Autark Generation 2 - Watch Release

Today Horage is pleased to announce the second generation Autark.

Autark is the German word for independence and we have further solidified our positioning as an independent watch and movement maker with the move to our new engineering facility. The location backs onto the Taubenlochschlucht gorge located in the Swiss watch mecca Biel/Bienne. The gorge is lush and green in summer with fresh blue Jura mountain water rushing through. In winter the Jura landscape transforms into a cool winter wonderland. This closeness to nature has been a blessing for our team at Horage and has inspired the colour selection for the second generation Autark.

Gorge Blue, Jura Green & Swiss Pearl were the dial colours created and the colours were to be complemented further by texture.

Gorge Blue is inspired by fresh mountain water. The silver brushed dial is reminiscent of the water that rushes by our sister engineering firm THE Plus AG. This brushing also changes the hue of blue to reflect the many pools of still water in the Taubenlochschlucht.

The Taubenlochschlucht gorge is one of countless waterways that adorn the Jura mountain landscape. Jura green is inspired by the budding early spring of the forest. At these times the landscape is coming to life and the leaves of the trees have yet to transform into a deep forest green. A brushed dial was fitting as its structure reminded the us of a densely forested ridge line that shimmered and changed in the light.

Winter is a given in Switzerland and winter is the birth season of the Swiss watch industry, hence the name Swiss Pearl. Swiss Pearl is a fresh crisp snowfall on the Jura landscape. Those familiar with a fresh snowfall, know the surface has a very soft, almost even look with just the slightest hint of texture and we strived to create this with the dial.

Biel/Bienne is where Horage was founded and where we continue to grow its operations today. For years we have looked for a means to directly communicate how Swiss Horage truly is and felt underwhelmed with the standard Swiss Made that adorns most other watches. Biel/Bienne is our home and its the home to some of the best and most prominent watchmakers in Switzerland. To pay homage to the community where we design, engineer and produce our movements and watches we will now include Biel/Bienne on all subsequent generations of our watches.

Community has always been integral to our development and through countless conversation and feedback from supporters like you, we have been listening to what everyone loves about the Autark and the special 10 year edition. Integrating both community insight, retaining key design cues and integrating new details were the key challenges at hand. Independence and the inspiration of colour were clear, however in the end we created two distinct Autark offerings, one in Gorge Blue referenced as Autark Hv and another in Jura Green and Swiss Pearl referenced as Autark T5.

Autark Hv

The Autark Hv, obtains its Hv from “Hardness value”. The hardened titanium case construction made the Autark 10 year stand out from the rest of the crowd and we looked to transition this material into the Gen. 2 Autark. At first glance one immediately sees the correlation to the Autark 10 Year, however we opted for the notched bezel design of the original Gen 1. Autark, albeit with a hardened titanium upgrade.

The bezel geometry has been changed slightly to give a more aggressive look and feel to the watch. The sapphire crystal has been upgraded to provide enhanced clarity and anti-reflective attributes, this gives an almost invisible window to the dial. The Gorge Blue brushed dial is the backdrop to the full spec details of the K1 movement. A big date created by a double disk wheel, small second and 65 hour power reserve indicator as well as diamond cut hands are brought forth from the previous generation. The Horage designed Arabic numerals along with indices at each hour marker and ends of each hand have received a Swiss Super LumiNova upgrade to ensure the absolute best low light legibility. The K1 movement that powers the Autark makes use of a silicon anchor and escape wheel, and this technology is communicated clearly on the dial side of the watch. Case dimension have remained consistent with previous generation Autark, however a screw down crown as found on the Autark 10 Year has been integrated into the Gen. 2 models. The Autark Hv comes fitted with a matching deep blue leather, handmade, made in Switzerland strap, inclusive of Horage's patented deployant buckle.

Autark T5

The Autark T5 comes in both Jura Green and Swiss Pearl. A differences between the Autark T5 and Autark Hv can instantly be recognized, but intrigues one to venture further into the details. Our community has been requesting an interplay of brushed and highly polished surfaces. To achieve this request we decided upon T5 titanium for both case and bracelet construction.

The smooth bezel of the Autark 10 Year appears on the Gen. 2, however it's presented in highly polished grade 5 titanium. Both colour dials have been decorated with appliqués that have been kept an Horage secret from some time and now its their opportunity to shine. A highly polished three sided cut is a new cutting approach inspired by the Horage “H” logo. These appliqués immediately catch ones eye and further draws one into the interplay of polished and brushed surfaces of the Autark T5. To complement the appliqués the diamond cut hands have also received a highly polished finish. Both hands and indices at the top of each appliqué are filled with Swiss Super LumiNova to provide low light legibility. The full spec of the K1 movement of big date created by a double disk wheel, small second and 65 hour power reserve indicator adorn the dial.

