Introducing: The Lightweight And Refreshing Horage Lensman 1.2

Horage, one of the odd ones out in the watch industry, presents the fourth model in its Lensman series, the Lensman 1.2. It’s another technically exciting offering equipped with an upgraded version of Horage’s K-TOU movement. But one should not ignore the watch’s appearance either. With its white dial and strap, the Lensman 1.2 is also visually beautiful.

In 2021, Horage presented the Lensman 1 and Lensman 1.1, two photography-inspired watch models using its manual-winding K-TOU caliber with a flying tourbillon. While the Lensman 1 was made in a limited run of 200 pieces, the Lensman 1.1 is a more or less equal watch in a different color scheme and produced as a 300-piece edition. The third Lensman model is the Lensman 2. Its cushion-shaped case and Horage’s K2 micro-rotor automatic movement make it an entirely different watch than the first two. And now there’s the Lensman 1.2. It’s the fourth Horage Lensman but the third version of the Lensman 1. For those interested in Horage’s history and further achievements, I recommend our “Ins And Outs Of Horage” article.

Horage Lensman 1.2

Horage has a reputation for exciting technical achievements. So let me start with the caliber of the new Lensman 1.2, Horage’s in-house, upgraded K-TOU manual-winding flying tourbillon. Mentioning “in-house” here is redundant as Horage develops and produces all its calibers in-house. K-TOU was Horage’s second proprietary movement. Introduced in 2020, it was first fitted into the Horage Tourbillon 1. In 2021, the Lensman 1 and Lensman 1.1 got an upgraded version of this caliber. Then, in January 2024, Horage equipped its Tourbillon 2 model with a K-TOU movement enhanced with a power reserve indicator. The Lensman 1.2 also gets the updated K-TOU caliber sporting a silicon hairspring but not the version with a power reserve indicator.

What are the updates to the K-TOU movement?

Like Horage’s other calibers, K-TOU was developed for different configurations. It uses a modular approach but without stacking different modules on top of each other. Compared to the Tourbillon 1, the K-TOU caliber has been updated for the Lensman 1, 1.1, and now 1.2. As you may know, Horage pioneered the use of silicon movement parts. The brand doesn’t simply produce existing metal parts in silicon but produces differently designed parts to fully utilize silicon’s properties and advantages. The first K-TOU version used a silicon escapement and anchor. The updated version boasts a silicon hairspring and some refinements to components to improve efficiency and user enjoyment. Horage moved the previously offset mainspring to a central position and revised the gearing for the hand-winding mechanism to make it lighter and easier to wind. Fully wound, this caliber offers a power reserve of five days, and the accuracy meets chronometer standards.

The dial

Here’s something more directly visible than the modifications mentioned in the movement parts — the white dial. Its applied indices are polished rhodium filled with white Super-LumiNova X1. They sit on a textured ring that breaks up the smooth center. A detailed minute/seconds track has dark silver Arabic numerals on the perimeter with a red “60” at 12. The open-worked hour and minute hands are also silver. Of course, the show’s star is the titanium flying tourbillon at 6 o’clock, enhanced by a lens that magnifies the details. The Lensman 1.2 is clearly showing its ancestry. Its dial structure, index shape, and hands align with the Lensman 1 and Lensman 1.1.

Grade 5 titanium casing

Horage’s Lensman 1.2 case measures 41mm across and 49mm long. It’s made of lightweight Grade 5 titanium and works well with the white dial. It resembles the combination of the silver-chrome Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 lens on the white Leica M9-P. The engravings on the case sides are inspired by the Summilux aperture ring, as is the focusing ring-type knurling on the (fixed) bezel. You’ll find a black onyx insert in the screw-down crown, while the sapphire-equipped exhibition case back displays the updated generation of Horage’s hand-wound K-TOU tourbillon caliber. The front of the case sports a domed sapphire crystal with several layers of an internal antireflective coating. Furthermore, the watch is water resistant to 100 meters and weighs only 44 grams without the strap.

A summer-suitable strap

Unlike the Lensman 1 and 1.1 models, which both had leather straps, the new Lensman 1.2 will have a white Swiss-made rubber strap with a black underside. It’ll have a weave texture that nicely complements the white dial and adds to the seasonal vibe. This strap is a comfortable choice for warmer weather when outdoor activities and water and sweat are common. The strap is fitted to Horage’s proprietary deployant clasp, bringing the watch’s weight up to just 64 grams altogether. It also comes complete with quick-release pins, allowing easy strap changes. So, while the white-dial Lensman 1.2 has a spring/summer vibe, it would also work with a more toned-down strap anytime.

Summer is coming

With summer approaching, lighter colors become more attractive. Light-colored watch dials are more common this time of year, and the Lensman 1.2 dial fits in perfectly. But Horage didn’t want to depart from the camera theme as, in the end, the Lensman 1.2 is part of the photography-inspired series. Specific cameras, such as the Leica M10-P White Edition, inspired the white dial, which is also the perfect hue for the warmer months. However, attention is necessary here. From May 28th, 2024, initial stock will be available for immediate delivery. Horage will deliver further orders from August 2024 onwards. It’s good that, as mentioned, other strap colors and material options are available for those unable to take delivery before summer. Horage has set the Lensman 1.2’s price at CHF 9,990, including taxes, duties, and shipping. You can find information on how to order the Lensman 1.2 on the Horage website.

What is your opinion about the Lensman 1.2? Is white the color (or shade) you’d choose for this technical masterpiece? Please leave your thoughts in the comments below.