Hautlence

Hautlence was first established in 2004 by co-founders Renaud de Retz and Guillaume Tetu, who had previous experience working within more prominent established brands, including Longines and Jaeger-LeCoultre.

In 2009, de Retz departed the company, leading to its subsequent acquisition by the Meylan family in 2012. Under current management, Hautlence has remained true to its original ethos of challenging established norms in watchmaking: crafting small runs of complex watches pitched at an elevated price segment.

Named for an anagram of the word “Neuchâtel” (an oblique reference to the “birthplace” of Swiss watchmaking), Hautlence is a watchmaker favored by collectors who have a penchant for avant-garde shapes and innovative mechanical solutions.

The brand is most recognizable for its large TV-shaped designs like the HL2: a shaped watch where the entire movement is visible, regulated by an escapement that turns on its access every 60 minutes. Watches are crafted using in-house calibers in La Chaux-de-Fonds.

Since 2012, Hautlence has been a subsidiary of MELB Holding: owner and distributor of another much-loved indie brand, H. Moser & Cie.

Vagabonde x Black Badger, Linear Series 1, HL Sphere 01, Vagabonde Series 4