We at Holthinrichs Watches pursue making objects of beauty above anything else. Timepieces as wearable art. We take inspiration from architecture, and approach our designs as a three dimensional object, a piece of miniature architecture where all components should be integrated and working together. We are heavily inspired by art nouveau, art deco and modernist styles for their extensive and timeless designs. Just like classic architects we follow strict rules for proportions and strive for materialistic honesty by using pure and high quality materials. Clear, elegant lines and specific textures are carefully composed to reach harmony and balance. Our timepieces feature elegant, slender dimensions, strong materialistic expression and an unprecedented level of detail from all perspectives. We make modern classic designs which are intended for classic events, a fine lifestyle and an even more refined taste. Art, for people to wear on their wrist.
Intended for unmistakable recognition all our watches carry a direct implementation of the founder's signature. The makers’ mark. More personal and more unique than just a brand logo. You can find it on the dial, inside the case, on the back of the strap and on our buckle.
All our cases are absolutely unique in the industry and easily recognizable by their smart design and sophisticated integrated details. In our passionate pursuit to create wearable art we move away from the traditional case being a protective container to hold the movement by selectively taking out mass and transforming it into a light and spatial three-dimensional sculpture. At surface level the clean, almost minimalistic lines suggest almost effortless, timeless designs, however, diving into the details you will discover complex joints and sculptural elements that defy your sense for structural logic and makes you wonder how our watches are made. Real beauty has many layers and is not easy to comprehend at first sight.
Sophisticated simplicity is what characterises our dials. They are effective, readable, balanced and clean. Our Signature dial features a carefully composed in which simple and timeless lines are pad-printed onto a heavy grained metal base. Great attention to balanced proportions, strong textures and a pronounced bevel along the sub-seconds dial is all that is needed to create an effective, layered effect and to elevate the powerful design of the whole timepiece.
Our Arabic numeral design is based on the most iconic font in horology: the Breguet numerals introduced by Louis Abraham Breguet. Breguet was besides a genius inventor also the first person in horology to build a brand identity. He created a very clean and recognizable style that broke with the baroque traditions of the time. We let his work inspire us in our version of a Breguet dial design implemented in the Ornament 1 and RAW series. This time also breaking traditions by carving the numerals out of the solid metal of the dial. The result is a monolithic look where the shadows inside the numerals create contrast to guarantee readability.
We introduced the concept of “Horlogerie Brut” for the first time in our brutalistic RAW Ornament series. The concept stands for the use of heavy textural play, material honesty, natural patinas and RAW aesthetics directly derived from the manufacturing processes, combined with contrasting refined manual finishing. The concept showcases our love for durable materials, technology and craftsmanship and it can be found in all our designs.
To make durable timepieces we choose to work with pure materials only. This way we can ensure our designs stay beautiful over a long period of time, or age beautifully in an organic and natural way. For this reason we are limited in our case material offerings and dial colours. You will only find a limited selection of dial colours that are derived from a selection of durable precious metals or natural patinas.
We carefully design the hands of our watches to match perfectly with the sculptural and textural play found in our case and dial models. Our goal is to realise three dimensional designs with clear materialistic expression. We use extra thick material to create a strong presence and allow for big anglage. All hands feature contrasting finishing, like polishing versus etching or brushed textures against a strong hand-polished bevel.
The hands show our love for details by the level of attention put into the proportion relative to our dial designs. The length of the skeletonised hour hand is aligned with the outer ring of the sub-seconds dial, while the opening in the hand is aligned to the inner ring of the seconds markers. The length of the minute hand is proportionally aligned with the chapter ring, and the opening in the minute hand overlaps that of the hour hand.
We love manual work and movement finishing stands at the core of our DNA. A strong three dimensional effect in the movement is achieved by implementing many layers of finishing. The mainplate features an extensive perlage pattern above which the gears stand out with a circular brushed finish. The bridges enhance the multi-layered effect of the movement with their ceramic blasted surfaces enclosed in embossed and brushed edges. These edges feature a maximum size manually applied anglage. Shiny bevels which are fully cut and polished by hand using traditional tools and techniques. Within the anglage we included rounded inward angles as a sign of craftsmanship, because only a skilled hand can make a strong pronounced and curved inward corner. We cut these angles with specifically shaped micro files and finished them with diamond paste applied on locally sourced wood.
