First unveiled in July 2015, HAUTLENCE’s VORTEX features three patents and is housed in an astounding three-dimensional case that offers a glimpse of its impressive movement from all sides. The timepiece’s avant- garde and dynamic design changes every hour, as the cage of the regulating organ rotates 60 degrees every 60 minutes, thus turning VORTEX into a mesmerising mechanical piece of art.

Avant-garde and daring, the VORTEX 02 boasts the same bold design and spectacular movement, but flaunts a whole new look in red gold. Its elegant case is inspired by post-modern architecture and deconstructivism, boasting dynamic lines, facetted structures and radical and disruptive shapes. The case showcases six three- dimensional sapphire crystals that provide a view of the movement’s mobile bridge-type calibre as well as the transparent and protective cage of its regulating organ.

The VORTEX 02 displays half-trailing hours, retrograde minutes and a power reserve indicator while highlighting the complex movement in action from all angles. Remaining true to HAUTLENCE’s signature design codes, the dial provides a two-level reading of time thanks to the semi-transparency of the lower sapphire crystal dial, which portrays the intricacy of the movement’s superior bridges without compromising the readability of the watch’s functions.

Just like the first VORTEX, the VORTEX 02 is powered by a reinterpreted and redesigned version of the innovative in-house automatic calibre HL2.0 presented in the first Concept d’Exception in 2010. Angled at 90 degrees, the new in-house automatic calibre HLR2.0 is protected by three HAUTLENCE patents. The first patent pertains to the 12-link chain of the half-trailing hours, which smoothly turns in 3 to 4 seconds every 60 minutes to display the hour. Such a system differs from an instant system that switches the hours too quickly for one to truly appreciate and from a dragging system whereby time cannot be easily read between the hours. The half-trailing hours system rotates effortlessly without losing energy and offers the possibility to admire the beauty of the movement and its mechanisms in action. The second patent relates to the regulating organ integrated into the mobile bridge-type movement. Its constantly changing position, driven by the display, compensates statistically for the effects of gravity, thus enhancing its precision. The third patent is linked to the operation of the movement’s two barrels. The main barrel is wound by the automatic-winding system of the movement and transfers the necessary energy to wind a second barrel that is dedicated exclusively to driving the complication. The main barrel continuously winds the second barrel so as to ensure that energy remains at an optimal level to change each hour. This ensures that these complex systems remain powered independently without impacting the precision of the watch.

Limited to only 28 pieces, the VORTEX 02 is available with three elegant straps that can be easily interchanged with a screwdriver that is included in the box. The straps come in a choice of black or brown rubberised Louisiana alligator leather with large square scales or black rubber, each fitted with a folding clasp in grade 2 titanium with a polished 4N plate.