Z
Zach Weiss
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A few months ago, I wrote an article about a Swiss brand that had quietly developed their own, fully independent (nothing from ETA, Swatch, etc…) serially produceable automatic movement over the course of 7 years. At first, I didn’t really believe what I saw, but after reading up and speaking to one of the owners of the brand, I was amazed. They were really doing something extraordinary, though not many people, at least in the US-blogosphere, were talking about them.
The brand was Horage, and their goal was to kickstart a line of watches that used their in-house movement the K1. Well, technically the movement is made by Accurat Swiss, but it’s all under one umbrella. They succeeded, which will help get this movement out there. But, this wasn’t the only watch Horage had made. In fact, they had an existing line of watches already for sale, manufactured by them. Some of these watches used sourced movements, but one featured their K1, the Autark, which is German for independent.
On top of being in-house, the K1 has some remarkable features. One of which is that is has a modular design that allows various complications to be added to a base movement with relative ease (in watch making terms). The Autarky was designed to show off the complications, featuring sub-seconds, power reserve and big date, as well as Horage’s general manufacturing capabilities. This 39mm titanium watch is expertly crafted in all ways, with some of the crispest lines and flattest plains I’ve seen in some time.
So, I had to try one out. Now, this watch is pricy at around $3.5k (USD w/o VAT), but when you look at what it is, what it does, the details of the movement, the build quality, etc, the price is inline with the market. That said, Horage/Accurat Swiss’ goal is to make the movement, eventually, more affordable, but that’s depending on their growth and output capacity. As such, you could see K1’s down the line is watches for less. As for now, the Autark is the best example available and definitely worth a closer look.
Horage will be at our Wind-Up: New York City event, showing their watches, talking movement as well as having live demos, so be sure to come and check them, and the K1 out in person.
Horage Autark Review
Case: Titanium
Movement: Accurat Swiss K1
Dial: Carbon
Lume: Yes
Lens: Sapphire w/ ar
Strap: Titanium bracelet
Water Res.: 100M
Dimensions: 39 x 47 mm
Thickness: 10.5 mm
Lug Width: NA
Crownr: 6 x 4mm
Price: 3900 CHF w/ VAT
Case
The solid titanium case of the Autark immediately brings 70’s sport watches to mind. It’s barrel shaped with a decorative bezel, integrated lugs and perfectly machined facets and lines. It immediately brings to mind the Genta classics; the Ingenieur, the Royal Oak, the Nautilus… but more than even those, it’s reminiscent of the slightly less popular but equally gorgeous Vacheron Constantin 222, with its signature toothed bezel. On one hand, Horage might have played it a bit close to the VC, but on the other all of the details are different and it looks like nothing else on the market right now. As such, I’d consider it inspired by a classic, especially since the dials are world’s apart. Furthermore, the Rolex Oysterquartz from the 70’s had a very similar design as well, demonstrating that this was more of a trend than anything else.
The case measures a delightfully svelte 39 x 47 x 10.5mm. When you see a watch like this with what might have been considered “small” dimensions a few years ago, you realize just how delusional everyone was. This watch is big enough to look sporty and masculine, yet small enough to feel refined and elegant. The proportions a harmonious throughout. I wouldn’t change it a millimeter in any direction.
The design is simple at a glance, but has a few interesting details that give it personality supported by immaculate machining. This latter point really matters in the look and feel of the watch. The case and bracelet in particular have perfectly sharp lines and flat surfaces, with clean satin/brushed finishing and the occasional polished bevel (on the bracelet). From above, the case has a classic barrel shape, ending in a sharp facet that angles down, becoming the integrated lugs. The bezel that sits on top has a notched design, giving it some texture. It’s a purely aesthetic detail as the notches don’t line up with anything.
Looking at the case from the side, things get a bit more detailed. The middle case actually has a long groove running along both sides from lug-to-lug. This makes the already thin central case seem thinner and adds a simple but effective aesthetic detail. It’s another place where the quality of the machining is apparent as even the internal corners are perfectly sharp. The general proportions are worth note as well, with the central case being thinner than one would expect, and the bezel balancing that out by being a touch thick, but in a good way as it gives the watch some more mass and robustness.
The crown off of three measures 6 x 4mm and is push pull. Screw down might have made the watch feel a bit more solid, but since there is a power reserve on the dial, I found myself wanting to wind the watch a bit more than normal. The crown itself is simple but well executed, with grooves for grip, a slight bevel on the outside edge and then the Horage dotted H logo in relief.
The caseback is snap-on, and features a wide display window. Around the window are various details about the watch, most notably is the use of the term “hand made”. Through the window you get a decent view of the K1 movement. It’s similar, but different from other movements you’ve seen, looking almost like a mix between a 2824 and 9015 in terms of general architecture. It’s lightly decorated with etched in patterns and an almost scratchy sanding, rather than the more typical stripes and perlage. As such, it’s sort of understated and industrial, but in-line with the brand and the goal of the movement, which is to be a work horse not a show horse. To be honest, it could have been hidden, but this is their first watch to use the movement, so showing it is to be expected.
Dial
The Autark is available in either Rhodium white or a Carbon black. These aren’t fancy names, but rather describe the material of the dial. The model seen here is obviously the Carbon black, and what’s quite striking about it is that material more resembles some sort of stone than what I would normally expect of “carbon”. It shimmers and shines with random flecks that catch the light. Sometimes it’s deep black, yet in some light it’s almost a gun metal gray. It’s a pretty striking material that while attractive I question if it should be used for an entire dial. The reason being it’s a bit over powering, and at times interferes with actually reading the time, as the hands get lost in the reflections.
The post Horage Autark Review appeared first on worn&wound.
Continue reading...
Let us know your thoughts and impressions.
