It’s hard to believe, but Holthinrichs celebrates their tenth anniversary this year. It was ten years ago when brand founder Michiel Holthinrichs was completing his graduation project in architecture, that soon-to-be client found him online and requested a watch commission for his upcoming wedding. The watch Michiel would make eventually became the first production Holthinrichs, the Ornament 1, and the brand was off to the races.
That first watch was powered by a Peseux 7001, one of the most tried and true manually wound calibers ever made. It’s a true workhorse and has been adopted by brands large and small for years, and someday when the history of the microbrand is written, the Peseux 7001 will almost certainly have its own dedicated chapter. Its calling card, in addition to its slender profile which allows for great flexibility in design, is the placement of a small seconds hand at the 6:00 position, a design element that serves as the inspiration for the new Signature LAB 1.S, one of two limited editions launched this week to celebrate ten years of Holthinrichs Watches.
The Signature LAB 1.S follows last year’s Ornament LAB 1.24, which remains one of the most exciting watches I’ve ever reviewed for the website. There are a lot of things about that watch that are special, but chief among them is the beautiful 3D printed titanium case. Holthinrichs has been a real leader in 3D printing within the watch industry over the last decade, and this case design reflects ten years of trial and error and, I’m sure, many lessons learned. The new LAB 1.S uses the same 38.5mm design with lug geometry that would simply be impossible using traditional manufacturing methods. It’s also impeccably finished by hand, retaining just enough of the tell-tale manufacturing signatures of 3D printing (part of the brand’s Horlogerie Brut design philosophy) to remind you that what you’re wearing is incredibly unique, while still exhibiting many of the hallmarks of traditional watchmaking.
The dial of the LAB 1.S uses a copper oxide patina process that Holthinrichs has employed before in various ways, here claiming that it is perhaps the most expressive relief dial they have ever created. The copper is patinated to a distinctive shade of green, and then the team goes to work on altering it physically through hand carving its surface to create depth and unexpected color combinations. For these dials, carved lines radiate from the 6:00 subdial at various depths, with deeper carvings exhibiting tones of blue and shallower carved surfaces showing up as brown-green. Because this is all done by hand, no two dials will be exactly the same, but you can expect all of them to be impressively intricate and visually interesting.
In addition to the LAB 1.S, Holthinrichs is also introducing Signature LAB 1.GMT. As the name implies, this is a GMT equipped watch, showcasing the same manufacturing and artisanal techniques that we find in the LAB 1.S. The relief pattern here is actually quite a bit more complex than that of the LAB 1.S, as a globe motif has been executed on the dial surface through the use of a micro-brush to remove just the right amount of patina to create the desired effect. A 24 hour scale in the interior section of the dial features Breguet style numerals with contrasting brushed finishing.
The case is identical for both pieces, and in addition to the very forgiving 38.5mm diameter, measures just 9.85mm tall, including the domed crystal, and 46mm lug to lug. This is a very easy case to wear, large enough to properly show off the fantastic lines, but small enough to be completely comfortable on a variety of wrist sizes. Both watches run on Sellita movements, the SW330 for the GMT and the SW360 for the three-hander.
The LAB 1.S and the LAB.GMT are both limited editions of 100 pieces. The retail price for the 1.S is set at €5,900, and the 1.GMT is €6,500. Holthinrichs
