TimeTexas Review - Holthinrichs Raw Ornament

[TimeTexas]

Holthinrichs Raw Ornament Review

 

Case: 3D Printed Stainless Steel

Case Diameter: 38mm

Case Height: 9.8mm

Lug Width: 20mm

Dial: White Rhodium/Blue Pad Printing

Movement: RW-01 (Modified and decorated Peseux 7001)

 

My journey into independent watchmaking happened quickly. After buying my "grail" - a Glashütte Original Seventies, I realized I had no real interest in larger production luxury brand watches. Having something that was rare, knowing I wouldn't likely see it anywhere else was appealing. My own little secret. And maybe that of a few other watch nerds.

 

And so began the descent into even more limited production watches and that's where I stumbled across a Swiss Watch Gang interview with Michiel Holthinrichs, talking about his inspiration and the new release, the Holthinrichs Raw Bronze. It was unlike anything I'd ever seen and I was taken and so I started doing more research about the brand and their watches.

 

A few months later, I reached out to Holthinrichs, inquiring about the availability of the Raw Bronze. It wasn't currently available, but they did have a Raw Ornament White Rhodium dial available. And then things got interesting. I really did like the watch, but wasn't sure about the blue pad printing, so I asked if there might be another option. During the back and forth discussing potential options, Holthinrichs mentioned that a question I had about a rust colored printing on the dial had inspired them and they wanted to have a Zoom. Michiel and Damaien spent two (2) hours mostly just chatting with me on a Zoom, talking about the inspiration behind the company, the rust idea, and even took me on a virtual tour around the Atelier and showing me what they were working on (an uncompleted version of what would become the Liminality). 

 

And I was hooked. Here was an extremely talented watchmaker taking a couple hours out of his busy schedule, to just talk watches and ideas with me. And that's when I fully realized how much I had been missing. Sure I loved watches and the personal connection between me and the watch and the experiences I had while wearing it. But hearing the passion, understanding the inspiration and the vision of the watchmaker was a completely different level. It created an even more emotional connection with a timepiece I hadn't even seen in person yet.

 

Holhinrichs describes the Raw Ornament as Horology Brut, inspired by architecture (Béton Brut or Raw Concrete). The concept is basically to showcase the raw materials, typically concrete, in their untreated or unfinished state. In making the Ornament 1, Holthinrichs would 3D print the cases using stainless steel or other materials, and then polish the case to a high finish. With the Raw Ornament series, only parts of the case and lugs are polished, leaving the rest unpolished, creating a "rough" look. The unpolished areas do appear rough, but in actuality are relatively smooth. Not polished, but not rough to the touch.

 

As far as the watch, the Raw texture of the stainless steel is similar to that of concrete, somewhat matte, giving the watch an overall muted appearance. But in my opinion, it makes the polished, stepped edges of the lugs that much more dramatic. And the lugs are dramatic, long and flowing, with a small gap running between the inside and the outside before reconnecting where the springbar is inserted into the case. The lugs are truly a work of art and are truly unique. They are beautiful on the Ornament 1, where they are fully polished, but on the Raw Ornament, the contrast makes them even more of a standout. Despite the beauty of the rest of the watch, the lugs remain my favorite feature.

 

The rehaut and the crown both contain polished elements which also provide additional contrast withe rehaut lighting up in the light to highlight the dial when the light hits at certain angles. The dial itself, made of white rhodium, is a prefect complement to the Raw Ornament. A somewhat understated silver/gray, the dial itself is extremely dynamic in the light. From afar, the dial appears as a nice consistent, gray, sometimes matte finish, but on closer inspection, the incredible variation in the white rhodium can be seen. It gives the appearance of texture, without being textured. Just millions of variations in light and dark that make the dial glitter in the sunlight. A visual feast for the eyes that keeps you checking the watch every time the light changes, just to see what it looks like. 

