Eleven years ago, we made a statement regarding the use of diamonds. Specifically, we declared that HORAGE would exclusively use lab grown diamonds. The ‘opportunity cost’ of so-called ‘real’ diamonds wasn’t a breaking new story at this point in time; there had already been a mainstream Hollywood movie “Blood Diamond” released in 2006.

But it felt that we should make a declaration and take a stand: luxury doesn’t have to include exploitation – our benefit isn’t automatically achieved by someone else’s cost. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed with the world and its myriads of problems. Why bother changing when you are just one person amongst billions? Well, every waterfall starts as an individual drop of rain.

It’s much easier to make the call when the decision is a no-brainer. CVD diamonds are often of higher quality, they are predictable in availability, do not cause significant wastage during cutting (which the buyer invisibly finances) and last but not least the idea of science neatly overcoming age-old problems strongly resonated with our values.

The resulting timepiece from this ‘Damascus’ moment was the Yi diamond watch – released in 2023 and inspired by the Yi Book of Changes. It was loud, proud and glitzy! Quite a new direction for the brand. One hundred CVD diamonds decorated the case, hands and strap. A piece which really made a statement.

Since the launch of this opulent watch our focus switched to developing micro-rotor, tourbillon and later micro-reg equipped watches. But the desire to work with gems and natural stone materials bubbled away in the background - for example with our unique user-configurable Cosmo Cage jewellery collection.

Well, now we’re back: with a second release in the ‘Relik’ collection:
Relik Tourbillon GMT ‘Aeon Plasma’.

Want to know more?

The starting point was Onyx: we had wanted to use this material for a dial for some time and with the new Relik range finally had a suitable product family. A semi-precious stone – Onyx is a crystalline quartz material from the Chalcedony family - SiO₂ for those interested in chemical matters. Most Onyx is characterised by thin bands of colours in black-white or brown-white combinations. It is formed when silica rich water is pressurized and heated underground with layers building up over hundreds of thousands of years. Different Onyx colours are created either from natural minerals (brown, black and grey), from heat treatments or with dyeing. Natural black Onyx as used for the Relik Aeon Plasma, is the rarest and most expensive.

With a hardness of around 6-7 Mohs (a non-linear scale used to measure a minerals resistance to scratching, with a range from 1 (talc) to 10 (diamond)) Onyx is relatively soft and easy to work with. It has been a popular choice for artisans across the ages: Roman jewellers and Bauhaus architects both appreciating its simple yet sumptuous look and feel.  

Onyx fitted perfectly with our desire to create timepieces with a ‘modern classic’ look.
It is luxurious and rich, without screaming brash extravagance from 50 paces. You couldn’t find a material better suited to our design brief to create the perfect, contemporary and ethical luxury watch.

The deep black tone forms the ideal backdrop for a dial enriched with 10 baguette diamond appliques, all fitted to rhodium plated gold chatons. Decadent but somehow still a little understated. It is a watch full of contrasts and juxtapositions: luxurious yet understated, dressy yet techy, elegant yet generously proportioned.

For the 21st century inter-connected global village, the availability of a true GMT complication is of real value. Even better when this feature is so easy to live with:
jump-setting enables effortless and quick adjustment (if only getting out of the aeroplane was this rapid) and when back home the second, skeletonised GMT hour hand can be discretely ‘parked’ away - out of sight, out of mind. Best of all, as only HORAGE has delivered a micro-rotor-tourbillon-GMT-watch to date, you will be joining an extremely exclusive horological club: 50 Autark Tourbillon GMT owners will be joined by 28 Relik Tourbillon GMT Aeon Plasma patrons

Who will be in this new gang?

To appreciate the sheer scope of materials, textures, craftsmanship and technology squeezed into this product, a patient and considered examination is required: Aeon Plasma is not a piece for those seeking quick thrills. After all a platinum is the material of choice for understated luxury, the carbon fibre micro-adjustable clasp is hidden away out of sight, the silicon escape wheel and LIGA tech geartrain parts are just visible… assuming you are not constantly distracted by the dance of the tourbillon and pulse of the hairspring.

And this is just how we want it to be: a HORAGE Relik piece is not for showing off.
It is a statement of appreciation: for technology, for science, for watchmaking, for craftsmanship and for mankind’s ability to question itself, adapt and learn from the past.