Hautlence - Vortex Gamma Magma

Launched in 2015 the Vortex by Neuchâtel-based Hautlence is recognizable for its squared shapes, transparent surfaces and multi-level reading of time. For the new Vortex Gamma Magma model, Hautlence is using HLLightColor, a material which can be body tinted to take on a specific shade of any colour.

Borrowed from the automotive and aerospace industries, this composite material is charged with ceramic nanotube particles and it is highly resilient as well as 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.

Intrinsically tinted rather than coated, HLLightColor enables Hautlence to pick the boldest hues from the colour palette, as the vibrant orange of the Vortex Gamma Magma demonstrates.

To emphasise the architectural lines of the Vortex case, Hautlence has highlighted the edges with a black line. The 52 x 50 x 18 mm case is completed by horns and crown in Grade 5 titanium.

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 leaving enough time to admire the beauty of the movement and its mechanisms in action.

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.

Beating at 18,000 vibrations per hour, the movement has a power reserve of 40 hours. The Hautlence Vortex Gamma Magma has a price of Swiss Francs 170,000. hautlence.com