The Gen 2. Autark announced in 2020 will be available for pre-order in February 2021 with a retail price of 3500 Swiss francs.

The first 50 pre-ordered will be offered at a very special introductory price with delivery in April 2021.

AUTARK HV SPECS Case: Grade 5 blast hardened titanium | Scratch resistant (hardness level 1100 Hv)

Dimension: Case body 39mm | Thickness 10.05mm | Lug width 22mm | Lug to Lug 43.3mm

Movement: K1 automatic | 3.5Hz / 25,200 VPH | Silicon escapement |65 hour power reserve | 22 Jewels

Functions: Big Date | Power Reserve Indicator | Small Second

Bezel: Notched grade 5 hardened titanium

Dial: Deep silver brushed Gorge Blue | Swiss Super LumiNova luminous Arabic numerals and hour marker indices | Horage logo and Silicon Escapement applied | Biel Bienne at

6 o’clock

Hands: Diamond cut hour and minute hands, ends filled with Swiss Super LumiNova

Crystal: 5 layer anti-reflection sapphire crystal

Case Back: Exhibition sapphire crystal | Engraved “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”

Crown: Screw down | Grade 5 blast hardened titanium

Strap: Swiss handmade blue leather strap

Buckle: U-flex, single fold deployant (pat.pend)

Water resistance: 100m / 10 ATM

AUTARK T5 SPECS

Case: Grade 5 Titanium | Polished and brushed

Dimension: Case body 39mm | Thickness 10.05mm | Lug width 22mm | Lug to Lug 43.3mm

Movement: K1 automatic | 3.5Hz / 25,200 VPH | Silicon escapement | 65 hour power reserve | 22 Jewels

Functions: Big Date | Power Reserve Indicator | Small Second

Bezel: Polished Grade 5 titanium

Dial: Deep silver brushed Jura Green or Swiss Pearl | Polished tri-edge diamond cut appliqués | Swiss Super LumiNova luminous hour marker indices | Horage logo and Silicon Escapement applied | Biel Bienne at 6 o’clock

Hands: Diamond cut hour and minute hands with ends filled with Swiss Super LumiNova

Crystal: 5 layer anti-reflection sapphire crystal

Case Back: Exhibition sapphire crystal | Engraved “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”

Crown: Screw down | Grade 5 titanium

Bracelet: Grade 5 titanium bracelet

Buckle: U-flex, single fold deployant (pat.pend)

Water resistance: 100m / 10 ATM

The birth of a flagship – the Autark – in titanium and with the in-house K1 movement.

In the end of 2014, the first generation of Autark was shown to the world and instantly revealed a design that resonated with watch enthusiasts. Autark was the first watch from Horage to carry our in-house built and designed K1 movement featuring a silicon escapement, with complications such as a big date, small seconds and a power reserve indicator. All of this was wrapped up within a slim, yet technically complex case that was only 10.05mm thick. To achieve these dimensions, the Autark case was designed in a innovative way – for example, foregoing a traditional movement mount, and being made up of only five key parts. This move allowed an unparalleled thinness to be achieved, with the benefit of enhanced ergonomic comfort on the wrist. To further complement the thin low profile case, Grade 5 titanium was chosen as the material that the Autark would come in, with its lightness, strength, hypoallergenic benefits being the ideal cutting edge foundation for the the brand’s premier sports watch.

The first generation Autark was offered with rhodium and carbon dial options with each showcasing different aesthetic possibilities of the overall overall aesthetic. Carbon delivered a dark, sophisticated, yet technical look and feel, while rhodium provided a bright, fresh look that accentuated the complications of the Autark that were visible on the dial.

To commemorate the Autark after five years on the market, Horage released a limited edition version of the watch, the “Autark 10 Years”, a piece that would not only commemorate the 10th year anniversary of the launch of the brand’s in-house K1 movement, but would also seek to incorporate new technologies related to the hardening of titanium. The “Autark 10 Years” featured the signature case of the Autark, but this time in hardened titanium, offering a Vickers Pyramid Number (HV) of up to 1100 Hv, well above the 155 Hv of 316L stainless steel, the typical material that most watches are made of. Utilizing both hardened and grade 5 titanium, these premium alloys would be the staples of the Autark collection to come.