Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. Briston Unveils the new Clubmaster Legend Classic Collection
Two new sub-collections for Briston’s accessible, vintage-inspired Clubmaster Legend family with contemporary specs in faux tortoiseshell and steel cases.
Briston, the young, independent French brand with a portfolio of accessible, retro-inspired watches with fun, faux tortoiseshell cases, releases new models in its Clubmaster Legend collection. Presented in the classic cushion-shaped cases that define the collection, the new time-only references feature closed dials or open-heart designs, delivering an appealing blend of vintage design cues and practical specs for everyday wear.
Watch industry veteran Brice Jaunet founded the brand in 2013. Instead of giving it a French name, Jaunet called it Briston, a name designed to evoke the laid-back sophistication of Oxford University sporting events – a style that made its way to the US in the 1950s, incarnated by the preppy look of Ivy League students. With seven sub-families, the Clubmaster Legend collection offers a wide range of functions, including the Small Second and Diver models. However, the time-only models best embody the preppy retro aspirations of the brand with their cambered, 1940s-inspired cushion-shaped cases and novel use of Italian tortoiseshell acetate – a high-quality, plant-based plastic usually reserved for eyewear, produced by layering and pressing pigmented cellulose acetate sheets.
Sharing dimensions of 39mm x 39mm with a thickness of 11.8mm, the new references pack practicality into the mix with 100m water-resistant cases in a choice of stainless steel or tortoiseshell acetate. Design details, such as the knurled screw-down crown with a black insert and the soldered-style lugs, contribute to the watch’s appeal.
The steel cases have a bright mirror-polished finish, while the fun acetate models feature a smooth, handmade, polished finish. For practical reasons, the acetate cases are fitted with a steel screw-down crown, lugs and bezel.
The Clubmaster Legend Classic HMS (hours, minutes, seconds) and Clubmaster Legend Classic Open (with an aperture at 9 o’clock to reveal the balance wheel) are available with black, white opaline, or navy blue dials. With an on-trend textured surface in the centre of the dial, which contrasts with the smooth, circular-brushed chapter ring for the hours, the periphery hosts a vintage-inspired railway minutes track. The baton hour and minute hands, as well as the applied silver or black hour markers, are treated with Super-LumiNova inserts. Another pragmatic detail is the ultra-resistant 2.10mm domed sapphire crystal protecting the dial.
Both models are powered by reliable Japanese automatic movements made by Time Module Inc. (a subsidiary of the Seiko Watch Corporation). The Classic HMS is fitted with calibre NH35A and the Classic Open with NH38A, both with a 41-hour power reserve, a frequency of 21,600vph and the Briston coat of arms printed on the rotor visible through the window on the caseback.
The watches are paired with black, brown or blue calfskin straps with an embossed alligator pattern and a steel pin buckle. The watches also feature the brand’s practical a presto interchangeable strap system. The steel Clubmaster Legend Classic HMS and Classic Open models retail for EUR 570, their acetate counterparts for EUR 550. More information at briston-watches.com.
