The Hautlence Retrovision ’85 can transform from wrist to desk clock
Buffy Acacia- Based on the legendary Japanese toy line, the Hautlence Retrovision ’85 can transform from wristwatch to desk robot.
- Its Calibre D31 uses a wandering display along with a flying tourbillon.
- Its case is 64mm long and 60mm wide when fully folded up, and is made from 3D-printed titanium.
Sometimes, watchmaking is about incredible feats of engineering executed as high art. Sometimes, it’s about recreating the same kind of joy you once got from a Happy Meal toy. On very rare occasions, it’s about both at the same time. Hautlence is a Swiss independent that’s never shied away from daring designs, often tackling high complication watches in remarkably eccentric ways. Now, the Retrovision ’85 takes after a certain Japanese toy best known for its transformations, if you catch my drift. If a transforming wristwatch that costs as much as a house deposit sounds dumb to you, I suppose you lost your whimsy long ago.
The first watch in the Hautlence Retrovision collection was the ’47, taking after an old Bakelite vacuum tube radio, but while that was a beautiful and fun release, it wasn’t something you could actively play with. The Retrovision ’85, however, could totally be a toy, or at least something to fidget with at your desk. The watch itself is pretty much just the central square, forming the body of the robot. The arms and legs, of which the arms are both vertically and horizontally articulated for proper posing, can then tuck in around the case to complete its converted shape.
As a watch, it’s a whopping 64mm by 60mm, so get ready for some wrist overhang. Surprisingly, though, it’s only 11.8mm thick, and it even has 50m of water resistance. Should you fully extend the robot and stand it on your desk as a clock, it’s 96mm tall.
Now, if you want an actual Transformers watch made of plastic with an LCD screen, you can find ’80s examples for under $100… But the Hautlence Retrovision ’85 is a luxury item. The case is made from 3D-printed titanium, giving it that stippled texture and intricate level of detail. Machining a product like this from solid metal would make it far more labour intensive. The gold touches, as seen on the robot’s helmet and little hands, are achieved through PVD coatings. It doesn’t just have any old watch movement slapped inside, either, but rather an in-house wandering display calibre with a flying tourbillon.
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Inside the rotating purple satellites, there are cutouts with blue hour displays surrounded by a rotating wheel, which indicates the minutes. Then, a radar-like swiping wheel acts as the central seconds hand. It’s not exactly an intuitive way to read the time, but it’s cool enough that you shouldn’t care. You can make out the flying tourbillon from the cut-out in the front of the dial, but it’s also visible from the sapphire display caseback, which also shows off an ultra-thin automatic winding rotor. The Calibre D31 has a beat rate of 21,600 vibrations per hour and a power reserve of 72 hours.
Hautlence Retrovision ’85 pricing and availability
The Hautlence Retrovision ’85 is limited to just 8 pieces. Price: on request
| Brand | Hautlence |
| Model | Retrovision ’85 |
| Reference | ED31-TI00 |
| Case Dimensions | 60mm (W) x 11.8mm (T) x 64mm (LTL) in watch mode 70mm (W) x 96mm (H) x 43mm (D) in robot mode with arms out |
| Case material | 3D-printed titanium |
| Water Resistance | 50 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front and back |
| Dial | Titanium with purple satellites |
| Strap | Quick-detachable black rubber strap |
| Movement | Calibre D31, in-house, automatic |
| Power Reserve | 72 hours |
| Functions | Wandering hours, minutes, seconds indicator, flying tourbillon |
| Availability | Limited to 8 pieces |
| Price | On request |