Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. The Charlie Paris Initial Day/Night Panda
An accessible and feature-rich watch from the burgeoning French brand brings a lot to the table.
Charlie Paris has been making watches in the French capital city since 2014, and the latest Initial collection doesn’t disappoint. Previous pieces like the Concordia GMT Automatic and blacked out Concordia Automatic Kraken show a real eye for design with style and features that are always popular. Best of all, the collections are affordable with both automatic and quartz options. The latest Initial Day/Night Panda is part of the broader Initial collection and brings three useful complications in a stylish package that can dress up or down. It appears more expensive than it is, and casual onlookers will surely be impressed.
The stainless steel case is polished with brushed sides and comes in at a very wearable 40mm in diameter and 11mm in height (lug-to-lug is 46mm). There are several interchangeable strap options (with quick-release levers), from leather to Milanese mesh to the one we have on-hand, a matching three-link bracelet with polished centre links. Sapphire crystals are visible on both sides, with the front crystal coated with an anti-reflective coating; water-resistance is 30 metres.
The white dial is slightly sandblasted, with a blue sub-dial and chapter ring, giving it a panda aesthetic (hence the name). That sub-dial at 6 o’clock is a day/night indicator with nice depictions of the sun, moon and stars. A power reserve indicator with a blue hand sits at 12 o’clock, while a white date window sits at 3 o’clock (white on all dial options). Applied silver stick indices surround the dial with matching silver spear-shaped hour and minute hands. There’s a total absence of lume, suggesting a dressier look, but it’s sporty enough to work with a t-shirt and jeans, particularly with the three-link steel bracelet. There are five dial options in the collection, including a stealthy blacked-out aesthetic called Eclipse.
Powering the Initial Day/Night Panda is a Miyota 9132 automatic with 26 jewels, 28,800vph (4Hz) and a 40-hour power reserve. Functions include central hours, minutes, hacking seconds, power reserve indicator, date and day/night indicator. Seen from the exhibition caseback, it’s decorated with stripes and a signed rotor. The 9132 is part of Miyota’s premium line with an accuracy rating of -10/+30 seconds per day (it’s generally well within those parameters in practice).
The Charlie Paris Initial Day/Night Panda and all models in the collection retail for EUR 685 or USD 795. Not bad at all for a stylish piece with three complications and sapphire crystals front and back. For more information and to place an order, please visit the Charlie Paris website.
Sponsored post: This article is sponsored by Charlie Paris. However, it reflects the writer’s opinion and has been written in accordance with MONOCHROME’s editorial policy.
