The Horologically Unique HU-02 Brings Robert Cart’s Chronoscope into a Wristwatch Format

A young indie brand from Singapore, Horologically Unique is the project of a watch enthusiast who started an account on Instagram named @horologically_unique, and while originally wanting to sell part of his collection, he quickly changed his mind and decided to create watches the way he wanted them to be. The first project, the Horologically Unique HU-01, was a highly appealing take on the blueprint dress watch, the Calatrava reference 96. The second project, simply named HU-02, is far more ambitious, both mechanically and design-wise. The idea is simple: bringing to the wrist one of the most fascinating displays of the last century, the wandering jump-hour complication of Robert Cart’s Chronoscope, and in particular, pocket watches he created for Breguet. 

Historical Context

We cannot talk about the Horologically Unique HU-02 without first looking at what this watch tends to recreate in a relatively accessible wrist format. And for that, we need to go back in time, to the 1920s, right in the middle of the Art Deco era, with watchmaker Robert Cart. Born in 1871, Cart founded his eponymous watch manufacture at Le Locle in 1919/20, becoming a well-known specialist in thin and complicated watches, such as repeaters, chronographs, perpetual calendars, and ultra-thin movements – made under his own name or for others. A few years after the creation of his company, Robert Cart S.A., the eponymous founder was responsible for the creation of a signature complication, completely in line with the trends of the time: the wandering jumping hour.

Dubbed “Chronoscope” by its inventor, the name is derived from the Greek “chronos” for time and “scope” for range or sector, and it was not just a classic jumping hour, as it was paired with a wandering minutes indication. The hour sits in a small window while the dial is entirely rotating. As such, the hours travel slowly across the dial while the minutes continue moving normally. As each hour passes and the arrow makes its way from the 59th to 60th minute, the hour disc “jumps” to the next hour, and the process repeats. Such watches have been commissioned by Breguet, Gubelin or Vacheron Constantin, all relying on this deceptively simple display to create a perfect match with bold geometric case shapes and decorative dial styles, in the classic Art Deco trend.

This style might also feel familiar, as Vincent Calabrese relied on an identical concept for his Baladin, recently used for the M.A.D.3 watch. For the HU-02, Horologically Unique took specific inspiration from a Robert Cart for Breguet pocket watch, defined by its sharp, ultra-thin case and its geometric lines and arrow on the dial – a classic motif of this school of design.

The new Horologically Unique HU-02

The idea is clear here: bringing the original, patented display of Robert Cart into a wristwatch format, while retaining the sharpness and elegance of the Art Deco-styled pocket watch. Indeed, several attempts of bringing Robert Cart’s displays to life have existed in the past – he himself created wristwatches for Breguet in the late 1920s, and Vacheron also used a slightly different mechanism for the 1990s Heures Sautantes. But, as you can imagine, these watches are not widely available, nor are they financially accessible. So, just like the young brand wanted to bring the flair and elegance of the Calatrava 96 to a more accessible price point (with the HU-01), the HU-02 is there to bring Cart’s signature display to the wrist at an attainable price.

Leaving the focal point on the dial, Horologically Unique has created a sleek, “Disco Volante-style” case. Minimalistic, but also not overly modern, the case shows a lug-less design, with a clean integration of the strap through the caseback. The watch measures 38mm in diameter, with a total thickness of 11.5mm (including the domed sapphire crystal, or 10.1mm without it), which feels reasonable. If I’m pushing it, I would have loved a sub-9mm case, but that would have probably necessitated a far more expensive base movement. The bezel is stepped, and the crown is concealed, and if you remove the strap, it could almost act as a small desk clock – which certainly fits the whole idea.

The Horologically Unique HU-02 is available in two tastes. The first, named “Classic”, is housed in a naval brass case, entirely polished and coated with a protective layer. This is why you can see its gold-like surface being slightly patinated in the photos. This version pairs this unusual material with a smooth cream-toned dial and a sand-coloured leather strap. The second edition is slightly bolder and more textured. Made of polished steel, this “Silver Speciale” comes with a grained silver-toned dial and a brushed minute track. It is paired with a taupe leather strap.

On both watches, the Art Deco inspiration is clear, as the style of the Breguet x Robert Cart watches has been faithfully reproduced, starting with the geometric hour window, the sharp font for the minute track and, the main attention here, the arrow-shaped guilloche motif covering most of the dial – a motif that brings most of the Art Deco inspiration, and that would not have looked out of place in the lobby of the Chrysler Building back in the 1930s…

The Horologically Unique HU-02 is not just a design exercise, as it mostly reproduces the famous Cart display, with its wandering jumping hour. It is based on a tried-and-tested ETA 2824-2, which has been heavily modified to accommodate a wandering module on top. This explains the relative thickness of the watch, as well as the shortened power reserve (32 hours), but it is a clever way to make this complication accessible.

Accessible from the brand’s website in a limited production run, during a defined allocation period (details to be confirmed), the Horologically Unique HU-02 will be priced at USD 3,850 in its Classic variant, and USD 3,980 for the Silver Speciale.

For more details and orders, please visit www.horologicallyunique.com.