Hautlence Vortex Gamma Magma

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Hautlence Vortex Gamma Magma

Vortex Gamma Magma
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A stark beauty, and a hypnotising power
La Cote des Montres - December 18th, 2017

Taking on the colour — and the undeniable force — of lava, the Vortex Gamma Magma has a stark beauty, and a hypnotising power. The powerful aesthetic of its case, driven by angles and facets, is emphasised by the black line which highlights its edges. Placing bold colour at the heart of this exceptional creation, Hautlence is using HLLightColor, a material which can be body tinted to take on a specific shade of any colour, to provide a vibrant showcase for the HL2.0 manufacture calibre.

For the Vortex Gamma Magma model, Hautlence has chosen a revolutionary composite material borrowed from the automotive and aerospace industries. HLLightColor is charged with ceramic nanotube particles, and its properties are identical to those of a conventional watch industry metal; highly resilient, yet four times lighter than titanium. It can be machined with the same precision and to within the same tolerances, thus enabling extremely complex finishing operations, alternating brushed, polished and sand-blasted surfaces. Alongside its remarkable high-tech properties, this material opens up a world of aesthetic possibility which knows no bounds. Intrinsically tinted rather than coated, HLLightColor enables Hautlence to pick the boldest hues from the colour palette, as the flamboyant Vortex Gamma Magma clearly demonstrates.

Alongside the HLLightColor, the Vortex Gamma Magma case is made from six three-dimensional sapphire crystals. To emphasise the architectural lines of the Vortex case, accentuating them with a play of striking contrasts, Hautlence has drawn inspiration from the TRON style, stemming from the eponymous sci-fi film directed by Steven Lisberger in 1982. Playing with visual effects showcasing luminescent shapes representing integrated circuits, Hautlence has highlighted the edges of its case with a black line, which lends the piece a highly stylised tone.

The minute dial, made from almost entirely transparent sapphire, offers a large window onto the HL2.0 self- winding calibre which drives the Vortex Gamma. Orange, the unifying feature of this model, is found on each of the 12 articulated links in the hour chain, a key function of the movement. Every 60 minutes, the chain turns in 3-4 seconds, gently and with control to avoid any shocks or loss of energy, whilst leaving enough time to admire the beauty of the movement and its mechanisms in action. The regulating organ is integrated into the mobile bridge-type calibre, with the change in position actuated by the display improving accuracy by statistically offsetting the effects of gravity. The calibre HL2.0 is equipped with two barrels. The second barrel, dedicated exclusively to driving the complication, is continually reset by the main barrel, so that the optimal level of energy is available each time the hour changes. This double barrel system ensures the complex mechanisms are supplied independently, without affecting the ability of the watch to keep accurate time.

With the Vortex Gamma Magma, Hautlence has created an haute technologie watch, with a bold, striking design, and a high-tech mechanical heart.

A brand-new chapter in Hautlence history

Founded in 2004, Hautlence – whose name itself is an anagram of Neuchâtel – pays tribute to the birthplace of the watchmaking art. The brand has been praised by watch collectors and aficionados from across the world for bringing a new dynamism to the art of fine watchmaking.

With annual production of around 200 pieces, Hautlence has five calibres designed and developed in-house, whilst also relying on external partners for the movements used in certain collections. It offers a collection of 21 models, organised into four different sub-collections: Atelier, Concept d’exception, Signature and, inspired by mechanical toys and launched in 2015: Playground.

In strategic terms, Hautlence can count on support from MELB Holding, an independent family watchmaking group which has been offering its experience and network since 2012, with the synergies between Hautlence and the group sure to grow.

Hautlence is pushing the boundaries of traditional watchmaking codes, uniting them with innovative mechanical solutions and an unlimited universe borrowed from the various arts, combining design, architecture, and movement. The brand takes its inspiration from this to create new approaches to time display, which it uses to elevate the two key dimensions of space and time. Ever conscious of a functional relationship with beauty, Hautlence invents timepieces with completely new contours and depths, respecting every stage and every person involved in their production.

Beyond Swiss Made - the “Horlogerie Suisse” stamp

Hautlence timepieces are created and produced in Switzerland, in Neuchâtel and the Jura mountains, in the very highest tradition of Swiss watchmaking, and are signed with the label "Horlogerie Suisse". The components are produced externally using a network of thirty-five partners and subcontractors, all based in the Neuchâtel/Jura region.