Hautlence's New Era Of Watchmaking w/ Cedric Joos
In this episode of the Wrist Check Podcast, we sit down with Cedric Joos, Brand Manager of Swiss haute horology house Hautlence.
Cedric walks us through the brand’s unconventional origin in Neuchâtel, its rebellious design language, and how the company is evolving under the leadership of the Meylan family—also known for H. Moser & Cie. From independent roots to bold reinvention, Cedric also gives us an exclusive first look at Hautlence’s latest creation: the Helix.
Cedric breaks down where Hautlence comes from (yes, the name is literally an anagram of Neuchâtel), how the brand went from outsider weird kid to cult favorite, and what’s happening now that it’s under the Meylan family, the same crew behind H. Moser & Cie.
We get into the pieces that make people lose their minds. Rashawn is wearing the Retrovision 85, a transformable, toy-meets-tourbillon piece that pulls straight from late ’80s / early ’90s robot nostalgia. Perri talks about the Retro 47, with its radio-style case, hand-painted titanium, and flying tourbillon where the “speaker” should be. Cedric explains why those “talking pieces” aren’t gimmicks — they’re how Hautlence tries to give collectors that first “oh wow” feeling again.
Then we get into how Hautlence actually tells time. No standard hands. Wandering hours. Retrograde minutes that snap back every 60. The Sphere complication, where a rotating orb physically flips to show the hour. Cedric’s whole point is: time shouldn’t just pass, it should perform. You’re literally waiting for the watch to do something.
He also gives us a first look at the Helix, a new Hautlence release built around a slimmer case, micro-rotor movement, double retrograde display, and a domed crystal showing off a cylindrical tourbillon. It’s the brand going back to smaller proportions and sharp geometry, not just “big and loud.”
We talk price too. Under the Meylan family, Hautlence pulled more work in-house and dropped a lot of pieces into roughly the 30K–80K CHF zone instead of 80K–200K+. Still super limited, still high complication, just not as unreachable as people assume.
This episode is about why younger collectors (and honestly people who don’t even call themselves “watch people”) are paying attention to independents. It’s not just status anymore. It’s identity. A watch that looks like sculpture, moves like a machine, and actually makes you feel something when the minute hand snaps back on the hour.
If you care about avant-garde Swiss watchmaking, H. Moser & Cie, Hautlence, the Sphere, Retrovision, the Helix, or you just want to see what “future of independent horology” looks like — this one’s for you.
Episode highlights:
00:00 - Intro
02:29 - Rashawn Wrist Check Retrovision 85
07:05 - Perri Dash Wrist Check Retrovision 47
10:45 - Cedric Joos Wrist Check Sphere Series 2
16:37 - Hautlence Origin Story
20:40 - Hautlence under the Meylans leadership
22:31 - Brands defining moment
24:59 - Talking pieces
29:28 - Hautlence design language
33:38 - Price Point
35:53 - Hautlence logo
37:00 - The team at Hautlence
39:45 - The OG Hautlence Collectors
42:11 - Contributions to the industry
43:48 - Community
47:00 - Complications
48:48 - Outro