Hautlence HL Vagabonde Tourbillon watch – a unique take on the wandering hours display

 

Creating new ways of reading the time has been HAUTLENCE‘s vocation since its creation in 2004. Hautlence HLVagabonde 03 watch presented at SIHH 2019 is firmly in line with this philosophy.

In a case made from grade 5 titanium, the HTL 205-1 self-winding calibre moves the three hour satellites which gravitate around the central minute wheel. In a hypnotic dance, the open worked discs reveal the hours when they are correctly aligned. This is the third model equipped with this movement,which was developed by the HAUTLENCE team and launched in 2018. It is a modern reinterpretation of the famous star wheel systems, named after the star-shaped cogs which drive the discs.

Set on different levels, four discs add volume to the base dial, which is deep blue and decorated with a filigree honeycomb pattern. The largest disc, made from sapphire, also features HAUTLENCE’s signature motif in its centre, and displays the minutes on a 240° sector.

Orbiting around this central point, and spread out across the dial in perfect harmony, are three smaller skeletonised discs, openworked to allow the hour numerals to be seen once they come into the correct alignment. HAUTLENCE has chosen a font which resembles digital numerals made mechanical.

If there is one world in which the details are anything but, it is Haute Horlogerie.

HAUTLENCE knows this, and pays special attention to the tiny things that make all the difference. Great care has been taken to ensure the finishes are in line with the very exacting standards of the Neuchâtel-based brand. The intermediate dial, made from sapphire, and the openworked hour discs, required great technical skill and precision.

The HL Vagabonde 03 model is a symphony in blue. Highlighting the minute display sector, a thin white line contours the disc. The 240° angle of the sector ensures outstanding technical precision. Driving the rotation ofthe discs, the HTL 205-1 bidirectional self-winding movement guarantees a minimum power reserve of three days.

Made from grade 5 titanium, the case on the HL Vagabonde 03 model adopts the TV screen shape favoured by HAUTLENCE.

Reworked to reinterpret the brand’s signature codes, the watch case has been enlarged and equipped with a wider opening on the dial, to truly highlight the complication. With its balanced proportions, the HL Vagabonde 03 model sits perfectly on the wrist. The fluted crown is made from polished grade 5 titanium and is engraved with the HAUTLENCE logo. A blue alligator leather strap with full square scales adds a distinctly masculine finishing touch.

HL KINETIC TABLE CLOCK unveiled at SIHH 2019

At Baselworld 2019, HAUTLENCE will reveal a revolutionary new grand complication movement. To herald this forthcoming calibre, HAUTLENCE has created the HL Kinetic table clock.

The HL Kinetic displays the hours and minutes, in 5-minute increments, via spheres which move inside two transparent columns. An ‘objet d’exception’ which will find its place in the homes of the most discerning collectors.

Two independent glass tubes sit on the table. Each one contains a black rotating sphere engraved with numerals for the hours and minutes. Rotating around a central axis, the spheres appear to move randomly. In reality, however, they follow a highly precise pattern. Thanks to a three-dimensional differential with four bevel gears, the spheres rotate around two intertwined axes in a hypnotic ‘ballet’. This fully mechanical system is powered by a rechargeable lithium battery. The spheres execute one complete increment when the hour changes. Their dance can also be activated for approximately ten minutes using a demo button.

Setting the time on the columns is beautifully intuitive. The two objects can be arranged as desired – either close together or further apart – with each one functioning independently. HAUTLENCE’s signature, the Möbius symbol, sits proudly at the bottom of each glass tube.