Trilobe Performs a Moonlight Serenade with its Les Matinaux L’Heure Exquise

Founded by Gautier Massonneau, French brand Trilobe abandons the conventional approach of displaying time with central hands. Instead, Trilobe inverts the formula and sets time in motion with counterclockwise rotating discs for the hours, minutes and seconds indicated by static trefoil pointers. Trilobe’s first collection, Les Matinaux, bears the name of a René Char poetry collection, and poetry imbues all the brand’s creations. Renowned for its eccentric displays, minimalist dials and contemporary movements, Trilobe envisions time in a more poetic, serene key. Taking this enchanting approach to watchmaking to new heights, Trilobe embraces the most poetic complication of all and presents Les Les Matinaux L’Heure Exquise with a moon phase complication.

You won’t be surprised to learn that the new Les Matinaux L’Heure Exquise is also inspired by a poem, in this case, Paul Verlaine’s moving description of moonlight in “L’Heure Exquise” (Wondrous Hour). One of the emotions Verlaine associates with the moonlight is a “sense of calm”, something that Massonneau’s watches have encapsulated beautifully. Unlike the hyper-precision time indications on the countless and soulless electronic gadgets that invade our lives, Trilobe’s universe offers a more relaxed, calmer view of the passing hours with watches that are closer in spirit to miniature works of art.

While the time display follows the order of other Les Matinaux models, with hours, minutes and seconds rotating counterclockwise at different speeds on three separate and eccentric rings, the seconds counter now hosts the moon phase complication. However, there is a bit more going on here because the moon phase counter is coaxially linked to the seconds wheel and turns counterclockwise in time to the passing seconds.

Using a realistic laser-textured rendition of our celestial neighbour, the two silvery moons perform their 29.5-day cycle under a star-studded night sky. To achieve this effect, the moons are placed beneath a sapphire crystal printed with stars and a snailed disc glides over the realistic surface of the moons to reveal the current phase. What makes this so special, though, is the spectacle of the slow clockwise rotation of the moon phases contrasting with the upbeat tempo of the counter twirling to the beat of the seconds.

Unlike other Les Matinaux displays, these models have only one trilobe or trefoil pointer. Located at noon, the static trefoil indicates the hours and minutes, delivering a more relaxed, approximative reading of the minutes. The inclined pad-printed Arabic numerals featured on the hour and minutes discs heighten the sensation of movement, a sort of mix between classic Breguet numerals and the “galloping” numerals used by Hermès on some of its watches.

The new Les Matinaux L’Heure Exquise is available in titanium or 18k rose gold cases. The cases are beautifully finished with mirror-polished and satin-brushed surfaces and are offered in 40.5mm and 38.5mm diameters with a slim height of 9.2mm.

The sandblasted dial comes in two colours: a warm sandy colour that the brand has labelled Dune and a midnight Blue alternative. Minimalist and graceful, with no inscriptions or allusions to the movement, the dial is a study in serenity.

The caseback offers a view of the proprietary movement developed by Jean-François Mojon (Chronode) and produced by the prestigious manufacture Le Cercle des Horlogers in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Measuring 35.2mm with a height of 5.78mm, the X-centric calibre features a tungsten micro-rotor. It has 227 components, beats at 4Hz and delivers a 48-hour power reserve. Arranged vertically, the contemporary-looking movement has black gold-plated and microblasted bridges.

Availability & Price

The new Trilobe Les Matinaux L’Heure Exquise models are a limited series of 100 pieces. The 18k rose gold models retail for EUR 26,500 (incl. tax), and the titanium versions cost EUR 14,500 (incl. tax). For more information, please consult trilobe.com.