A few months ago, I wrote an article about a Swiss brand that had quietly developed their own, fully independent (nothing from ETA, Swatch, etc…) serially produceable automatic movement over the course of 7 years. At first, I didn’t really believe what I saw, but after reading up and speaking to one of the owners of the brand, I was amazed. They were really doing something extraordinary, though not many people, at least in the US-blogosphere, were talking about them.
The brand was Horage, and their goal was to kickstart a line of watches that used their in-house movement the K1. Well, technically the movement is made by Accurat Swiss, but it’s all under one umbrella. They succeeded, which will help get this movement out there. But, this wasn’t the only watch Horage had made. In fact, they had an existing line of watches already for sale, manufactured by them. Some of these watches used sourced movements, but one featured their K1, the Autark, which is German for independent.
On top of being in-house, the K1 has some remarkable features. One of which is that is has a modular design that allows various complications to be added to a base movement with relative ease (in watch making terms). The Autarky was designed to show off the complications, featuring sub-seconds, power reserve and big date, as well as Horage’s general manufacturing capabilities. This 39mm titanium watch is expertly crafted in all ways, with some of the crispest lines and flattest plains I’ve seen in some time.
So, I had to try one out. Now, this watch is pricy at around $3.5k (USD w/o VAT), but when you look at what it is, what it does, the details of the movement, the build quality, etc, the price is inline with the market. That said, Horage/Accurat Swiss’ goal is to make the movement, eventually, more affordable, but that’s depending on their growth and output capacity. As such, you could see K1’s down the line is watches for less. As for now, the Autark is the best example available and definitely worth a closer look.
Horage will be at our Wind-Up: New York City event, showing their watches, talking movement as well as having live demos, so be sure to come and check them, and the K1 out in person.
Horage Autark Review
Case: Titanium
Movement: Accurat Swiss K1
Dial: Carbon
Lume: Yes
Lens: Sapphire w/ ar
Strap: Titanium bracelet
Water Res.: 100M
Dimensions: 39 x 47 mm
Thickness: 10.5 mm
Lug Width: NA
Crownr: 6 x 4mm
Price: 3900 CHF w/ VAT
Case
The solid titanium case of the Autark immediately brings 70’s sport watches to mind. It’s barrel shaped with a decorative bezel, integrated lugs and perfectly machined facets and lines. It immediately brings to mind the Genta classics; the Ingenieur, the Royal Oak, the Nautilus… but more than even those, it’s reminiscent of the slightly less popular but equally gorgeous Vacheron Constantin 222, with its signature toothed bezel. On one hand, Horage might have played it a bit close to the VC, but on the other all of the details are different and it looks like nothing else on the market right now. As such, I’d consider it inspired by a classic, especially since the dials are world’s apart. Furthermore, the Rolex Oysterquartz from the 70’s had a very similar design as well, demonstrating that this was more of a trend than anything else.
The case measures a delightfully svelte 39 x 47 x 10.5mm. When you see a watch like this with what might have been considered “small” dimensions a few years ago, you realize just how delusional everyone was. This watch is big enough to look sporty and masculine, yet small enough to feel refined and elegant. The proportions a harmonious throughout. I wouldn’t change it a millimeter in any direction.
The design is simple at a glance, but has a few interesting details that give it personality supported by immaculate machining. This latter point really matters in the look and feel of the watch. The case and bracelet in particular have perfectly sharp lines and flat surfaces, with clean satin/brushed finishing and the occasional polished bevel (on the bracelet). From above, the case has a classic barrel shape, ending in a sharp facet that angles down, becoming the integrated lugs. The bezel that sits on top has a notched design, giving it some texture. It’s a purely aesthetic detail as the notches don’t line up with anything.
Looking at the case from the side, things get a bit more detailed. The middle case actually has a long groove running along both sides from lug-to-lug. This makes the already thin central case seem thinner and adds a simple but effective aesthetic detail. It’s another place where the quality of the machining is apparent as even the internal corners are perfectly sharp. The general proportions are worth note as well, with the central case being thinner than one would expect, and the bezel balancing that out by being a touch thick, but in a good way as it gives the watch some more mass and robustness.
The crown off of three measures 6 x 4mm and is push pull. Screw down might have made the watch feel a bit more solid, but since there is a power reserve on the dial, I found myself wanting to wind the watch a bit more than normal. The crown itself is simple but well executed, with grooves for grip, a slight bevel on the outside edge and then the Horage dotted H logo in relief.
The caseback is snap-on, and features a wide display window. Around the window are various details about the watch, most notably is the use of the term “hand made”. Through the window you get a decent view of the K1 movement. It’s similar, but different from other movements you’ve seen, looking almost like a mix between a 2824 and 9015 in terms of general architecture. It’s lightly decorated with etched in patterns and an almost scratchy sanding, rather than the more typical stripes and perlage. As such, it’s sort of understated and industrial, but in-line with the brand and the goal of the movement, which is to be a work horse not a show horse. To be honest, it could have been hidden, but this is their first watch to use the movement, so showing it is to be expected.
Dial
The Autark is available in either Rhodium white or a Carbon black. These aren’t fancy names, but rather describe the material of the dial. The model seen here is obviously the Carbon black, and what’s quite striking about it is that material more resembles some sort of stone than what I would normally expect of “carbon”. It shimmers and shines with random flecks that catch the light. Sometimes it’s deep black, yet in some light it’s almost a gun metal gray. It’s a pretty striking material that while attractive I question if it should be used for an entire dial. The reason being it’s a bit over powering, and at times interferes with actually reading the time, as the hands get lost in the reflections.
The post Horage Autark Review appeared first on worn&wound.
Continue reading...
Let us know your thoughts and impressions.