Lensman 1.1 Flying Tourbillon & More

Our community is leading the charge in horology when it comes to embracing new projects focused on innovative approaches to watchmaking that deliver incredible value. The Lensman series is the prime example of this given the continued interest in Lensman 1 and the new addition to the series Lensman 2.

We, like you, are never ones to follow trends, rather we look to our team, our interests and most importantly you, the customer, to see what newness we can bring to the world of watchmaking. Both watchmaking and photography have mechanics at their core that spark one’s fascination in both visual and tactile ways. Whether it be winding a watch, pressing the shutter button of a camera or setting the time and setting the exposure on your camera there is a human connection and this connection breeds fascination.

The more we speak about the Lensman series the more the minutia of the project becomes clear and interest increases.

Lensman 1 was the first in the Lensman series that many of you supported. For some, it was viewed as a niche segment of tourbillons, but we are now seeing that many understood the direction out of the gate with more coming onboard asking for a second version of this watch.

We took some time to look at what could be done with a second version of the watch and of course asked you, our community if you would like to see Lensman 1 available again. All in all, over 80% of the community voted in favour of a new version of Lensman 1.

Lensman 1.1

The aesthetic of Lensman 1 is very specific with all items of the watch carefully thought out. Therefore, for Lensman 1.1 we would need to stay very close to the design language of Lensman 1 whilst providing a visual difference between the two watches.

For the Lensman 1.1 tourbillon, we have added the iconic red colour of the photography world to the dial and indices of the timepiece. Filled with red luminous, a red 60-minute marker and a reworked strap with a red underside, the Lensman 1.1 clearly differentiates from the first edition albeit with a more extensive production run of 299 pieces. Lensman 1.1 will continue where Lensman 1 left off with case numbers ranging from 201 - 500.

Utilizing red Swiss Super LumiNova® would be a new colour lume for Horage. The colour is deep both in daylight and in subdued light when the luminous glows a deep dark green. Legibility is heightened given the use of a white lume that glows bright green on the hour and minute hand which contrasts nicely against the darker glow of the indices. The dial is ever-changing and eye-catching thanks to the black gold appliques that transition from deep black to a bright polished look depending on the direction of light. A subtle red indication at the 60-minute mark provides immediate reference and visual balance between 12 o’clock and the whirling titanium flying tourbillon at 6 o’clock.

The K-TOU Swiss Made titanium flying tourbillon movement specs remain unchanged from Lensman 1.

The Movement

Engineered to be incredibly light and efficient the K-TOU calibre incorporates our proprietary silicon escapement technology inclusive of an escape wheel, anchor and hairspring. With over 120 hours/5 days of run time, the power reserve is incredibly impressive from a single barrel movement. K-TOU is not only very efficient, but it’s also very precise and reaches chronometer level accuracy of -4/+6 seconds per day. With 86,400 seconds in a day, the accuracy achieved within a day is between 99.995% and 99.993%.

The K-TOU calibre is developed to take the knocks of everyday wear. The basic standard test for any watch is to withstand 5000G’s of force and that is achieved by essentially swinging a large pendulum hammer directly at the face of the watch. Many market this as something new, but it’s standard and we will show this test in a future post to provide clarity.

What is special about the K-TOU calibre is that it utilizes a ball-bearing construction which is far more stable than a jewel and pinion construction due to the impact load being distributed across a greater surface area. You should be able to wear your tourbillon just like any other sports watch and the ball bearing construction of the cage helped us achieve this.

There is even more to the everyday reliability of the watch. As a recap, the K-TOU calibre is hand wound that incorporates an automatic barrel which means you do not have to worry about overwinding the watch. Thanks to our engineers looking to incorporate the latest in movement developments we added a screw-down crown that safeguards the crown from any bumps when swimming. Not only does it help ensure Lensman 1.1 reaches 100 meters of water resistance it also adds to the tactile feel of the watch, quite a rare bonus for hand-wound watches.

As with Tourbillon 1, Benson Ko, a Horage ambassador, put Lensman 1 to the test last week by taking it on at triathlon with him. Again, the K-TOU calibre survived the combined 113 Kilometers of swimming, running and cycling. Currently, we are working on a video recap of that and will share all the details with you later.

The second tourbillon in a triathlon that we know of. Both triathlons were completed by Benson Ko.

The Strap

The final update to the Lensman 1.1 was to create a strap that visually aligned with the red indices of the watch. On the surface, the deep black leather creates a unified look with the dial. When one looks at the side of the strap or opens the strap completely the beautiful deep red underside can be seen. The Horage proprietary deployant clasp comes with the strap and for those that wish to have a strap from Lensman 1, you can purchase additional ones at checkout.

Purchasing Both Lensman Series Watches

Many requested in our forum to have the option to make a box set and purchase both Lensman 1 or Lensman 1.1 along with Lensman 2. We have looked at how to make this a possibility for new customers and to honour returning Lensman 1 customers.

New Lensman 1.1 and Lensman 2 Box Set Customers

This box set is for customers who wish to have both watches but missed out on the Lensman 1 pre-order. Included will be both the Lensman 1.1 and Lensman 2 of your choice. Please note there will be a few different variations of Lensman 2 for you to choose from. By purchasing both watches you will receive a reduced price on the combined total.

Return Lensman 1 and New Lensman 2 Box Set Customers

This is for customers who have already purchased Lensman 1 and are purchasing Lensman 2 to round out their series. All Lensman 1 customers will be emailed an incentive code to purchase Lensman 2 at a reduced price. Simply enter that code at checkout. Whenever possible we look at ways to provide value to our early supporters.

The Book

As some of you recall we offered a book with to all Lensman 1 customers. This book has now completed printing and is ready to ship with Lensman 1 orders.

Having worked on many catalogue and magazine projects in the past I thought it would be fun to tackle a book project. All I can say is that I am happy it's in print now 😅. We have a talented team spread across the globe and without them, it would not be possible. Many thanks to Leon Otieno our graphics guy in Vienna for the beautiful layout and Dan Oswald in Bavaria for making the final preparation for print. Supporting me on the photography and text side of things was Kevin Lo in Taipei. Additional historical photos from the Horage archive were provided by Biel/Bienee-based Tyler Rosso. Thanks as well to Erik Slaven in the USA David Sharp in Scotland for support with editing the text.

The books recently arrived and aside from the team showing me images of the book I too have yet to get my hands on it.

Changing from Lensman 1 to Lensman 1.1

We understand that seeing the Lensman 1.1 might have some of you wish to change your initial Lensman 1 order to Lensman 1.1. Please note that we will accommodate this however the production of your watch will ship to align with the delivery schedule of Lensman 1.1 which will take place in Q4 of 2023. Additionally, the case back number will be changed and will reflect the higher case back numbers allocated for the Lensman 1.1 series. If you would still like to change then please email us by May 8th at lostintime@horage.com .

For our loyal Lensman 1 customers wishing to change their orders please note we are nearing completion of the first Lensman 1’s. Therefore please let us know if you wish to change your order as soon as possible.

Share your thoughts on Lensman 1.1 in the comments. More on Lensman 2 later this week and if you missed it be sure to check out last week’s live stream with Lensman 2 partner Brian Griffin.

Till next time…

Landon Stirling