Does the Horage Supersede Have the Most Impressive Spec Sheet of the Year?

Horage is a Swiss watch brand that is quietly pursuing some of the most innovative watchmaking in the enthusiast community. The brand is built behind the idea of community driven projects (they have taken to allowing clients to vote on production details of watches before they are released to the public) and offering a unique value. As an example, they just sold out of their first tourbillon, with a starting price of 7,490 CHF. Naturally, much of this watch could be customized to order, from the case metal, to the finishing, to the base plates. Their ultra modern design isn’t for everyone, but what they’ve accomplished as something of an outsider brand is easy to admire. Their latest watch is more modest than the tourbillon, but not by much, at least when you really dig into the specs and consider what Horage is offering for the money. Let’s take a look at the all new Supersede GMT, with the Horage K2 Calibre.

On paper, the Supersede GMT is the dream of many a watch enthusiast. What we’ve got here is a true GMT complication with an independently adjustable local hours hand, in a case measuring 39.5mm in diameter and just 9.85mm thick, with at least 100 meters of water resistance (testing is ongoing and Horage hopes to certify the finished product at 200 meters resistance). For extra measure, it’s crafted from 904L stainless steel (the stuff used by Rolex) and runs for 72 hours without stopping once it’s fully powered. The escapement is also fully anti-magnetic, featuring a silicon hairspring, escape wheel, and anchor. Oh yeah, and it’s a micro-rotor movement, which is the type of thing a certain type of watch nerd goes crazy for, is genuinely rare these days, and fundamentally is what allows for the ultra slim case dimensions.

The Supersede has an aesthetic that will likely appeal to many existing Horage clients. They have a distinct house style – you can see the design DNA for the Supersede in their Autark line which itself has evolved quite a bit since our review from 2015 to a refresh in January. But the unusual and border line avant-garde design will be a challenge to some. This is an integrated bracelet design that will ultimately have a total of three dial variants (customers are voting on the best from a selection of six). The layout, of course, will be common to all, with a date at 3:00, power reserve at 12:00, and a 24 hour indicator at 9:00. The 24 hour GMT hand is mounted at the center pinion and distinguished by being fully skeletonized. The case is sharp and angular, with its most dramatic feature being a knurled bezel. The bracelet is a three link design, which will feature either brushed or polished center links. Again, this is a design element that has been put up for a vote. 

Flipping the watch over gives you a view of the K2 Calibre, and the vibe here is pure Blade Runner. With a distinctive grid pattern on the movement bridges, it really does look like something out of a science fiction movie, and the futuristic vibe is appropriate given the technology at work here. Like other Horage movements, the K2 is built to be modular. The GMT complication here is just one such module that can be added to the K2, and the brand claims a total of 38 variations can be created on the platform, with or without date displays, small seconds indicators, and so forth. Horage has placed an emphasis on designing the K2 within extremely tight tolerances to achieve the greatest possible efficiency (the 72 hour power reserve comes from a single barrel). The K2 is the product of 12 years of research and development, and represents a significant accomplishment considering Horage, by their own account, does not rely on the designs or components of other movement manufacturers. 

The Horage Supersede GMT will have a pre-order period that begins in November. The early bird pricing is set at 4,500 CHF, with final retail pricing at 6,500 CHF. For more information, check out the Horage website right here.