Hautlence pays a visit to the region with an armful of its latest novelties including its recent award-winning star, Sphere 1. — Photos: SHAARI CHEMAT/ The Star
Hautlence pays a visit to the region with an armful of its latest novelties including its recent award-winning star, Sphere 1.
The event sees Hautlence brand manager Samuel Hoffman presenting the range together with the host of the event, Tay Liam Khoon who is managing director of Cortina Watch Malaysia.
Hoffman and his Hautlence.
The timepieces – created in-house with a 72-hour power reserve, water resistance up to 10ATM and limited to 28 pieces per series– are emblematic of the watchmaker’s constant breaking of horological convention.
The marvels start with the Sphere Series 1.
This three-dimensional wonder with its spherical jumping hours was recently awarded the coveted Innovation Award at the recent Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Geneve (GPHG), deemed by many as the pinnacle of prestigious timepiece accolades.
The win was eminent, what with the independent watchmaker establishing itself as one of the trailblazers of avant-garde horology, right from the instantly recognisable dial inspired by mid-century television sets.
“It’s like a magic show!” says Hoffman of the piece, wowing guests with a demonstration of the jumping hours complication– a three-dimensional spinning blue sphere that reads like a jumping Magic 8 ball.
The jumping hour is made possible by four conical gears and two crossed spindles that spin the sphere on three axes, enabling the sphere to look as if it is spinning randomly before arriving at the correct hour.
The minute display on the right showcases retrograde numerals, within which reveals the in-house movement’s gear train and a partial view of the balance.
Linear Series 2, powered by the D50 calibre. — Photo: Franz J. Venzin / courtesy of Hautlence
Lest the Sphere 1 steal the show completely, the Vagabonde X Black Badger’s equally intriguing complication draws from 2022’s Vagabonde Series 4.
Powered by the B30 calibre, the timepiece’s wandering jumping hours are read through three different satellites located inside the sapphire disc while the minutes are read on a clear sapphire disc.
The rhodium-plated base dial is given a frosted finish to add to the retro feel of the timepiece.
A variation of Hautlence Sphere 1.
On the new limited edition, designer James Thompson a.k.a. Black Badger throws an arcade game-like playfulness into the mix with its pop-coloured maze on the dial.
Black Badger also has a hand in the creation of the Vagabonde Tourbillon Series 3 with a stunning, futuristic honeycomb dial crafted in superconductor material made of copper, with hexagonal niobium filaments that cut across the grain at a specific angle.
The Vagabonde Tourbillon Series 3 features a futuristic honeycomb dial. — Photo: Hautlence
The material is soaked in an acid bath that reaches the copper but leaves the niobium intact, revealing the incredible science-fiction-like lattice that appears to ripple with a soft shimmer.
Lastly, the Linear Series 2 takes up after its first edition, interpreted in sleek black for a decidedly more sophisticated look.
Hautlence Vagabonde X Black Badger, a limited-edition piece in collaboration with designer James Thompson a.k.a. Black Badger.
As with the Linear Series 1, the timepiece is powered by the D50 movement. It has the signature scale on the left displaying the hours linearly, jumping back to 1 when it reaches the end.
The minutes are read conventionally on the right in circular fashion while its one-minute flying tourbillon can be viewed underneath the blue openworked bridge, itself truly standing out against the new black case and dial of the Linear Series 2.
