Black Pearl

For his breathtaking Black Pearl, Fabrice Gonet was inspired by the fabulous adventures of pirates and buccaneers, laced with a dash of retro-futuristic steampunk. The watch's owner can even have his or her name engraved on the back plate as 'Captain' of this unique timepiece. Everything recalls the fabulous world of piracy: an opening at the 9 o'clock side that resembles a cannon hatch from a man-o'-war, offering a panoramic side view of the tourbillon, and decorated with a PVD titanium plaque with skull and crossed swords; the sapphire case-back engraved with a compass rose; and a crown modelled on a ship's tiller. 

The Bi-Axial Tourbillon's unique display is inspired by the early days of naval exploration, with the hours shown on a wheel, the minutes on a disc, and a power-reserve indicator in the form of a sextant. 

Technical specifications

RAPTOR CHRONOGRAPH

The Raptor Chronograph is the logical successor to the earlier Raptor. The movement by HD3 Complication is an automatic chronograph with hands for hours, minutes and small seconds; a 60-second chrono; and counters for 30 minutes and 4 hours. The stand-out feature is the special '15-minute regatta' countdown function on a disc, evoking the world of yacht racing.

The Regatta model has a chronograph with automatic movement in titanium, and two counters with push-pieces at 2 (stop-start) and 4 o’clock (back-to-zero).

Technical specifications

THREE MINDS TOURBILLON

This prestige model completes the collection. The special display has been retained, but this time the three discs are driven by a specially designed, hand-wound tourbillon. The crown again uses the exclusive Three Minds bayonet system, albeit with some stylistic modifications from the original. This watch is slightly more voluminous than the previous model.

Technical specifications

Capture Chrono-TOURBILLON

Valérie Ursenbacher's Capture 2 was produced for HD3 Complication in 2006. Although the design is aesthetically different, the watch has the same spirit. The timepiece retains a masculine feel, with a sophisticated chronograph-tourbillon movement perfectly suited to the new model, limited to 11 pieces per version. The movement is a single 'triple-action' push-button chronograph, whose chief innovation is to render the chronograph mechanism visible through the watch-face, making chronograph data easier to read. At the same time, watchmaking tradition is respected as the chronograph is designed around a customized column-wheel at 12 o'clock. Another special feature of the chronograph: it is powered directly by its novel tourbillon frame with single push-piece at 2 o'clock. Capture 2's innovative design centres on the use of sapphire crystal to ensure the tourbillon is visible through the watch-face. The counters inserted on the watch-face, with the power-reserve indicator below, give the watch-face added depth.

Technical specifications

Bi-AXIAL

The BI-AXIAL, inspired by the fantasy world of Jules Verne, is the second timepiece created by Fabrice Gonet for HD3. Its revolutionary movement, exclusive to HD3, has an exceptional tourbillon that rotates on two axes. All details have a nautical theme, inspired by old seafaring vessels and early submarines. The hours are shown on a wheel through a porthole-like opening at 9 o'clock, the minutes on a disc recalling a ship's chadburn telegraph (360°). A porthole on the plate evokes those on the Nautilus; a map of the Mysterious Island and its co-ordinates are engraved on the sapphire crystal case-back. All told, the technical and aesthetic conception of this timepiece required 2,000 hours of work!

Technical specifications

THREE MINDS

An apotheosis for HD3, incorporating the best of three watches – Capture, Raptor and Idalgo –  to combine the talents of the three master designers behind this exceptional timepiece trilogy. The innovative time-display, in varying degrees of (coloured) luminosity, features three rotating discs (hours-minutes-seconds) based on an automatic movement. The watch also has great ergonomic appeal. 

Technical specifications

IDALGO XT1

HD3 created this lighter, condensed version of the Idalgo after the success of the XT2. With its oscillating mass at the back, the Idalgo XT1 again frees itself from traditional aesthetic codes to re-invent time in amazing avant-garde fashion. This technically sophisticated model features the introduction of the automatic XT1 calibre – a movement developed by HD3 – with jump-hour window, 180° retrograde minutes hand, 360° seconds hand, large date and 2nd time-zone. The watch is edited in pink gold, titanium/pink gold and titanium/grey gold.

Technical specifications

IDALGO XT2

The Idalgo XT2, personally designed by Jorg Hysek, is the third model created by the brand, completing HD3's first timepiece trilogy and opening up new watchmaking horizons. HD3 has created a watch that pushes modernism to the limit and showcases the brand's technology in all its complexity. 

The name Idalgo XT2 might suggest the watch has two movements, but in fact there is only one – with a finely-tuned gold rotor visible on the watch-face. The flattened display lends the model sober yet powerful elegance, in keeping with the XT2's masculine appeal. To reinforce the individual nature of this exceptional timepiece, each of its components (hands, screws, dial, strap etc.…) was the subject of extensive aesthetic study.

Technical specifications

RAPTOR TOURBILLON

Raptor, a subtle blend of Haute Horlogerie and avant-garde technology, was designed by Fabrice Gonet as HD3's second tourbillon model in 2005. It is an aggressive, ergonomic timepiece that has unquestionably forged a new path for 21st century timepieces.

The upper case can be opened and raised by gently pressing the two push-pieces, providing easy access to the Swiss-made digital movement with its large date, chronometer and 2nd time-zone display. The case exists in grey gold and titanium; pink gold and titanium; PVD; and ruthenium. 

Technical specifications

Capture

Capture reflects the technical passion and feminine sensitivity of its designer, Valérie Ursenbacher –  even though she drew her prime inspiration from the masculine world of automobiles. The watch's details are a blend of old and new, while the name evokes the crystal 'captured' on the case-back and bezel. The model was launched in 2005, and has a 100-hour power-reserve and astonishingly bold contemporary dial with three outsize Arabic numerals at the top of the dial (11-1 o'clock). Capture was produced in a limited edition in 18ct grey gold; 18ct rose gold; and red, blue or black versions with diamonds and platinum. 

Technical specifications