HAUTLENCE and Eric Cantona merge minds to craft the VORTEX PRIMARY
A repeat to a successful partnership, independent Swiss watchmaker HAUTLENCE and football star Eric Cantona collaborate for the creation of the exceptional VORTEX PRIMARY
In conjunction with its participation at the inaugural Carré des Horlogers of the prestigious Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH), the contemporary watchmaker HAUTLENCE revealed the remarkable multi-coloured and three-dimensional VORTEX PRIMARY – an innovative timepiece that sealed a new collaboration with its dynamic ambassador, the ex-footballer Eric Cantona.
The VORTEX PRIMARY is built on HAUTLENCE’s second Concept d’Exception, the VORTEX, introduced in July 2015. This new timepiece features the same spectacular mechanism while flaunting a whole new look made out of coloured glass structures, turning it into an astonishing creation.
Inspired by post-modern architecture and deconstructivism, the three-dimensional case of the VORTEX PRIMARY showcases facetted structures embellished with coloured glass that allow a view of the complex movement from all sides. Recalling the splendour of stained glass windows, this state-of-the-art case is crafted out of black PVD-coated grade 5 titanium and highlights a total of 19 different coloured glass panels, creating an eye-catching mosaic of shades.
HAUTLENCE and Cantona chose a mix of materials in primary colours to create this vibrant design, which includes five transparent sapphire crystals, two semi-transparent sapphire crystals, four red ruby glass panels, five blue spinel glass panels and three yellow corundum glass panels. These windows reveal parts of the impressive movement from all sides of the case and let light through to focus on the mechanism. Besides its creative design, the case also weighs a remarkable 48 grams, making the timepiece both attractive and comfortable to wear.
In addition to its colourful exterior, the VORTEX PRIMARY stands out from the rest of the collection thanks to its lack of a dial. The retrograde minutes are placed directly on the sapphire crystal of the case, with the half-trailing hours indicated through HAUTLENCE’s signature jumping hour chain system that advances as time passes by. A power reserve indicator is portrayed in red at three o’ clock, while the movement’s regulating organ is on full display at six o’ clock as it rotates 60 degrees every 60 minutes. Such a dynamic design gives the timepiece a new look every hour.
Powering the VORTEX PRIMARY is the same movement as the VORTEX, a reinterpreted and redesigned version of the innovative in-house automatic calibre HL2.0 presented in the first Concept d’Exception in 2010. Angled at 90 degrees, the new in-house automatic calibre HLR2.0 is protected by three HAUTLENCE patents. The first patent pertains to the 12-link chain of the half-trailing hours, which smoothly turns in 3 to 4 seconds every 60 minutes to display the hour. The second patent relates to the regulating organ integrated into the mobile bridge-type movement. The third patent is linked to the operation of the movement’s two barrels.
The VORTEX PRIMARY is available with six interchangeable straps that come in a choice of black Louisiana alligator leather or five different coloured rubber straps, each fitted with a folding clasp in grade 2 titanium with a satin-finish steel plate.
Limited to 18 exclusive pieces, the VORTEX PRIMARY follows the INVICTUS Morphos, the HAUTLENCE’s first chronograph co-designed with Cantona in 2014.
