HANDS ON: The Horage Supersede is an indy GMT that overdelivers on expectations

Zach Blass

The watch space has arguably never been more exciting and this is largely due to the rise of independents and microbrands. To permeate through so many established brands, these smaller players know they need to deliver standout timepieces – whether through distinct aesthetics or exceptional value propositions. One independent that has definitely caught the attention of true watch enthusiasts over the years is Horage. During the peak of the emphasis on in-house movements, the Biel-based brand won a lot of attention due to their in-house calibre development, Swiss-made products, and highly customisable offerings. One of their latest movements, the K2 micro-rotor, was revealed alongside the early-bird stages of their Supersede launch. Horage has now entered the next stage of its launch, with exciting updates and refinements for the Supersede.

From a specifications standpoint, there is a lot to like about the Supersede. With international travel back on the agenda, a true GMT watch powered by an in-house micro-rotor calibre has a lot of appeal – especially at this price point.

The case

The stainless-steel case, which is 904L steel in favour of the more standard 316L, is 39.5mm in diameter, a mere 9.85mm thick, and 46.29mm lug-to-lug across the wrist according to their measurements. Personally, I find it wears like a modern Submariner across the wrist – which has a lug to lug of 48mm – and the end-link to end-link length would expand the measurement further. Nonetheless it is highly wearable. What has stood out the most to me from my time wearing it is just how thin its profile is for a sport watch, and the luxurious heft of the 904L steel. As a Rolex owner, the weight feels familiar and exudes that tactile luxury element.

The case, originally pledged to have a 100m depth rating, has been upgraded to 200m of water-resistance – which is secured by a screw-down crown. It is also handsomely finished, primarily brushed on its top and sides with hints of polish on the outer bezel perimeter and lug bevelling. Its faceted geometry has an air of familiarity to it, and could perhaps be compared to watches like the Zenith Defy Classic, but it distinguishes itself through its uni-directional timing bezel with a sort of gold-bar, engine-style knurling. As for the timing scale, there is no insert. The bezel is all metal, with the 0-15 portion of the ring mirror polished and the remainder ever so sunken and frosted.

The dial

At this stage there are five dial colours to explore: a transatlantic blue, a lighter faded atoll blue, a white, a green and a grey. We took a closer look at the transatlantic blue, but each utilise the same layout. At 12’ you have a power-reserve indicator, at 3’ a framed date complication with a black on white disc, and at 9’ a 24-hour indicator tied to the fully skeletonised GMT hand. The central hours and minutes hands are semi-skeletonised, the upper half filled with SuperLuminova® Also in the centre, you have a stick-style central seconds hand with a coloured tip, that at this stage is not luminescent but may be developed down the line. Speaking of luminescence, the facet-cut applied hour indices are also filled with SuperLuminova® as well.

The straps

The Horage Supersede comes with two straps. The first is a 904L stainless-steel bracelet, which integrates into the case and is secured via screws rather than a spring bar. The bracelet continues the lines of the polished lug bevels, with fine bevelling executed on the shoulders of the links. Its three-piece links can be ordered in two forms. One execution, which we have here, is a full brush-finish to each of the three pieces – but it is also available with the broader central links mirror polished. To size the links you will need to know your way around the pin and collar system, a bit of a surprise considering the straps are affixed to the case with screws, but nonetheless the bracelet is definitely solid and robust in build. A highlight of the bracelet is its folding clasp, which incorporates Horage’s proprietary micro-adjustment system. By simply pushing and holding down a trigger on the underside of the clasp, you can finely adjust the length of the bracelet in 1mm increments up to 10mm. Impressively, while this micro-adjustment system is present, the clasp is not bulky and follows the lead of the case in being surprisingly thin. The other strap option is an FKM rubber strap, which is available in multiple colours, for those who want a more casual aesthetic.

The movement

Inside, beneath a sapphire exhibition caseback, you can see the distinctly decorated in-house K2 micro-rotor calibre – with hand-applied Cotes de Geneve and grid-motifed bridges. It’s also a highly technical calibre, with 72 hours of power reserve and a silicon hairspring for resistance against magnetism. It’s accurate, too – COSC certified to run within +6/-4 seconds per day. The micro-rotor allows the movement, and in turn the whole watch, to be thinner, and the component is available in two configurations. The base is a gold-plated tungsten micro-rotor, but for an extra CHF 390 francs during this pre-order stage, you can upgrade to a platinum micro-rotor as seen in our provided sample.

Horage Supersede pricing and availability:

The pre-order window opens August 16 2pm CET and closes August 19 2pm CET. Within this window, the Supersede can be pre-ordered here for a base price of CHF 5,500 or CHF 5,890 with the platinum micro-rotor upgrade. Pricing includes VAT and shipping.