The C by Romain Gauthier Carbonium Edition

By now, most of you should be familiar with the C collection by independent watchmaker Romain Gauthier. This sporty watch, with its shaped case and integrated design, has been the indie brand’s focus for about 4 years now; the initial model was indeed presented in 2021. As a side note, I’m slightly disappointed not to see anything else presented by Romain Gauthier, who we know is capable of making superbly finished classic watches. Back to today’s matter, the C by Romain Gauthier collection, already available in platinum or titanium, now welcomes a new, bolder and lighter member, with the Carbonium Edition. 

Unveiled in 2021, the C by Romain Gauthier is the independent watchmaker’s vision of a more casual, sportier watch with a certain originality in the design. Playing on the trend for integrated design and the combination of luxury with casual attire, the collection has rapidly expanded to feature metal bracelets or textured dials. Based on the concept introduced with the Titanium Edition Six and its partially openworked dial, we now have the C by Romain Gauthier Carbonium Edition.

This new version doesn’t change the recipe and retains the same design as previous models, meaning a 42mm barrel-shaped case with a scalloped bezel, nice integration of the lugs and the strap, a crown at 2 o’clock and a pleasant thinness of 9.6mm. The main difference lies in the material used, Carbonium. This layered carbon composite sourced from aerospace-grade fibres results in a textured case, and due to the fibre-rich nature of Carbonium, it gives the watch a great strength-to-weight ratio. The complete watch (strap included) weighs only 43 grams.

For the dial, this C by Romain Gauthier Carbonium Edition relies on the semi-openworked display introduced in the Titanium Edition Six, and adds even more carbon to the display, with a dial combining sapphire crystal and Carbonium, and thus revealing parts of the titanium movement underneath (mostly the second wheel, but also the regulating organ). The rest of the dial is classic for the brand, with numerals and indices entirely in Super-LumiNova, available with white, yellow, green, blue or orange accents. The hands are also made of grade 5 titanium.

Inside the case is an in-house, hand-wound movement that has been designed to be equally light, as most of the bridges are made from titanium and Carbonium. Finished by hand, as you’d expect from Romain Gauthier, this movement runs at a modern 4Hz frequency and stores about 60 hours of power reserve. It is an impressive movement altogether, combining modernity and tradition.

The C by Romain Gauthier Carbonium Edition is worn on a well-integrated rubber strap, available in multiple colours to match the indexes, featuring a Carbonium pattern, and closed by a Carbonium pin buckle. Released as a non-limited edition, this featherlight edition is priced at CHF 58,000 before taxes. For more details, please visit romaingauthier.com.