DonCorson offers an exclusive, in-depth look at the Hautlence H2, a significant new release from BaselWorld 2011. Having followed its development for years, DonCorson provides unique insights into the watch's innovative 'sequential tourbillon' and jumping hours with retrograde minutes, contextualizing its bold design within the broader watch market.
I have been following Hautlence for several years now, from just after their beginnings with the HL.
They keep coming up with new models that expand their range without forgetting their initial idea.
And the older models are updated with new dials and finishing every year.
This year they made the public announcement of the H2, a tour de force of precision micromechanics. I have been following this watch through its development since my very first visit to Hautlence in Neuchâtel about 4 years ago.
The H2 has a jumping hours and retrograde minutes display as do the other Hautlence watches. But now we are talking about a chain which carries the hours indication and a "sequential tourbillon" as the balance and escapement assembly is on the axle of the wheel advancing the hours chain. Once an hour the balance moves to another orientation. This is also Hautlences first automatic watch.
This original complication has be tested for reliability over the years. The first time I learned about this development they just had small testbeds testing only the hour chain advancement mechanism and the automatic winding mechanism. With each new visit to Hautlence I saw new testbenches and heard of the latest hurdles that had been overcome. Last year at BaselWorld the watch was to be seen furtively by some, but since then a new slimmed down case has made the watch sleaker and more wearable (for those with a big wrist).
There is the question if this watch is right for the times appearing on the market now when so many brands are peering back to the "golden days" of the '70s with their (somewhat) slimmer new 3 hand models. This is a massive "in-your-face" watch which hides nothing of its mechanical wonders, it flaunts them.
I congratulate Guillaume Tetu and his team of engineers and watchmakers that they have succeded to bring this idea to fruition in spite of the crisis and ensuing restructuration of the brand.
I like it as I like the rest of their models (but I still like the HL with the heat blued hands and tierod the best).
Don
H2 in rose gold
H2 in white gold
On the wrist
HL
HLq
New this year is the HLq classic
My fav, HL with heat blued steel parts and titanium honeycomb dial
