Monochrome Watches
An online magazine dedicated to fine watches
Introducing

Lights, Camera, Action With The Horage Lensman 1 Tourbillon

A camera-inspired follow-up to the well-priced, in-house Horage Tourbillon 1

| By Erik Slaven | 3 min read |

Horage is an independent Swiss brand founded in 2007 and has already developed three in-house movements. There’s the K1 automatic in models like the Autark and Omnium, K2 micro-rotor in the new Supersede integrated sports watch and K-TOU tourbillon in its second watch, the Lensman 1. This latest piece follows the Tourbillon 1, which was the most accessible in-house Swiss Tourbillon on the market. As the name suggests, the Lensman 1 has a photography theme with an emphasis on Leica.

The Tourbillon 1 case came in 904L stainless steel or 18k gold, but the Lensman 1 is T5 titanium. Pro photographers often choose black cameras to be discreet, so many elements of the watch are blacked out to match. There’s a laser-etched aperture ring on the case side, resembling a traditional Leica lens, and the fixed bezel replicates a focusing ring. Dimensions are 41mm in diameter and 10.3mm in height (lug-to-lug 49mm). The push/pull crown features a black onyx stone insert and water resistance is rated at 100 metres. A domed AR sapphire crystal protects the dial and features an oversized cyclops lens over the flying tourbillon at 6 o’clock. This magnifies the complication for a detailed view, which is a very cool touch. The sapphire exhibition case back has a quote by French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson engraved.

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The black dial continues the theme with a matte centre and ridged outer ring. The Horage logo at 12 o’clock is also black, so the branding is subtle. Black gold applied indices have black Super-LumiNova inserts, but there’s good contrast under the light. The partially open-worked hour and minute hands have Super-LumiNova as well. The focal point is the large flying tourbillon at 6 o’clock, again magnified by an oversized cyclops lens. The cage is titanium and there’s a visible silicon escapement and hairspring, the latter being an upgrade to the K-TOU tourbillon. A detailed minute track spans the outermost perimeter.

Powering the Lensman 1 is the second generation, in-house K-TOU tourbillon. It’s hand-wound and has an open-worked grid pattern on the back, similar to the original Tourbillon 1. The grid is blacked out this time, contrasting with silver gears and screws. It has 19 jewels and beats 25,200vph (3.5Hz) with a 120+ hour power reserve (5 days) via a single barrel. Accuracy is within the chronometer standard of -4/+6 seconds per day. There’s also a blued seconds indicator screw on the tourbillon cage.

There are two 22mm strap options, calf leather with a black or red stitching and a texture inspired by a classic camera’s body grip.
The new Lensman 1 will be available to preorder in November for five days at a discounted price (date to be announced 10 days prior). The preorder price is CHF 8,390 (incl. tax/duties), but return customers get a special loyalty price of CHF 7,990 (incl. tax/duties). The final retail price is CHF 8,890 and standard orders will be available through February 28, 2023. A maximum of 500 pieces will be produced. Like the Tourbillon 1, these are incredible prices for a Swiss tourbillon. Preorder-only accessories include a limited and numbered photography book and both leather straps. Preorder deliveries are expected in April 2023.

For more information, please visit Horage.com and preorders can be placed here.

Technical specifications – Horage Lensman 1 Tourbillon

Case: 41mm diameter x 10.3mm height – T5 titanium – laser etched aperture ring on case side – fixed bezel resembles focusing ring – domed sapphire crystal with multiple anti-reflective coatings and oversized cyclops lens over tourbillon – AR sapphire exhibition case back – push/pull crown with black onyx stone insert – 100m water-resistant
Dial: black with matte centre and ridged outer ring – black gold applied indices with black Super-LumiNova – partially open-worked hour and minute hands with Super-LumiNova – flying tourbillon at 6 o’clock – detailed minute track at outermost perimeter – black logo at 12 o’clock
Movement: Horage K-TOU Tourbillon calibre (designed and produced in-house) – hand-wound – 19 jewels – 25,200vph (3.5Hz) – 120-hour power reserve – central hours, minutes and 60-second flying tourbillon with seconds indicator screw – silicon escapement and hairspring – chronometer accuracy of -4/+6 seconds per day
Strap: calfskin leather strap with black or red stitching and texture inspired by a classic camera’s body grip
Availability: discounted preorders open in November 2022 for 5 days (date will be announced 10 days prior) and standard orders will be taken through February 28, 2023 – a maximum of 500 pieces will be produced
Price: preorder - CHF 8,390 (incl. tax/duties/shipping)
returning customer preorder - CHF 7,990 (incl. tax/duties/shipping)
retail - CHF 8,890
Horage 2022 Independent Watchmaking Luxury Watches Novelty Tourbillon
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https://monochrome-watches.com/introducing-the-horage-lensman-1-tourbillon-specs-price/

