, it is too fragile to be handled, and basically a showpiece.” He could not be budged. But he did say they are working on ways to more it more durable for uses outside of the dial.
View this post on Instagram
When I told Zach later that day, he had his own anecdote. “Apparently they made two dials for the Streamliner proto – one was dropped accidentally, and when it hit the ground, it basically turned to dust!” Myths and legends abound, that’s Moser at their absolute best.