Hautlence watch is fmaous for its unique dial and case shapes. The latest Hautlence Vortex Primary is no exception. This new watch caome out at this year’s SIHH. It have abstract eye-catching forms which encourage a second glance.
Eric Cantona, famous French footballer, actor and current brand ambassador for Hautlence gave design input previously on the Hautlence Invictus Morphos Limited Edition which we reviewed and quite liked. The Hautlence Vortex is a model which stands out with its case shape and time display system. As Monsieur Cantona is also bona fide art connoisseur; a talent he duly demonstrated with the Morphos Limited Edition with designer patterns and colours. We take a closer look at the new Hautlence Vortex Primary designed by Eric Cantona.
In terms of aesthetics, what immediately catches the eye are the different coloured sapphire crystals reminiscient of Piet Mondrian’s De Stijl Dutch modern art movement (specifically Composition II for those artsy types) . There are 19 transparent coloured panels in total and they are also located on the sides and back of the watch for better viewing of the movement.
Hours are displayed via track system on the left and hourly transitions occur in a smooth 3-4 second slide process rather than an instant jump. Retrograde minutes take centre-stage with high contrast white markers printed on the sapphire crystal, an important triumph for legibility considering there’s a lot going on with the watch; especially when one considers that the track system for the movement has been coloured red, yellow and blue. The power reserve indicator hand is steel with a red tip. As you can see in the photo below it is located in between the 40 and 50 minute markers. Unlike the previous Vortex models there is no printing to indicate what level of power reserve is left, fully wound the power reserve indicator will be at the position shown in the photo below. As the power reserve decreases it will move down and to the right. Adding to its avant garde design is a titanium knurled crown positioned at 12 o’clock.
Powering the watch is the in-house HL2.0 self winding calibre with hourly rotating mechanism for the bridge housing the escapement. Rotating 60 degrees each hour, it serves a secondary function as a tourbillon type mechanism. The watch has two barrels, one for the entire power reserve of the watch including power for the second complication barrel. The second barrel is for the rotating complication.
The Hautlence Vortex Primary by Eric Cantona is an 18 piece limited edition and will retail for S$298,000. This is charged at a higher premium than the previous edition of the Vortex also made with titanium but had a production run of 88 limited pieces. What makes the Vortex Primary special is that Eric Cantona has added his own personal touch.