We’re at it again. Even though the beginning of Spring is just a few days past, HORAGE is up to its usual tricks: no this is not another April fool’s joke, we really do have a new timepiece in the pipeline.  

And not just any old timepiece! This spring we can present (please imagine a trumpet fanfare): Relik Tourbillon 3 Skeleton. Not only the next chapter in our ongoing series of elegant hand-wound Tourbillon models, but simultaneously the first step into a brave new (yet somehow old) world…but more on that later. 

First of all: Why? Well, we could reply to an obvious question with an equally obvious answer: Why not!? We’re all suckers for shiny new things after all. But the more honest answer is because we had to. HORAGE is built on core principles and one of the most important of these is transparency. We are accessible to our customers and we value their feedback. This is not just some clichéd corporate talk. Why wouldn’t we react to the invaluable insights of the global watch fans? By nurturing a revolving door of intel with our community, we get a constant hands-on feedback loop. Of course this has limitations: we can’t react to every specific wish, but when you are asked for something again-and-again, not reacting would be a bit, weird. 

What is it that you kept demanding: Smaller Tourbillons! We are a global brand based in Europe and it can be easy to forget that not everyone shares the ever-increasing physique of the average European male (FYI- 183 cm / 71kg – you’re welcome). Yes, High-end mechanical watches are sadly still predominantly the domain of men (we’re happy this is changing, but unhappy with the glacial pace of this change). Men have a habit of valuing things based on top-line values: a V8 powered sports car is better than V6, a 30 MP full frame camera is better than 20 MP APS model, 36,000 VPH watches are better than 28,000….you get the picture. 

So, in a world where products are constantly shrinking whilst simultaneously becoming more expensive, it’s quite unusual – refreshing even, to be asked for less! And once we’d built prototypes and experienced ‘wrists-on’ how completely different a 38mm case looks - and feels, we were smitten. Somebody might even have said  
“Why didn’t we think of this before.”   
 

We’ve discussed gender stereotypes, it’s time for another tricky topic: prices.  
A further pillar of the ‘School of HORAGE’ is the ambition to offer honest pricing. We were determined to keep Tourbillon 3’s price as close as possible to our original Tourbillon 1 from 2020. In the last 6 years global inflation has raged around the world like a bushfire: the G7 average is at +20%. Even our highly qualified team cannot relieve the inflationary pressures caused by conflict, pandemics and the cognitive effects brought on by prolonged exposure to fake tanning products.  

Still, we are thrilled, that the final (i.e. retail price after early bird offers have elapsed) of Tourbillon 3 will be very close to our first venture into the world of mechanical whirlwinds. You’ll have to check out our shop to see actual numbers. 

We alluded to ‘old’ stuff earlier, and the eagled eyed amongst you may have spotted the suffix relik. What the heck is that about? Relik signifies a new adventure for HORAGE, a new collection of timepieces which honour and celebrate the traditions and crafts of watchmaking. Each piece in the Relik collections will share a common case design but will celebrate its own complication. There is no timeline or rulebook limiting what can or should be a Relik piece: suffice to say we will be embracing a newly acknowledged wisdom - that HORAGE can be emotional and empirical, romantic and rational, technological and traditional.  

Yep, we’ve eaten humble pie twice in one forum post – don’t get used to it. 

Check out more HERE