International Watch Magazine October 2008 - By Meehna Goldsmith
The first word that comes to mind when laying eyes upon a timepiece by HAUTLENCE is « Whee! ». Yes, indeed, an exclamation of delight, excitement and exhilaration.
Remember those pictures books of your youth? How it was so entertaining to find the surprises hidden inside those flaps and windows? The designers at HAUTLENCE have taken this concept and made a storybook of time that can be strapped on your wrist and read a moment - or savored for a longer period. With each reading you discover some area that had gone unnoticed before, unfolding further levels of insight and appreciation.
At HAUTLENCE, they break free of traditional models of telling time to create an interpretation with a playful zing. Within the dial, wonderful gizmos immediately beckon the eye and mind into a dialogue. Though the brand‘s characteristic case is reminiscent of a 1960s television screen, the representation of time resides in the geometry of a circle.
On a jumping disk, the hour marker mischievously goggles out from behind a magnified circular pane, while the retrograde minutes swoop in a graceful 180 degree arc. The apparatus drinving the minutes hand looks like the cranks and rods of a locomotive.
And, tucked in the bottom right of the face, just below the main rod, is the seconds wheel spinning round. Chug-a-chug-a-choo-choo!
Another variation on this layout replaces the magnified jumping hour disk with a more subdued windowed disk that moves around the numbers. The seconds wheel is also larger and more prominent, in front of the large rod rather than being tucked behind it.
In both arrangements, the designers looked beyond the typical two-dimensional space to occupy several planes on the watch dial. Because the human eye must adjust as depth increases or decreases, each mechanism has a different a different focal point, optically commanding attention and thus giving components their own starring role. Even within the retrograde system one has to search the tiered depths to pinpoint the minutes on the hand- fixed indices.
Latest pieces
This year at BaselWorld HAUTLENCE added a new twist to its horological plot when the firm introduced several novelty pieces, the dials a mix of different textures and colors. One piece adds flourish with a delicately hand engraved filigree around the TV screen edges; another uses a dashing blue on the cranks and rods: and yet another sparkling example includes jewels artistically patterned round the border.
Not one ever to be painted into a square corner, HAUTLENCE also introduced a circular watch to their repertoire. This piece houses a new caliber that keeps the signature bridge configuration, adapting it to the round case, and also adds a new complication: a peek-a-boo date near the traditional 6 o‘clock space on the dial.
So what‘s the engine behind these kinetic gadgets? A Peseux 7001 provides the base, but this original movement isn‘t recognizable after HAUTLENCE is finished rebuilding over 70 percent of it. They overhaul the caliber completely, replacing the balance wheel. Renamed the HLQ (HLQ for the round movement with the date), the movement has bridges and bottom plates made of brass, and the surfaces are classically decorated with perlage, sandblasting, Cotes de Genève and anglage, all done to the finest levels of finish.
Talented authors
HAUTLENCE began its tale in 2004 on the impetus of three talented authors: Renaud de Retz, Guillaume Tetu and Jean Plazenet. Together with active shareholders Jean Christophe Chopin and Alain de Forges, who provided entrepreneurial experience, passion and long-term financial support, they decide that the perfect setting for their story was in Neuchatel, Switzerland, home of many other watch firms. Here, they could be inspired by the innovative masters who came before them and set the standard for authentic craftsmanship. As an emblem of the company‘s commitment to their forefathers and sisters, HAUTLENCE chose the mobius band as their company insignia, which resembles the mathematical symbol of infinity, and also the number 8, as fortuitous numeral in Asian cultures.
Wonder where the name HAUTLENCE originated? Rearrange the letters of Neuchatel.
Special partners
In a time when there seems to be pressure for brands to maintain their own in-house manufacture, HAUTLENCE decidedly chose another plan, one that happens to be more traditional. Their structure relies upon collaboration with specialist partners, enabling HAUTLENCE to have access to the most advanced research and refined craftspeople. Moreover, they get parts that are designed and not in mass-market runs, even including the proprietary HAUTLENCE screws used on the case back.
This college, as HAUTLENCE refers to it, is a collective of the highest levels of artisans who share in the idea of creating something new and cutting edge. HAUTLENCE‘s relationships go much beyond client and subcontractor to include friendship and abiding trust. This environment is the incubator for the watches HAUTLENCE creates. The company acknowledges and pays tribute to all who participate in their product, including clients, distributors and salespeople.
Of course, HAUTLENCE, takes responsibility for quality control at every level and pays heed to the meticulous detail required in putting together a piece with over 150 components. The company employs outstanding watch making who assemble and adjust the watches one by one. Only after thorough testing by these watch doctors will the certificate be personally signed as a testament to the watch‘s quality before it leaves the workshop. For four year now, HAUTLENCE has crafted watches that tell a very satisfying story. As with a child who re-reads his favorite book, this is a story that adults can revisit and enjoy time and time again.
