A Swiss Tourbillon for less than $10k
This is the Horage Lensman 1.
To stay as impartial as possible, I’m just going to regurgitate the specs provided on their website (https://www.horage.com/lensman-1). I’m genuinely curious what the community thinks about this watch and whether it is in fact a “Buy” at $9,500 USD.
Dimensions / 41mm diameter, 10.3mm thin, 49mm lug-to-lug, 22mm lug width
Movement / K-TOU hand-wound flying tourbillon, titanium cage at 0.29 grams and 3.4mm thin, anti-magnetic silicon escapement inclusive of anchor, escape wheel and hairspring, chronometer accuracy at -4/+6 seconds per day, 19 jewels, 3.5 Hz (25,200vph), 120+ hour power reserve (5 days), blacked out aesthetic on movement main plate. Blued seconds indicator screw on tourbillon cage.
Case /Grade T5 titanium - hand polished and brushed, laser etched with camera lens aperture on case profile, fixed bezel inspired by camera lens focus ring.
Case back / Exhibition double layer anti-reflective sapphire crystal, engraved with "One's head, one's heart and one eye on the same axis."
Crown / Screw-down Grade 5 titanium with black onyx inset stone.
Dial Crystal / Domed sapphire with multi-layer internal anti-reflective coatings, round cyclops magnifying lens over flying tourbillon aperture at 6 o’clock.
Water resistance / 100 meters.
Dial / Black with black gold applied indices, black Super-LumiNova® luminous inserts, flying tourbillon at 6 o’clock, 60-minute track
Hands / Diamond cut hour and minute hands with Super-LumiNova® luminous inserts
Straps / Black or red stitched hand/Swiss Made calf leather with camera body-inspired texture and Horage's proprietary deployant buckle.
Weight / 44 grams watch only. 64 grams with watch, strap and buckle.
I’m a one-watch collector interested in rising through the ranks of less and less attainable acquisitions! Always trying to learn more about this wonderful and fulfilling hobby.
I think it's brilliant. Lots of good stuff with this timepiece, and we're finally starting to see tourbillons become mainstream. Seagull and PTS Resources are who I thank for this.
Thanks for your thoughts and observations. I think you may be conflating a cheaply made Chinese Tourbillon with what appears to be a decent one a little too much. I’d be willing to wager the Horage will still be running in 10 years; I don’t think many can say that for the Seagull. In addition, you're paying for better materials used, regulation, accuracy, warranty and finishing.
Compared with literally the entire market outside Southeast Asia, I’m having a hard time seeing how the customer is getting swindled here. They appear to have dramatically lowered the entry fee to the Tourbillon world.
I get your points on the Supercede; I personally would not purchase that piece. Too many other watches with those features at that price point. A Tourbillon though? That’s something else.
I own a watch using a Seagull ST8004 movement and it is great. It is not as nicely finished as the $70,000.00 Carl F. Bucherer I recently reviewed but it was 1/100th of the price and it works flawlessly. If China can do it for $500 to $1000 than a Swiss tourbillion shouldn't need to cost more than $2000. I can't wait for China to build a perpetual calendar and a minute repeater and sell them for under $1000.00 each. Switzerland, You can shove that Horage in your porridge.
I am a fan of Horage watches, I have a supersede on order to be delivered in May next year. But, I don't get the need for a Tourbillion on a wrist watch, your wrist is the tourbillion.
I love what the folks at Horage are doing. They are not trying to compete with the Chinese, but rather make exceptional movements, especially the K2, that can be offered at a price that undercuts most other Swiss brands. I would challenge most to find a Swiss made tourbillion or microrotor movement in that range. They exist, but not many. I think the Swiss and Japanese will let the Chinese do their thing until they can prove their movements can hold up and are not complete disposable. Too many of the companies open and shut under new names. Would not dream of getting anything seviced, never mind being dependable.
The thing that really stands out to me about Horage is the fact they are creating these to be used by other brands, I can do nothing but tip my hat for having a higher end alternative to ETA and Sellita. To me, this is their biggest contribution to the industry. All that said, if they make the Supercede in non-monotone colors, I will order it day one.
I am a fan of Horage watches, I have a supersede on order to be delivered in May next year. But, I don't get the need for a Tourbillion on a wrist watch, your wrist is the tourbillion.
They are totally pointless, but I would be lying if I said they did not look cool and let’s be honest, how many of us have spent for that sole purpose? Which color did you get for the Supersede?
They are totally pointless, but I would be lying if I said they did not look cool and let’s be honest, how many of us have spent for that sole purpose? Which color did you get for the Supersede?
Transatlantic Blue.
Transatlantic Blue.
That is right! I think you mentioned it previously. Cannot wait to see pics.
https://youtu.be/un3e1xQx60s
Not exactly on topic, but can anyone tell me why a micro rotor is a big deal to make? I get that you’d have to shift everything around to fit a rotor into an existing movement, but when making a new one, why not just do a micro? If they’re thinner, why aren’t more companies using them?
To the OP, It sounds like a good price for a tourbillion watch made out of titanium fully sourced and made in Switzerland.
heard good things about the people at that company and how much they try to put value into their watches.
Admittedly I’ve never seen or held one.
Beside the claim that a tourbillon is a craftmanship demonstration I never heard any compelling argument on why is it better than a standard escapement movement or what are the benefits to the wearer from having such a watch on his/her wrist.
Nice people, true watch people...the designs are meh for me. I have handled most of them including the one posted here. Agree with @MegaBob, there's something about the hand feel that makes most of them feel like prototypes. Design is subjective, but I find there's not a lot of cohesion in most of their pieces though this one is probably their best to date.