The use of traditional artisan crafts (or métierĭ’arts in French) to decorate watch dials. Industry-standard seals, such as the Geneva Seal or Contrôle Officiel Suisseĭes Chronomètres (COSC) certification, or in-house guarantees like the Patek PhilippeĪnother widespread characteristic of haute horlogerie pieces is Watches to signal superior mechanics or finishing. Many haute horlogerie brands include a special hallmark on their In the pursuit of excellence, haute horlogerie brands indulge in decorating movements even if these movements spend most of their lives hidden behind casebacks. Traditional finishing and decoration techniques include polishing, chamfering, engraving, perlage, guilloché, circular graining, Geneva stripes, and others. Laurent Ferrier knows the game: Tourbillon, Côtes de Genève, perlage and beveling.Īnother defining characteristic of high horology is the finishing and decoration of the watch and movement, customarily done by hand. Alternatively, if they use base movements, these brands greatly modify and decorate the movements to transform it into something they would be proud to put their name on. Numerous haute horlogerie brands proudly develop and build their mechanical movements in-house. While a tourbillon is not strictly a complication (it serves to improve timekeeping precision), it is prevalent in the haute horlogerie space due to its complex construction and whimsical beauty. For instance, calendars, chronographs, multiple time zone displays, power reserve indicators, and repeaters, are all popular watch complications. In watch-speak, a complication is any function beyond time indication. The Romain Gauthier Logical One requires a whopping 90 hours of hand-finishing.įirst and foremost, haute horlogerie watches generally include intricate complications and mechanisms. So, what makes a luxury watch worthy of the haute horlogerie label? Although there is no singular definition, there are certain criteria that are typical of these ultra-high-end watches. When it comes to recognition and prestige, mechanical watches reignĬharacteristics of Haute Horlogerie Watches While it is no secret that quartz watches still outsell mechanical timepieces, Mechanical roots were in the right position to ride the wave back to the top. As a result, watchmakers that stuck to their Towards the end of the 1980s, the tide was turning in favor of Time to differentiate between costly traditional mechanical timepieces and cheaper Label haute horlogerie was coined around this Popularity thanks to their lower price tags and perceived practicality. However, the 1970s and 1980s witnessedīattery-operated quartz watches swiftly take over mechanical watches in Prior to the onset of quartz watches in the late 1960s, all The Quartz Revolution and the Birth of The Haute Horlogerie Designation If you have ever wondered whatĭefines high horology, here is a brief guide to what haute horlogerie Watches are often used interchangeably-but that is largely incorrect and does aĭisservice to what true haute horlogerie represents. Watchmaking” but the label encompasses much more. Theĭirect translation of “haute horlogerie” from French to English is “high To food, haute horlogerie represents the highest standard in watchmaking. Similar to what haute couture is to fashion and haute cuisine is
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