We Travel to France for Some More Exciting Non-Swiss Watches

A week ago, we covered some of the best watches coming from the Netherlands for the simple reason that both our founder Frank and myself are Dutch. However, part of the team comes from France, and as such, I thought it would be fun to have a look at French watches this time around! And when I’m talking about French watchmaking, the spotlight immediately shines on the likes of Breguet, Cartier, Hermès and Louis Vuitton. But since watches by those four brands (and most of the other names that come to mind) are made in Switzerland and labelled as Swiss Made, I’ve tried to narrow it down to watches produced in France. For the most part, at least. And the result is yet again a surprising mix of playful and creative watches!

Depancel allure automatic chronograph

Depancel is a relatively young brand from France, named after the fabled French carmakers Delage, Panhard and Facel Vega. As such, automotive inspiration is ensured in pretty much any watch coming out of their Annecy atelier. The Allure Automatic Chronograph is a prime example of that and sits at the top end of the brand’s portfolio. The sizeable automatic chronograph has a 43mm diameter, a silvery-white Panda-style dial, orange details and a fixed tachymeter bezel. A blue version is also available. For both, power comes from a Sellita SW510 cam-operated chronograph movement. Strapped on leather, it retails for EUR 2,400.

For more information, please visit Depancel.com.

Quick Facts – 43mm x 15mm – stainless steel case, brushed & polished – fixed tachymeter bezel – mushroom pushers with octagonal crown – sapphire crystal front & back – 100m water-resistant – Panda-like dial – orange details & hands – Sellita SW510, automatic chronograph – cam-lever operated – 28,800vph – 62h power reserve – blue, black or brown padded leather strap – pin or deployment buckle – non-limited – EUR 2,400

Baltic hermétique tourer bronze

With the Hermétique Tourer Bronze, Baltic gives a delectable warm spin on its compelling and accessible field watch. The French brand, founded by Etienne Malec just eight years ago, has a knack for discerning designs at affordable prices. The Hermétique Tourer Bronze comes in a compact 38mm wide bronze case with a gradient blue, brown or green dial. Hidden under the solid caseback is a Mioyta 9039 automatic movement, as Baltic doesn’t shy away from readily available and thus affordable Asian movements. The Tropic-style FKM rubber strap matches the dial colours. Priced at EUR 600, there’s little to complain about with this one!

For more information, please visit Baltic-Watches.com.

Quick Facts – 37mm x 10.8mm – bronze case, brushed & polished – sapphire crystal, solid steel caseback – 150m water-resistant – gradient blue, brown or green dial – 3D luminous markers & Super-LumiNova filled hands – Miyota 9039, automatic – 28,800vph – 42h power reserve – hours, minutes, seconds (hacking) – dial-matching Tropic-style FKM rubber strap with pin buckle – non-limited editions – EUR 600

Yema wristmaster slim cmm.20

Based in Morteau, France, Yema is primarily known for its historically relevant Superman dive watch collection. In recent times, the brand has devoted itself to bringing French watchmaking back to its former glory with in-house developed and assembled movements. The most recent effort is the Wristmaster Slim CMM.20, powered by a micro-rotor automatic movement developed internally with Olivier Mory. The watch has a slim 9mm profile and a diameter of 39mm, fitted with a stamped dial in yellow, blue or sandy-grey. The integrated steel bracelet keeps it very much on-trend, and the collection is priced at EUR 2,249.

For more information, please visit Yema.com.

Quick Facts – 39mm x 9mm – stainless steel case – signature notched bezel – sapphire crystal front & back – 100m water-resistant – stamped grooved dial in yellow, blue or sandy-grey – applied markers & hands with SLN – calibre CMM.20, developed and assembled in-house – micro-rotor automatic – 28,800vph – 70h power reserve – integrated steel bracelet with fine-adjustment clasp – non-limited editions – EUR 2,249

March LA.b am2 GMT grall edition

March LA.B has made quite a name for itself with several things: first and foremost is the ever-present touch of green in its watches, and second for its quirky yet compelling case designs. The square-ish (or rather octagonal) exterior is emphasized with the crown at 4′, as seen in this AM2 GMT Grall Edition. Inspiration comes from the worlds of surfing, eyewear and Schwinn bicycles. The AM2 GMT has a textured green dial with a two-tone 24h track and a green arrow-tipped GMT hand. Powered by a La Joux-Perret G110 automatic, it costs USD 1,850 on a black silicone strap or USD 2,045 on the stainless steel bracelet.

For more information, please visit March-LAB.com.

Quick Facts – 39mm x 12.5mm – stainless steel case, brushed & polished – sapphire crystal with tinted back crystal – screw-down crown at 4′- 100m water resistance – green textured dial – two-tone 24h scale – markers & hands with SLN – green arrow-tipped GMT hand – La Joux-Perret G110, automatic – 28,800vph – 68h power reserve – 3-link stainless steel bracelet or black silicone strap – USD 1,850 (silicone strap) or USD 2,045 (steel bracelet)

Trilobe les matinaux l’heure exquise

Trilobe’s unique vision of telling time with ever-revolving discs comes from the mind of founder Gautier Massonneau. Doing away with conventional hands means you open up creative opportunities in terms of design, exemplified by this Les Matinaux L’Heure Exquise. The hours and minutes are displayed on the familiar discs. However, the moon phase indication is coaxially linked to the seconds wheel and turns counterclockwise in time to the passing seconds, made possible by the proprietary calibre X-centric micro-rotor automatic. This titanium Dune model retails for EUR 14,500, with the rose gold and blue edition coming in at EUR 26,500.

For more information, please visit Trilobe.com.

Quick Facts – 40.5mm or 38mm x 9.2mm – titanium or rose gold case – sapphire crystal front & back – 50m water-resistant – sandblasted blue or dune beige dial – revolving hour & minute rings – double moon phase display coaxially linked to the seconds wheel – calibre X-centric, proprietary – automatic micro-rotor movement – 28,800vph – 48h power reserve – alligator leather strap with case-matching pin buckle – EUR 14,500 (titanium) or EUR 26,500 (rose gold)

montre Lefrançois automatique no.1

On the more artisanal side of things, the experienced French watchmaker Simon Lefrançois has set up shop in Morbihan, France, after working in the Swiss watch industry for 25 years. His debut piece is the Automatique No.1, which relies on an ETA 2892-A2. While the movement might be off the shelf, the 38mm case, dial and hands most certainly are not. The unique architecture is made by hand by Simon himself, with distinct screwed lugs, bold circular hour markers at every third hour and hands to match the style. Each one is made to order, and the textures and colours for the dial, markers and hands can be customized. Only 20 will be made, with a price upon request.

For more information, please visit @Montre_Lefrancois on Instagram.

Quick Facts – 38mm x 7.4mm – stainless steel case, made in-house – hand-made screwed lugs, crown etc. – sapphire crystal front, solid steel caseback – in-house dial, markers & hands – hours & minutes only – unmodified ETA 2892-A2 automatic – 28,800vph – 42 hours – 21 jewels – leather strap of your choice with steel pin buckle – made to order – bespoke options available upon request – limited to 20 pieces – price upon request