Haute-Rive is a relatively young, independent watch atelier founded by Stéphane Von Gunten, the former research and development director of Ulysse Nardin, where he filed no fewer than 30 patents. Pretty much one Background. The first watch made under its own brand was the Honoris, and it was an impressive release to say the least. The watch has an impressive power reserve of 1,000 hours. Since then, its design has been refined and the fluted rotating bezel has been replaced with a more discreet one. But now it's time for this spirit animal to reveal his mechanical tricks as Von Gunten presents the Haute-Rive Honoris Meccanica and reveals all of his abilities technical elements dial side.
The length of a watch's power reserve is often determined by compromises. More energy storage means more barrels or longer mainsprings and therefore more space, which is not always compatible with the desire for compactness. Of course, more energy storage also means a more complex movement, often not off the shelf, and therefore a higher final price. Finally, a longer power reserve requires longer mainsprings, which in return for their ability to store more energy, also deliver it less stably (higher torque that decays more quickly), thus affecting the watch's chronometric performance. On the other hand, technical solutions can counteract these problems (constant force, multiple barrels), but at a cost. For this reason, the industry standard for a mechanical wristwatch is 40 to 50 hours of autonomy, although the industry is gradually moving to a 3-day standard.
A longer power reserve offers noticeable practicality and comfort, and 5 to 7 days is not uncommon. But as with anything mechanical, watchmakers take great pride in exceeding these standards, and some have developed watches with exceptionally long power reserves. As listed in this article, several watch manufacturers have managed to go beyond a month. And that includes Haute-Rive and its Honoris model, which features a stunning movement with a 1000-hour power reserve.
The Honoris debuted in 2023 and made this 41-day power reserve possible thanks to an unusual movement concept (not unlike a UN Freak), with a caliber equipped with a single barrel and housing a 3-meter-long mainspring integrated into a 35mm barrel drum machined directly into the mainplate and covering almost the entire back of the watch. Although the watch is wound manually, the outer end of the spring has a sliding rail to prevent excessive tension and protect the mechanism from over-winding.
Given the extreme length and strength of this mainspring, the movement is manually wound by turning the fluted bezel (a classic crown would have been inappropriate) and the watch also features an intelligent function selector (hence the pusher on the side of the case) driven by a column wheel that allows you to set the time via the crown without having to pull it out.
Now there is a new version of the Haute Rive concept, the Honoris Meccanica. Using the same overall design and conception as the first model, it now shows all its mechanical beauty on the dial side. The case, which benefits from the revised bezel of the first models (the fluted bezel was quickly replaced), is made of white gold and measures 42.5mm in diameter, coupled with a surprisingly reasonable thickness of 11.95mm (not something you expect from such a powerful watch). All three versions are worn on a hand-sewn leather strap with a pin buckle.
What changes with the Honoris Meccanica is that the movement is no longer hidden behind a dial, but becomes the dial itself. The three-dimensional architecture reveals a radiant structure at the center of the watch, arranged around the HR monogram. The gears and wheels of the movement, the column wheel and its levers, the keyless operation… all contribute to a more radical and technical look of the watch. Above, floating above this architecture, the blued hands turn over the mechanism. And at 6 o'clock, the minute tourbillon seems to float mysteriously above the dial. Its variable inertia balance beats at a slow frequency of 2.5 Hz.
The Honoris Meccanica comes in three interpretations:
- Rhodium Mechanical Honor – White gold with rhodium-plated micro-blasted main plate and blued hands
- Voluntary Mechanicus of Ruthenium – White gold with ruthenium-coated main plate and blued hands
- Honoris Meccanica Rosso – a stronger version in white gold with a ruthenium-coated main plate, red anodized aluminum ring, micro-blasted, rhodium-plated brass hands and a red bracelet
The Haute-Rive Honoris Meccanica can be ordered directly from the brand, but confidential quantities of around 10 watches are produced per year. The Rosso Edition is a strictly limited series of 8 watches. All versions are available at the same price 158,000 francs (excl. taxes). Further information can be found at www.haute-rive-watches.ch.
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