 

The dial has a dark blue pad-printed minute track, the Holthinrichs signature logo at the 12, and a small Made in Delft just below the subseconds at the 6. The hands are hand crafted and filled with a beautiful blue-aqua lume that glows bright but doesn't last particularly long. This isn't a sports watch, per se, so the lume is not a necessity and more than adequate for the timepiece. The subseconds, is recessed into the dial and contains a small railroad-style hour track. It blends into the dial easily and the polished bezel on the recess is another light-catching element. An acrylic crystal covers the dial, likely to provide an element of warmth to the aesthetic over a sapphire crystal. The crown is small, signed with a Holthinrichs signature H, and has a unique design likely only possible with 3D printing. My only complaint about the watch is that with my larger fingers, the crown can slightly difficult to wind. And the acrylic crystal could be more susceptible to scratches/marks than a typical sapphire crystal. That said, I think both the crown and the crystal are the correct choices and enhance the character of the watch.

 

A sapphire crystal caseback provides a view of the beautifully decorated movement. The HW-R01 hand-wound  movement is based on the Peseux 7001. The finishing is very good and the movement is wonderful to look at.

 

At under 10mm thick, even with the slightly domed crystal, the watch wears close to the wrist. The crystal on the caseback is actually recessed so there is no hidden height added as with other protruding casebacks. With a relatively small bevel, the expansive dial, long-ish lugs, and flat profile, the watch presents closer to a 39-40mm watch on the wrist. Absolute a perfect size for my 18cm wrists. 

 

And while it certainly portends a dressier aesthetic, the funky lugs, and the contrasting raw/polished look really comes across as cool, casual. It isn't a go anywhere, do anything watch, but it a wonderful day-to-day watch in nearly all non-sports/water settings. Even moreso since its an absolute strap monster and I probably switch straps and the bracelet out 2-3 times per week. It looks great on the mesh bracelet, but the silver/gray dial with dark blue pad printing pairs well with nearly any strap from brown to blue to red to orange to green. I should note the clasp on the butterfly bracelet is also engraved with the Holthinrichs logo. Nearly every strap combo works and with 20mm lug width, there's no shortage of options out there. This brings me to one of the coolest features of the watch. The side case is hollowed out, including the sides of the lugs. This allows for a few cool surprises. The first is the watch comes with drilled lugs, but due to the hollowed-sides, the hole is hidden from sight. It can be a little bit of a learning curve to find the right angle to push the springbar out, but after a few times, it is much easier. It's actually ingenious. The other cool feature is that due to the 3D printing, they are able to print Holthinrichs and Oranament in the side of the case, hidden from view unless you are looking at the watch from the side or in between the lugs. It is clear Holthinrichs has really crafted a thoughtful timepiece and these small added thoughts add a refinement you can't get with traditional case making. 

 

The cool retro style and under the radar look makes this watch absolutely one of my favorites. That's only grown over the months I've had this watch and I get to experience it in different situations and come to appreciate just how versatile it is. The tight tolerances allowed by the 3D printing come together in a very thin and wearable timepiece that is extremely light (in part due to the hollowed sides) and comfortable. It disappears on the wrist and then grabs your attention with its eye-catching style and unique light-play. It feels at home under a cuff or out in the open with a effortless casualness when wearing jeans and a t-shirt. 

 

As I've had the opportunity to get to know Michiel and Damaien and now Isa with Holthinrichs over the last 6 months, my emotional attachment to the timepiece has only grown. Learning about the story behind the design, the trials to learn about creating the first 3D-printed case, and the passion of the people who created it takes the watch to levels my other off-the-shelf watches simply can't match. Its what makes independent watchmaking special and what makes the connection even stronger. 

 

It isn't inexpensive, but for an opportunity to wear something so unique and different, with extremely high quality hand finishing finishing and thoughtful attention to detail, it is absolutely worth the price of admission. With the release of the Raw Bronze, the Liminality, and the Pre-Liminality, Holthinrichs shows the creative well is deep and I expect the brand will continue to grow and meet success creating something innovative timepieces that are both daring and futuristic while maintaining their roots in historical architecture and style.

 

Overall, this is a watch that I'm thrilled to own and appreciate more every time I wear it. The clear passion from Michiel Holthinrichs and his team only enhances the overall beauty of the watch. The Raw Ornament is a fantastic day to day timepiece, exuding charm and character. And if I ever do find someone who recognizes it, I know I'm probably in for a great conversation about watches with another watch person. There isn't really anything not to love about this timepiece.

 

[Damiaen]

Awesome piece!