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cisco
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Haldimann H9

"Joke", "marketing",  "buzz", many things were said when we discovered this thing with some friends at Baselworld, even if I get this opinions I liked it.

The watch itself

Aesthetics
Haldimann make beautiful watches, the H2 is for some amators the holy grail.
Platinum case with concave sides, nice proportions, charming classical straight lugs , beautiful "dome" sapphire, and a black dial making contrast with the case.
This watch is objectively beautiful.

Caliber
The central tourbillon similar to H1 and H8.
But it doesn't tell time, and worse contrary to the H8 you don't even see the mechanics, it is just a black hole.


Watch that doesn't tell time

It is not the first watch like that, Romain Jerome in april 2008 launched a double Tourbillon "Day and Night" that didn't tell time.
I am not a fan of Romain Jerome creations in general or whatever Yvan Arpa did, but that one was one of the most interesting of the Romain Jérôme, it wasn't a watch any more but a mechanical object that doesn't give time, sure it was to make buzz, to shock, but it began to be more interesting than other titanic imho .
Problem is that between Day, Night and Titanic I didn't see the coherence, but a bit like some modern art you put whatever you want there.

Back to Haldimann on the first H1 and H2 Tourbillons are in front of you above the dial and hands, time is under, secondary. Priority is given to the mechanics
The H8 come a bit later after the Romain Jérôme, Haldimann call it "sculpture" , this watch doesn't tell time, everything is focussed on the flying tourbillon  accented by the black dial under. It is a bit a H1 that finally reached is goal,  hours is finally gone, only mechanics, a beautiful "mobile".
You actually don't need a watch to have time, computer, phone, car... it is everywhere...
I can't give a link but there is a nice articles by Valentin blank on this watch.


All the rest
An interesting point on Haldimann corner is that  H1/H2 and H8 were together and H9 was in another window alone.
The H9 is somewhere else, you even do not see the mechanics.So what's the point except buzz and marketing (which is one aim clearly)?
Why putting a movement then? and tourbillon moreover? That's where is all the intellectual pleasure.
It is a "watch" that you feel, that you wind up, that you hear and that you admire. A little dispointment there by the way, the wind up is a bit strong like Journe, I would have prefered a smoother one, imho that has to be corrected on such a watch.

You connot avoid a "philosophical" view on it. Everyone will have a different one.

First what is a watch?
In the sixties it has to gave time.
It had to be precise, reliable, robust and elegant, on of the best example is the Rolex Datejust, a best seller that had all these qualities.

Today what is a watch? Do you need it to tell you time? Not really, especially in high end watches.
A social thing, a pleasure for the owner who wants a beautiful object, a solitary pleasure or with other amators, that what makes us read and post here.
So what does this Haldimann H9 offers? a beautiful object and an intellectual and narcissistic pleasure .

What do you see? nothing? no much better,you see your reflect! Yourself with your vanity, your mental tortures of collector.
Ther is a "Hipster" side here, a guy who dreams himself as different and intellectual and I more or less recognize myself there (hipster not intellectual).
This watch doesn't focus on itself or ist mechanics but on its owner.  Ultimately narcissistic.

Crazy ?shocking? stupid ? maybe... but so human.

So yes I did really like this "watch"





my 2 cents

Francois