The best French watch collection? Beaubleu, Herbelin & Briston

Borna Bošnjak

Let’s play a sport. The principles are: it’s essential to assemble essentially the most attention-grabbing three-watch assortment, underneath the proviso that they’re all French manufacturers and price €3,000 or much less. Our trio covers fairly a couple of bases. We now have a sporty chronograph that may simply double as a psuedo-integrated bracelet watch with the Herbelin Heritage Chronograph. That’s paired with the Briston Streamliner Kennedy, an on-trend, sq. piece that’ll be good as a dressy every day. However each assortment wants a watch that brings that X issue, and the Beaubleu Seconde Française is right for that. Let’s dive into this horological ménage à trois.

Beaubleu Seconde Française

Let’s begin with essentially the most French of the three, the Beaubleu Seconde Française. I say that as a result of it’s the one one right here that’s truly powered by a French motion, one thing that’s actually not that widespread. However to begin with, what are we truly ? In case you’ve seen a Raketa Kopernik earlier than, you may need some concept. The three seemingly interlocking rings on the dial are the palms, all that includes small arrows that time to the hours, minutes, and seconds. It’s that latter indication that’s significantly attention-grabbing, because the ring is definitely mounted on a clear disc, making it a thriller dial.

As for the dials themselves, there are two variants. The one we now have right here is the 19.24, with a printed sector fashion in a matte color. The 20.24 replaces the printed traces with embossing and goes for a softer color palette. They’re actually good-looking, if somewhat cluttered. I’d personally favor a bit much less textual content – eradicating the “Seconde Française” and “Automatique” traces would assist right here.

On the wrist, you possibly can anticipate the Seconde Française to put on very nicely. The 39mm diameter and 45mm lug-to-lug are already good indicators of that, as is the ten.2mm thickness. However what actually units the carrying expertise aside is that Beaubleu has totally dedicated to the ‘disco volante’ look, totally recessing the crown at 3 o’clock. Because the motion is computerized, you doubtless received’t end up utilizing it that a lot, and it makes for a a lot sleeker and extra distinctive look.

It’s a intelligent execution, too, because the crown is definitely hidden beneath the prolonged shoulder of the lug, whereas the mid-case sinks again in, permitting simpler operation and higher on-wrist consolation. This view additionally reveals off the case’s ending, which alternates between sharpening and brushing fairly liberally.

Flip the pebble-like case over, and also you’ll be met with the France Ebauche Calibre FE. In case you haven’t heard of this motion earlier than, I don’t blame you. Actually, I’m not conversant in every other model that makes use of it outdoors of the Barcelona-based Festina group, which owns the manufacture. Combining the information the company group discovered from proudly owning Soprod and FE’s personal Seventies (ish) 46XX and 56XX actions, the revived manufacture is producing lots of the structural components in Maîche (close to the French watchmaking metropolis of Besançon), whereas the timekeeping and equipment prepare elements are sourced from Switzerland.

Spec-wise, a 46-hour energy reserve and 4Hz beat fee are nothing out of the extraordinary, with the previous truly barely behind competitors in the mean time, and the ornament is nothing to write down residence about. That stated, the novelty of the design and motion origins, in addition to the carrying expertise, are greater than sufficient to make this a compelling addition to a set.

Briston Streamliner Kennedy

For the every day wearer, one thing a bit extra refined is so as, however with sufficient attention-grabbing particulars to suit into this curious triad. The acetate case flanks, interchanging Roman and Arabic numerals, and the sq. form of the Briston Streamliner Kennedy ought to nearly do it, I believe. At 36mm x 36mm, it’s an ideal sq., with the brief lugs jutting out only a tad. With its tortoiseshell inserts, Briston tried to seize the American preppiness that additionally impressed the mannequin’s namesake, whereas a lapis cabochon sits on the 12 o’clock-positioned crown. It form of jogs my memory of American ‘woody’ station wagons from the ’70s, however in a way more subtle, French fashion – perhaps consider a Citroën DS with a glossy wood strake down its facet.

A dial that mixes two forms of numerals in several sizes and opposing orientations sounds troublesome to tug off, however I believe Briston nearly manages it. The Arabic numerals have a stencil typeface, whereas bigger Romans are used for the cardinal factors, all surrounding a patterned centre. Trying on the sq. dial with a cultured and brushed encompass, I’m positive I’m not the one one getting Cartier Santos vibes, however the lack of bezel screws offers the Streamliner a bit extra subtlety.

A caseback view reveals one other angle of the case building, and in addition reveals how Briston was in a position to get the Streamliner Kennedy to only 10mm in peak. Miyota’s 9039 has develop into the go-to for microbrands, and rightfully so. It’s the best-specced third-party motion obtainable from Japan, rivalling the Swiss ETA 2824/Sellita SW200 on spec and comfortably beating them on value.

On the Streamliner, there may be some striping on the automated bridge, although the variant we bought doesn’t have the model’s coat of arms as instructed by the press launch. In any case, it is a motion I’d be more than pleased to search out behind a closed caseback, particularly because it may assist the watch be extra reasonably priced and even thinner.

Herbelin Newport Chronograph Heritage

Final however not least, we now have the Herbelin Newport Chronograph Heritage. Despite the fact that its PVD rose gold case and built-in fashion could not recommend it, a lot of its inspiration comes from crusing to pay tribute to the unique Newport from 1988. Probably the most overt nod to that’s the helm-engraved crown, however the total case, with these slender, built-in lugs, form of jogs my memory of a helm – particularly with the crown and pushers jutting out the way in which they do. At 42mm in diameter and 14mm thick, it received’t be as pleasant to smaller wrists as the opposite two watches we’ve checked out, including to its presence by a box-domed sapphire that extends previous the ceramic bezel. Because of the lug design, although, I envision it dealing with its dimensions fairly nicely.

Trying nearer on the dial, and we now have a traditional bicompax format (an precise bicompax because it’s a chrono+date), enjoying off a black and gold distinction that works rather well. I like how chunky the sub-dial palms are – it’s not one thing that we see too typically and helps with chronograph legibility, whereas the central chrono hand is painted a contrasting white. I do want Herbelin had shrunk their branding a tad, although. It takes up the whole thing of the higher portion of the dial and is simply too apparent, for my part not less than.

The screw-on caseback is curiously not PVD-coated, revealing the metal materials of the case beneath, and in addition exhibiting off the automated Sellita SW510. It’s the logical selection for an entry-level, Swiss mechanical chronograph, particularly in its newer variants that carry a 62-hour energy reserve. Equally to all of the watches we’ve checked out right here, the ornament is de facto minimal, which might once more warrant a closed caseback for much less thickness.

Closing ideas

These three watches couldn’t be extra totally different, and will all fill a selected position in a set. Not that anybody’s forcing me to, but when I needed to choose only one, I’d go along with the quirky Seconde Française, although the Briston is a detailed second. Whereas I admire that its rotating circles and funky, crownless case won’t be to everybody’s style, I’m a fan of the Beaubleu’s quirks, but when a left-field dressy every day is what you’re after, the Briston is a implausible selection. Lastly, the Herbelin Newport chrono’s dimensions imply that it’s only a tad too large for me personally, however the chronograph’s thirty fifth anniversary revival in 2023 proved how fascinating of a design it was, so it doesn’t shock me to see the model iterate on it additional.