Horage hopes to help independent watchmakers produce watches priced at around $2,500 using advanced components that are normally found in watches costing two-to-three-times as much.
The Bien-based engineering firm has introduced the K3 Caliber, a super-slim automatic movement.
It is the fifth in house movement made by the company in its comparatively brief 15-year history, and uses silicon for its escapement’s pallet fork, balance wheel and hairspring.
The use of silicon makes the movement lighter and more efficient, allowing it to keep running for four days without needing to be wound.
Silicon is also resistant to corrosion and unaffected by magnetic forces that are all around us and can impact the accuracy of a mechanical timepiece.
Horage is making the K3 available to other watch manufacturers, but has also used the COSC-certified automatic movement in a new DecaFlux watch that bears an uncanny resemblance to Rolex’s discontinued Milgauss.
The Milgauss was launched in 1954 as a watch able to resist magnetic fields of up to 1,000 gauss, which made it a favorite among scientists working in research facilities like CERN in Geneva.
It was discontinued in 2023 despite being a cult classic thanks to its lightening-shaped seconds hand.
Horage has designed its lightening bolt hand in blue and red, like polar opposite ends of a bar magnet, making an instant impression on traditional dials in black or sunray blue and reminding any DecaFlux owner of the anti-magnetic properties of its movement.
DecaFlux three-handers come in 40mm x 9.98mm steel cases with integrated bracelets.
Launching on March 20, the watches can be bought for CHF 2,500 until the end of March 24. Thereafter, the full price of CHF 2,750, including taxes, will be charged.