12 responses

  2. Hi @Tee Tong, it shouldn’t be much different than the knurled pattern on a rotating bezel.

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  3. There is no rubber strap nor steel bracelet available for this new watch according to Horage’s website.

  5. titanium bracelet? it’s a mistake!! I don’t see a titanium bracelet anywhere!

  6. Is it good value? Yes. Is it extremely boring? Hell yes too. Horage fascinates me in the sense that they have this wonderful manufacturing capability, that they are able to bring up technically cutting edge products, but that, at the same time, their design skills are close to nil. Watches are not just a bunch of specifications. It’s wrong to frame them under a somewhat commoditised prism. Watches need to excite, to inspire, to surprise, to make us a dream. And none of this present.

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  8. @ nicodiego56 @ Julián, The rubber strap and titanium bracelet will be available when preorders open. They aren’t listed on the Horage site at this time.

  9. Hey it’s Landon from Horage. Erik, thanks for sharing our new tourbillon here on Monochrome. It appears that the information on the bracelet here is not correct. There are just the two strap options and no bracelet available for Lensman 1. The watch is very much inspired by a camera body and camera strap and thus the reason for the two leather strap options.

    @jorg as a brand that has invested heavily in our own proprietary movement developments we have created three incredible calibers. Given that these are not based on an existing calibers architecture I consider what our team has done as surprising, inspiring and indeed they have helped one to dream of the watches we can make next. K1 was a movement that took 7 years, K2 took 5 years and because of those two movements we were able to develop our tourbillon.

    How many boot strapped independents are making their own movements?

    Our focus is on creating high performing proprietary movements that are placed in watches that speak to the uniqueness of the individuals that comprise our community.

    Movement production aside we look and listen to our community and try to integrate their desires into our watch while upholding a high level of precision.

    From our Tourbillon 1 project we had many asking for a more traditional dial approach with our next tourbillon project along with a titanium case. We took this feedback a step further and looked to the realm of photography and how to combine these two creative worlds. Lensman 1 is the first in a series and therefore there will be some other exciting projects to come. We have had a lot of great feedback and interest as until now the use of a cyclops on a tourbillon is seen as something unique. The overall finish of the case and dial is executed at to a very high quality and this is valued and appreciated by quite a lot of people. We can’t make something for everyone and if we did we would be making a commodity.

    We can however continue to make unique timepieces that resonate with different individuals because this is the wonderful thing about watchmaking.

    Supersede is another recent project where we looked to our community. The focus was to deliver what we consider an all-terrain watch built on the latest Swiss micro-rotor platform. The movement alone has been an incredible undertaking not to mention that it’s a sub-10mm GMT with 200 meters of water resistance. The micro-adjustment buckle is one of the thinnest and most well engineered clasps on the market today and it alone took nearly 2 years to develop. Add in a platinum rotor, multiple dial colours and straps and I would have to say that we tried our best to appease our community. There are of course some that would like something different or would like some kind of exotic decoration exercise, but we can’t please everyone.

    Our door is always open. I invite you to come by and meet our designers and our engineers in person and share your thoughts on how they could do better.

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  10. I’ve been following this amazing watch on there website, congratulations to the horage team for bringing another brilliant watch to market with an amazing price, they deserve more press for there achievements.

  11. you are wrong, there is no bracelet for this tourbillon…. I’m waiting for my K2 micro rotor and I’m going to buy this one, I tell you that there is no bracelet I don’t know where you get that information from

  12. @Julian Yes, I made a mistake with the bracelet. As Landon mentioned above, there are only the two leather straps. The article has also been corrected. Thanks

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