Hautlence HLRS 01

You may or may not be familiar with Hautlence, but given that most of my friends in the business only heard of them through me, I’ll assume you’re not. This is a prominent timepiece, one that draws attention to itself, but nobody recognizes it, and it’s still very niche in a way that I love. In that sense, the decision to write about it publicly somewhat defeats the purpose, but this is why we’re here, so I’ll continue.

So, Hautlence isn’t named after any specific watchmaker; rather, it’s an anagram of Neuchâtel, the Swiss watchmaking town. Since its inception, the company has been recognized for its rectangular, TV-shaped cases and its avant-garde jumping hours and retrograde minutes display. This is not for everyone.

Now I want to address something I’ve been asked before: “Is that a Richard Mille?” So no, it’s not. Hautlence is also an independent company founded in the early 2000s, and their designs are also, to say the least, bold and progressive. However, unlike Richard Mille, which still utilizes external movement suppliers (albeit from the highest echelons), Hautlence has designed and produced its movements in-house from the very beginning. Another significant difference between the two is that Hautlence isn’t as recognized or well-known as Richard Mille, and accordingly, they don’t have the same value retention. Which is great for me as I found Hautlence anyway, and I couldn’t afford to buy one of their watches at retail.

Details
Brand: Hautlence
Ref.: HLRS 01
Movement: Manual Wind
Includes: Box & Papers

Dimensions
Top to bottom: 41.5mm
Side to Side: 46mm
Lug to Lug: 47mm
Between the Lugs: 22mm
Thickness: 13mm