Horage are one of the unsung heroes of the watch world. Plenty of watchmakers will make a lot of noise about developing new movements, perhaps adding a couple more hours of power reserve or throw another certification on top. Or at the top end you have independent maestros making crazy stuff that’s so rarefied so as not to matter to anyone that’s not a Phillips auction regular. Horage on the other hand aren’t just building new movements and obsessively detailed watches to go with them, but have made big strides in making haute horology accessible.
Back in 2020, they made what should have been one of the biggest splashes in the watch industry with the Tourbillon 1, a stunning skeletonised Swiss tourbillon for under £8,000. Even today, where value is ever more important, that’s insane. The next nearest would be Frederique Constant, which is roughly 50% more expensive. The only downside to the Tourbillon 1 was its dial, a skeletonised number that, sure, showed off the groundbreaking K-TOU movement underneath, but wasn’t exactly to everyone’s taste.
That’s why, last year, Horage followed up with the Tourbillon 2 in two much more classical dials, with either a funky blue guilloche or pristine white grand feu enamel. For me, the blue was interesting but neither of them really nailed it. The grand feu especially was just too… unexciting. Horage genuinely try to move the needle of Swiss watchmaking and plain white just doesn’t suit them. Still, at least using precious metal cases did match the kind of chronometric prestige they were aiming for.
Now the Tourbillon 2 is back with a shiny new dial and you don’t need to be an expert in reading the intricacies of the Widmanstätten pattern to know that it’s meteorite. I’m not about to go into the whole spiel about a unique rock millennia old, a real piece of the stars and all that aspirational jazz. I’m just going to say that, as meteorite dialled watches go – of which there have been a few recently – this is the most handsome I’ve come across.
It’s not just a straight dial swap from the previous models either. Horage have removed the power reserve, something I wasn’t a huge fan of anyway, to give that glorious, Thompson structured dial more room to breathe. Uniqueness aside, it’s a cool pattern and you want to see as much of it as possible. That kind of attention to detail’s also pretty par for the course for Horage. The only thing other than the hand-painted numerals interrupting the dial is that six o’clock titanium tourbillon cage. Normally open hearts ruin watches more than make them, but that overtly mechanical look suits the rigid formations of the meteorite perfectly.
Size wise, the Tourbillon 2 measures 41mm across. It’s nearing that goldilocks 40mm sizing, though with the lugs curving into the integrated bracelet, it feels smaller on the wrist. At the same time, the slim bezel allows more dial space, upping the wrist presence beyond what most similarly sized watches can manage. It’s solid, impeccably machined and, while it lacks some of the insanely engineered detailing of Horage’s Autark sports model, is still impressive. Not that many people will pause to check the case when there’s a tourbillon surrounded by meteorite on the front.
That case is available in a trio of metals, the prestige white and yellow gold that come from the previous precious dial versions and stainless steel. For me, it’s all about the steel – which just so happens to be the model we have here. Horage are all about making the exceptional accessible and steel does just that. And while I’d never call a tourbillon practical, not needing to worry about scratches constantly means that I’ll also opt for steel if it’s an option. Plus, I’m a sucker for monochrome. What can I say?
The movement is Horage’s opus, the K-TOU. It’s a hand-wound number with all the bells and whistles: a titanium cage, a silicon escapement and balance spring, and a five-day power reserve. That reserve is achieved with a single barrel, thanks to not just more efficient parts, but a lower frequency of 3.5hz (as opposed to the more common 4hz). Thankfully that lower beat rate hasn’t had an impact on accuracy, as the whole thing runs to -4/+6 seconds a day. In short, Horage have packed a lot into their signature movement which, as it’s what’s come to define them, makes a lot of sense.
That’s also why the K-TOU is one of the coolest-finished movements around. Say what you want about Poincon de Geneve-level engraving and classical guilloche on every surface, a bit of black PVD and a slick grid pattern are all you need to really stand out. That and, of course, an eye-catching price.
The steel version will set you back CHF 13,980, with the white gold and yellow gold raising that to CHF 20,930 and CHF 22,325 respectively. In good old British money, that’s around £12,000, £18,200 and £19,500. That’s exactly the same price as the Grand Feu model from last year, which makes sense. It might not have the same level of hand-made artisanry as fine enamel, but it is still meteorite, innately precious and exceedingly rare. With only 25 meteorite dials being produced, you can be damn sure this won’t be sticking around for long. Very few Horage pieces ever do.
Price and Specs:
More details at Horage.
