Fergus Nash
Despite the tourbillon’s prestige, watches equipped with a tourbillon often exude an air of pretentiousness, as if the complication alone embodies the pinnacle of horology. For watch lovers who prefer something more substantial, the Horage Lensman 1 is a masterful blend of horological importance and a true passion for film photography. Inspired by mechanical cameras, the Horage Lensman 1 is clearly crafted with love, and it comes without the burden of a mortgage.
Incident
Depending on the angle from which you first view the Horage Lensman 1, you might think it has a fluted or coin-edged bezel like a dive watch. In fact, it’s designed to look like the manual focus of a camera lens, with a slight gap between the bezel and the lugs to ensure an uninterrupted design. The side of the case is engraved with numerals in the style of the f/0.95 aperture rings found on the world’s brightest lenses. The crown, nicely machined with a thick, easy-to-grip pattern, is set with an onyx stone reminiscent of a shutter release button.
If you notice that the polished surfaces of the Horage Lensman 1 are slightly darker than usual, that’s because the entire case is made from grade 5 titanium. This alloy can be polished to a beautiful shine, but also very finely brushed, as can be seen on the lugs and sides of the case. The lightweight properties of titanium are also welcome, and at 41mm in diameter, 10.3mm thick, and 49mm from lug to lug, it completes a well-sized package that strikes the right balance between comfort and wrist presence. One of the most surprising details is the water resistance to 100m, which means that just change the strap and your tourbillon is ready to swim.
Dial
Despite being relatively minimalist, the Horage Lensman 1’s dial offers plenty to interpret. Black and silver have been a staple color combination for film cameras since the technology was born, and additional touches are added here to respect the trend of making certain components black. The trapezoidal hour markers, nestled between the sector-shaped outer layers, are easy to read thanks to their silvery outline, but are filled with black Super-LumiNova that glows green in the dark. The fencepost hands are slightly skeletonized and stepped, giving them a clinical, modern look.
The most striking feature of the dial is the polished tourbillon cage at 6 o’clock and the huge magnifying glass above it. The magnifying glass, which, like the rest of the crystal, is anti-reflective coated, helps to closely examine the fine workmanship of this engineering feat, and is reminiscent of a domed camera lens, a feeling not always apparent from a regular domed crystal. The blued screw and blued silicone part that indicate the seconds are eye-catching against the dark grey of the dial.
strap
Leather accessories have been paired with film cameras for longer than wristwatches have been around, but there’s only been one style of leather to use for the Horage Lensman 1. Nearly every 35mm rangefinder camera in existence today is covered with a black grained calfskin body grip, and this translates nicely into the watch strap. The black exterior is paired with a lighter, softer brown interior, and the side stitching is available in your choice of red or black. The fastening is a Horage deployment buckle, expertly machined for comfort and ease of adjustment.
motion
Powering the Horage Lensman 1 is a tourbillon movement developed in-house by an independent brand, something very rare. But the Horage K-TOU caliber not only lives up to its rarity, it also has the world’s lightest tourbillon cage at 0.29 grams. As you can see from the close-up, it uses a German-made silicon escapement, including the anchor, escape wheel and hairspring. These are the only parts manufactured outside of the Horage manufacturing facility in Switzerland. This makes it anti-magnetic and gives it a chronometer accuracy of -4~+6 seconds per day.
The single mainspring barrel, with a relatively slow frequency of 3.5Hz, provides a long power reserve of 5 days. Visible through the sapphire display caseback, the K-TOU features a black PVD coating with alternating brushed and blasted finishes. The Horage logo and a stylized H pattern are also visible. Around the caseback is a quote from French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson: “A man’s head, a man’s heart and a single eye are on the same axis.”
Pricing and availability of the Horage Lensman 1:
The Horage Lensman 1 is available now from the company’s website. hereMade to order, delivery is scheduled to start in April/May 2023. Price: CHF 8,890
Brand Horage Model Lensman 1 Case size 41mm (D) x 10.3mm (H) x 49mm (L2L), lug width 20mm Case material Grade 5 titanium Water resistance 100 meters Dial Black, oversized Cyclops at 6 o’clock Crystal Sapphire Strap Black leather, red or black stitching Movement Horage in-house K-TOU calibre Power reserve 5 days Functions Tourbillon, hours, minutes Availability Made to order, shipping from April/May 2023 Price CHF 8,890
