Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. The New, More Compact, Still Fascinating Hautlence Sphere Series 3
Same mechanical performance and visual boldness, a new compact case and a reworked calibre.
After its comeback in 2022, Hautlence (an anagram of Neuchâtel) doubled down on unconventional time displays with the Sphere Series 1, followed by the darker Sphere Series 2, both pairing a multi-axis spherical jumping hour with a retrograde minute. Those watches reintroduced the brand’s TV-screen silhouette and reminded collectors why Hautlence sits in the front row of indie horology. The new Sphere Series 3 keeps the headline complication but repackages it in a smaller, sharper case, with a movement re-engineered to fit the tighter space… a very wearable, very coherent iteration.
The Sphere Series 3 trades the earlier 43mm x 50.8mm format for a 37mm x 45mm Grade 5 titanium case, with a total height of 17.4mm, 11.5mm without the box sapphire that protects the spherical element. Surfaces alternate between satin-finished and polished, while subtle side reliefs echo Hautlence’s rectilinear design language. Practicality hasn’t been sacrificed, as the new Hautlence Sphere Series 3 retains an uncommon 100m water-resistance for such an open, architectural display.
On the front, the left side is occupied by the signature spherical jumping hour, now sheathed in polished titanium shells coated in purple. The sphere rotates on three axes via four conical gears on crossed axes inclined at 21 degrees, presenting the next hour with a precise, seemingly random tumble. The numerals are engraved and filled with white Super-LumiNova, and with the skeletonised base, you get an unimpeded sense of the mechanism “floating” in the case.
Balancing it on the right is a retrograde minute on a 180-degree arc, indicated by a purple PVD titanium hand that tracks a suspended sapphire minute scale with Globolight numerals before performing a controlled snap-back to zero. The openworked dial exposes the cam, freewheel and gearing: function as theatre, theatre as function.
To fit the downsized case, Hautlence adapted the movement´s design into the hand-wound calibre A82. Beating at 21,600 vph, it provides a 72-hour power reserve with the mainspring’s state readable at a glance through the visible barrel and ratchet. The movement comprises 160 components, including 31 jewels, and a built-in safety mechanism protects the works from mishandling (like reverse setting), showing the brand’s practical approach behind the show.
The watch is worn on a purple suede strap closed with a titanium folding clasp – something a bit more subtle would be a welcome alternative, though it shouldn’t be a problem thanks to the quick-release system. This new Hautlence Sphere Series 3 in purple is a limited edition of 28 pieces, priced at CHF 69,000. For more information, please visit Hautlence.com.
