HAUTLENCE: Changing Time
This feature explores HAUTLENCE's 20-year journey of challenging traditional watchmaking conventions, particularly in time display. The brand, founded in 2004, consistently plays with jumping hours and retrograde minutes, integrating mechanics, architecture, and art into its designs, from early models like the HL to more recent creations like the Sphere Series 4 and Kubera Series 1.
- HAUTLENCE founded in 2004
- Sphere Series 4 has 72 hours of power reserve
- Sphere Series 4 water resistance is 100 meters
- Sphere Series 4 is limited to 28 pieces
HAUTLENCE's name is an anagram of Neuchâtel, a historic Swiss watchmaking hub.
The brand's early HL model (2005) featured jumping hours on a disc and a retrograde minute hand, with much of the mechanism exposed on the dial.
HAUTLENCE became part of MELB Holding in 2012, gaining access to greater resources while maintaining creative freedom.
The Sphere Series 4 features a sand-colored titanium sphere for hours that rotates across three axes due to a system of bevel gears and inclined axes.
The Sphere Series 4's skeletonized movement and titanium case reduce weight significantly compared to previous iterations.
The Kubera Series 1 features a steel case and integrated bracelet with stepped geometric layers inspired by Cubism and S.T. Dupont lighters.
The Kubera Series 1's olive-green dial creates an impression of looking down through successive architectural levels.