NEW HAUTLENCE HL 2.0

When it comes to ‘wow’ watches, the HL2.0 from Hautlence is definitely up there, which is why this is the second time we’re featuring the HL2.0 on Wow Watch Wednesday – this time with an updated video! Visually the timepiece is breathtaking, defying convention with its unusual design and the bold use of sapphire that lays bare the inner workings of this complex machine. And yet complex seems to be an understatement, not nearly doing justice to the groundbreaking movement that takes center stage every time the hour changes.  Of course, you don’t have to take my word for it, check out the amazing video from Hautlence after the jump and you can judge for yourself.

The HL2.0




Like all Hautlence pieces, the HL2.0 at first glance appears more focused on unusual design and complex mechanics, as opposed to legibility and wearability but nothing could be further from the truth.  Like another brand we greatly admire – URWERK – Hautlence does not compromise when it comes to its timepieces fulfilling their most basic function; i.e. telling the time. Yes, it’s unlike anything you’ve ever seen before, and yes it is completely mesmerizing but tear your eyes away from the suspended escapement for just a few seconds and you will notice an incredibly legible time-display right next door.
Let’s face it though; the real star of the show here is the incredible automatic, double-barrel calibre, made completely in-house by Hautlence. In a ground-breaking development (meaning a genuine first in watchmaking, and not simply a rehash of an old concept) the complete escapement system, including the plate, bridges, and wheels move to a new position each time the hour jumps, making four complete 60° rotations every single day.
According to the brand this has been done to counter balance the effects of gravity on precision, much like a tourbillon supposedly does. Whether this makes any real difference to accuracy I will leave up to you to decide, what I can tell you though (having been fortunate enough to see one in person when the movement was still in the final stages of development) is that it looks amazing. There is a saying that goes something along the lines of “don’t wish your life away” but trust me, you will literally be hanging out for each new hour to pass.



Production is limited to just 28 pieces each in white gold and rose gold, and you can expect to pay at least US$200,000, making it an inaccessible dream for most. Of course if you are playing in that ballpark already then this is definitely a piece worthy of your consideration, not least because it brings a highly unusual artistic beauty to watchmaking. Plus you’ll never get tired of looking at it!


Please be sure to visit their official website for more information: www.hautlence.com.

RICHARD MILLE RM 022 CARBON LIMITED EDITION

Richard Mille is at again, this time announcing the release of a highly limited, super cool, new RM 022 Carbon timepiece. And when we say highly limited, we mean highly limited! Just five of these futuristic marvels will be available for sale from July 2012 at selected retailers in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Russia, so if you want one you better act quickly.


The RM 022 Carbon
Released earlier this year the RM 022 tourbillon “Aerodyne” Dual Time Zone features an orthorhombic honeycombed titanium aluminide and carbon nanofiber baseplate (talk about a mouthful!) According to the brand orthorhombic titanium aluminides are new group of alloys, developed from the main class of titanium aluminides and are characterized by a high level of stiffness, low thermal expansion coefficient and exceptional torsion resistance. In other words they are extremely strong and rigid.
For the RM 022 Carbon edition the titanium case has been replaced with a specially designed case created by the injection moulding of carbon nanotubes under high pressure into a black polymer. This process produces a robust composite that is extremely strong (200 times stronger than steel) whilst still remaining remarkably light, and is capable of absorbing far stronger impacts than traditional carbon fiber due to its excellent surface-volume ratio. This has allowed the brand to increase the size of the original case somewhat, from 40mm x 48mm to 40mm x 50mm.



Powering this new beast is the Caliber RM022, a manual winding tourbillon movement with hours, minutes and dual time zone on a transparent sapphire crystal disc, which comes into view when suspended above the light colored field located at 3 o’clock. It also hosts a power reserve indicator (70 hours) between 11 and 12 o’clock, a torque indicator that shows the main spring’s internal tension and a function selector to show the watch’s state in each of the positions for winding, neutral and handsetting. In spite of all of that this is still, in my opinion anyway, one of the more legible of the Richard Mille timepieces.
Pricing estimate: expect to pay well into six figures, probably around the $250k – $300k mark, assuming you can get your hands on 1 of the 5 pieces to be made.


For more information please be sure to visit the official Richard Mille website: www.richardmille.com

MARCUS ANNIVERSARY "UNIQUE MASTERPIECES" EXHIBITION

Tomorrow marks the opening of a very special exhibition in London hosted by a very special retailer. I am of course talking about the Marcus Anniversary “Unique Masterpieces” Exhibition that is scheduled to run from the 4^th of July until the 2nd October 2012, and is a must see for any luxury watch enthusiast who finds themselves even remotely close to the UK in the coming months.

The exhibition has been timed to coincide with the Olympic Games and celebrates three major events in the life of the store’s owner, Marcus Margulies: his late father’s arrival in England 80 years ago, the opening of the Marcus store 10 years ago, and his 70th birthday.

For those not familiar with the Bond Street icon, Marcus has built an exceptional reputation in London, and indeed across Europe, as a premiere retailer and is well known for its exceptional customer service and awe-inspiring line-up of high-end brands.

The exhibition will feature specifically commissioned “Unique Masterpieces” and a collection of “Haute Joaillerie” by a number of well-known Swiss watch manufacturers including Audemars Piguet, Blancpain, Breguet, Hublot, MB&F, Urwerk, Greubel Forsey, Richard Mille, Franck Muller and Piaget. In addition a very rare collection of seventy vintage Audemars Piguet timepieces dating from 1899 to 1970 will also be on display, a worthy event in itself.

For their part MB&F have created the gorgeous HM4 Piece Unique in black titanium you see pictured throughout this article, which I must say I am very much looking forward to seeing in the flesh

Stay tuned, as we will be publishing all the images of the “Unique Masterpieces” in the coming days as they become available. 

Anyone else getting a cool “The Dark Knight Rises” vibe from this pic?

For more information on Marcus please visit their official website: www.marcuswatches.co.uk