HAUTLENCE Watches:HLQ Collection (2008)

Since its inception, the HAUTLENCE brand, based in the heart of Neuchâtel, has set its sights on creating innovative watchmaking concepts and bringing them together with contemporary design. Inspired by the architecture of shapes, the new HLQ line demonstrates in form and mechanical function the extent to which company’s avant-garde creativity is constantly brought into play. A real watchmaking Manufacture exists primarily through its capacity to keep on producing calibres that differ from their predecessors. Attuned to its various markets, HAUTLENCE has clearly understood that it is not enough just to extend the range by regularly changing the shapes or materials used to respond to the expectations of the true enthusiast. For this reason, the firm is committed to extending its creative palette by offering a new collection of watches which, while totally new, has lost nothing, in its inspired refashioning, of the genetic code that makes up the very roots of its foundation.

By reworking the volumes for the HLQ collection, HAUTLENCE is once again playing with geometric symbols. Its logo, an extrapolation of the Moebius band - a graphic representation of infinity - invites one to reflect virtually at the metaphysical level. It then becomes apparent that by adding a round watch – still with this link between form and function, the backbone of the brand –HAUTLENCE is exploring the symbolism of form to reveal, in its inimitable manner, the philosophical implications of squaring the circle. This dimension, going well beyond the realm of conscious reasoning, no doubt explains why, in spite of all its differences, the round HLQ, born of the desire to fulfil the aspirations of the greater part of the watchmaking clientele, remains the natural extension of the HL and HLS collections. Thus, using the time-display principle adopted for its first calibre, the HL movement has been rebuilt with the date in the form of a calendar disc peripheral to the jumping hour and retrograding minute assembly.

With its new calibre, HAUTLENCE seals its entry into the circle of brands that have chosen to inscribe their names on the frontispiece of history. By offering a second movement that has been developed and manufactured independently as part of its collection, the young Manufacture is revealing to sceptics the extent of its intention to transcend time. In order to preserve the ties of paternity between the elder of the hand-wound calibres and the new movement, HAUTLENCE’s team of developers worked in unison and arrived at the following conclusion: that the new heart of the HLQ should retain the same visual associations yet avoid seeking to reuse the same kinematics for reading the time. Hence, the round calibre with manual winding uses - in this configuration integrating a calendar disc - a sectoral gear coupled with a calibrated, micrometric toothed pinion that is directly engaged with the minute-hand axis. With this arrangement, the use of space is optimised and the sector devoted to reading the minutes, increased.

The jumping hour and retrograding minutes are still commanded by the ingenious patented HL mechanism, which combines the slide-bar’s translation, driven by the retraction of the snail’s feeler-spindle, with a gold inertia-block that acts as an inertia wheel providing the energy required to make the disc jump. Finally, to simplify date setting, the in-house designers have included an instantaneous corrector cleverly positioned and accessible at 12 o’clock between the horns.

By playing on the repetition of circles right down to the arched sections reserved for reading the minutes, the round HLQ remodels its dial with the cerebral pleasure of knowing that its geometry is making an allusion to the repetitive nature of infinity.The 44 mm case has been redefined based on the DNA of the HL, retaining the latter’s pure and minimalist lines. The cylindrical form of the case, designed to optimise the opening, orientated the design towards ideas of destructured construction; thus, the four horns are screwed to the outside of the caseband, thereby optimising the adjustment of the pivoting strap to fit the wearer’s wrist as snugly as possible. Fractal to a certain extent, this watch possesses the ability to attract the eye using the relief of its openworked dial to give its owner an extraordinary sensation of speed through its various, intelligently worked curves. Thus, it sits at the confluence of trends, somewhere between modern and artistic craftsmanship, urban chic and measured sportiness, and personifies a new breed of timepieces in which understated power and originality are a symbol of excellence.

HAUTLENCE HLQ01

Features:
Black opaline watch dial with hand applied “HAUTLENCE” lettering.
Intermediate dial with laser cutting minute figures.
18K massive white gold case.
Ardillon Buckle, white gold.
Water-tightness: 3 atm.

HAUTLENCE HLQ02

Features:
Honeycomb stitch watch dial with hand applied “HAUTLENCE” lettering.
Intermediate dial with laser cutting minute figures.
18K massive white gold case, crown, horns18K & Titanium.
18K white gold Ardillon Buckle/ palladium plate.
Water-tightness: 3 atm.

HAUTLENCE HLQ05

Features:
White opaline watch dial with hand applied“HAUTLENCE” lettering.
Intermediate dial with laser cutting minute figures.
18K massive 4N pink gold case, on the lugs, bezel,crown, G2 titanium basis of case.
Ardillon Buckle, titanium and pink gold.
Water-tightness: 3 atm.

HAUTLENCE HLQ06

Features:
Chocolate Brown watch dial with hand applied “HAUTLENCE” lettering.
Intermediate dial with laser cutting minute figures.
18K massive 4N rose gold case.
Ardillon Buckle, rose gold.
Water-tightness: 3 atm.

HAUTLENCE HLQ07

Features:
White opaline watch dial with hand applied “HAUTLENCE” lettering.
Intermediate dial with laser cutting minute figures.
Titanium G2 case.
Ardillon Buckle, titanium G2.
Water-tightness: 3 atm.

HAUTLENCE HLQ08

Features:
Black opaline watch dial with hand applied “HAUTLENCE” lettering.
Intermediate dial with laser cutting minute figures.
Titanium G2 case.
Ardillon Buckle, titanium G2.
Water-tightness: 3 atm.

Technical specifications
Movement: Dedicated Calibre HAUTLENCE HLQ. Jumping date, Jumping hour, retrograde minute and running second.Manual winding mechanical movement.Power reserve 40h.Oscillation: 21600 BPH.24 Jewels.Diameter: 43.8mm / thick: 10.65mm.Back decoration: Fine brushed galvanic treatment black Gold.
Manually angled bridges.Identification and numbering plate on the back.Black Varnish in the engraving.

Water resistant to 30 meters (3ATM)
Sapphire crystal with angled edges, multi layer anti reflect
Screwed sapphire case back with stamps and the official engraving
Polished crown with HAUTLENCE logo
Black hand sewn genuine Louisiana alligator strap with square scales
Adjustable pin bar to fit on the case and horns; can be changed by customer
Ardillon Buckle.