Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. Back to the Future with the Hautlence Retrovision 64
Playful, nostalgic and unmistakably Hautlence, this retro-futuristic timepiece will beam you back to the 1960s.
One of the most surprising proposals at Watches & Wonders this year might well be Hautlence’s Retrovision ’64. A limited-edition watch, the Retrovision ‘64 is a playful tribute to a 1960s small-screen science-fiction communicator but endowed with serious horological content. Designed as a bridge between two eras, the Retrovision ’64 combines a retro-futuristic sci-fi comms gadget with Hautlence’s unconventional, highly theatrical time displays. Limited to just three pieces, the watch, to quote Star Trek, “boldly” goes “where no one has gone before”.
Hautlence has tapped into a fertile source of inspiration for its latest Retrovision ’64. The 1960s, an era obsessed by space conquest and dreams of interstellar exploration, gave rise to cult TV adventures, often featuring actors in futuristic costumes aboard sleek spacecraft, wielding handheld comms devices. Following in the footsteps of the radio-inspired Retrovision ’47 and the robot Retrovision ‘85, Hautlence continues its exploration of repurposed pop culture objects converted into timekeeping machines. Designed to capture the era’s bold vision of the future, and more specifically, similar to props used in 1960s TV series, the Retrovision ’64 has a flip-top case cover that snaps open to reveal a split-time layout.
The rounded, retro-futuristic rectangular case (61.2 x 41.8 x 15.6mm), with a crown at noon and a slightly wider base, is made of titanium and finished with brown PVD and red gold PVD trim. The hinged cover, also coated in red gold PVD, is perforated like a cheese grater. However, all playfulness aside, the watch is endowed with true horological content.
Lifting the cover reveals a linear retrograde jumping hour track at the bottom with orange-lacquered numerals and a matching orange arrow-shaped indicator. Above, a golden-framed dial hosts the minutes with a jazzy green-and-orange lacquered track with white Globolight numerals indicated by an orange luminescent hand. The centre of the dial is cut away, revealing parts of the movement, and, somewhat unexpectedly, the presence of a one-minute flying tourbillon with a double hairspring on the right.
The D50 automatic calibre has 239 components, 39 jewels, a frequency of 21,600vph and a 72-hour power reserve for the linear retrograde jumping hours, minutes and one-minute flying tourbillon.
This playful yet technical presentation aligns directly with Hautlence’s core DNA that relies on mechanics as visual theatre and has no qualms about appropriating pop culture icons to create a dynamic, unforgettable display. The watch is paired with a black rubber strap and a titanium pin buckle. Limited to three timepieces, this nostalgic retro-futuristic watch will set you back CHF 129,700 (excl. taxes). More information at hautlence.com.
