The Dumoreau DM01 Automatic, An Accessible Take on The Integrated Bracelet Watch

Microbrands have really matured in the last few years, producing watches that can legitimately go toe-to-toe with established brands from the accessible range like Hamilton, Tissot and more. Dumoreau is a new brand based in Southern California and recently release its inaugural piece, the DM01 sports watch. We’ve seen a few affordable watches with integrated bracelets lately like the Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 and Batavi Architect, and this Dumoreau DM01 Automatic doesn’t disappoint. It’s a well proportioned, sophisticated package that many sports watch enthusiasts can afford. And its design truly belies the accessible price. 

Background

When I say Dumoreau is a new brand, I mean “founded in 2021” new. Founder Carlo Aiello is an award-winning architect and product designer with the Red Dot Award, Good Design Award and ICFF Award under his belt. As an avid watch collector, he followed his passion to create a watch brand. The brand’s name comes from the French surname Moreau, which is part of Aiello’s heritage. His goal was simple – design affordable luxury watches in America that anyone would be proud to wear. You can clearly see his design prowess in this first attempt. In fact, his prior designs are in the permanent collection of the Chicago Museum of Architecture and Design and the San Francisco Museum of Craft and Design. Headquartered in Huntington Beach, California, Carlo plans to release a new model every year. Judging from this debut that consists of two dial variants, I think Dumoreau has a bright future. 

Case & design

The case of the Dumoreau DM01 Automatic is 316L stainless steel and a perfect size at 38.6mm in diameter and 10.4mm in height (lug-to-lug 46.72mm). I’m glad he didn’t follow the trend of cases north of 40mm, especially for this style. The rather substantial bezel is brushed with polished sides and has a rounded square form. It’s flirting with being a shallow octagon but has only four hard corners. The sides of the case have a machined groove that adds a modern vibe, while the signed, screw-down crown is a rounded square like the bezel. There’s definitely a cushion theme here.

The integrated bracelet tapers from 22.72mm to 16mm at the butterfly clasp, which adds to the sophisticated aesthetic. It’s brushed with polished bevels, matching the case with its own polished edges. A flat sapphire crystal protects the dial and is great at minimizing reflections, even with a dark blue dial. The case back is solid and secured with four screws, allowing for a water resistance rating of 100 metres. You can certainly swim with it and even shallow dive without issue. 

Textured Dial with known influence

The dial on my watch is a darkish blue, but a copper (salmon) dial is also available. There’s a distinctive grid pattern that has a subtle convex effect and really complements the look. Of course, grids are a common theme with sports watches – look no further than the pioneering Royal Oak, Maurice Lacroix Aikon or seemingly countless other luxury sports watches. The dial on the Dumoreau DM01 isn’t a rip off of its predecessors and has its own unique appearance. The applied indices are more prominent at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o’clock, but all have Super-LumiNova BGW9, as do the hour and minute hands.

Dial text is limited to the brand name Dumoreau and Automatic, which keeps everything simple and classy. It’s a watch you can wear to the beach or a more formal occasion. There’s no date as it’s a time-only piece and the movement matches this with only two positions (no phantom setting). I appreciate not having unused functions simply hidden away in the case. 

Japanese Automatic Heart

Powering the Dumoreau DM01 is a Miyota 9039 automatic, which is a reliable and proven workhorse that allows watches like this to be accessible to most. It was recently introduced in 2018 and classed as a premium calibre in Miyota’s portfolio. It has 24 jewels, beats at 28,800vph (4Hz) with a 42-hour power reserve. Functions include central hours, minutes and hacking seconds. 

Thoughts

I handle a lot of watches in the USD 500 and below category, and some impress me more than others. I’ll always appreciate great values from established brands like the Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical and Seiko 5 SRPG27, but surprises like this from new microbrands are always cool. Despite playing on various known influences, it has its own personality and isn’t instantly recognizable. It also wears very well and is the perfect size for most wrists. Both variants are limited editions – the blue dial is limited to 140 pieces and the copper dial to only 50 pieces. This follows the delivery of 100 watches in August for a total of 290 watches this year. Not a huge number, but an admirable and exclusive offering from such a new startup. I’ve certainly enjoyed my time with it. Oh, and as a bonus, Carlo is based near me in Los Angeles County. I can’t say that often about watch brands. 

Availability & Price

The Dumoreau DM01 retails for USD 395 with worldwide shipping, which is a real value proposition for an automatic steel sports watch with an integrated bracelet. As said, the blue model is limited to 140 pieces and the copper dial to 50 pieces. For more information and to make a purchase, please visit dumoreau.com.

Sponsored Post: This article is sponsored by Dumoreau Watches. However, it reflects the writer’s opinion and has been written according to MONOCHROME’s editorial policy.