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Luxury Beyond Switzerland: Six French Watch Brands to Watch
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While you can find the heart of high-end horology beating away in Switzerland, cognoscenti know not to overlook the French. Watch insiders will probably be familiar with names like Breguet and Audemars Piguet, brands with French (or truly French-adjacent) origins.
But for reasons that are clear, many luxury watch manufacturers connect themselves as closely as they can with the Swiss.
Today, I’d like to draw your attention to some undeniably French watch brands, illustrating how your search for luxury shouldn’t be confined to the land of clockmakers.
Let’s get started.
Yema
Founded by Henry Louis Belmont in Besançon, France, in 1948, Yema has a long tradition of making timepieces for adventurers. From the Superman to the Flygraf, from space to the North Pole, you’ll find Yema has staked its claim for French horology anywhere men dare to explore.
Once owned by Seiko and Beckensteiner, Yema has now returned to its roots under Montres Ambre de Morteau, making it solidly Gallic again.
Expect elegant design in field watches like the capable Flygraf, built on a titanium chassis that’s as light as it is comfortable.
Easily one of the most attractive field watches at any price, Yema’s Flygraf is a testament to value: exacting materials, meticulous precision, and experience everywhere danger is commonplace.
Similar aesthetic choices, and just as much attention to wearability, comfort, and refined taste, appear in the Granvelle CMM.20. Ultra-slim rotors and case design mean that the Granvelle disappears on your wrist, ready when you need it, but not forcing itself into your attention.
For discerning gentlemen looking for a watch that stands out while not being loud, a timepiece that says a lot with its silence, look no further than Yema.
Michel Herbelin
At just 26, an independent-minded Michel Herbelin began crafting watches in Charquemont, a village located in the heart of the Jura Mountains in France.
Working out of his parents’ house, Herbelin’s vision – to restore French watchmaking’s pride of place – continues to drive the company and his two sons: Jean-Claude and Pierre-Michel.
What can you expect from Michel Herbelin?
Stunning precision, sophistication, and timeless elegance.
It’s refreshing to see high horology really embracing women’s designs. A quick glance at Herbelin’s collections reveals a deep catalogue of rectangular-faced Antares, each wearing an exquisitely crafted dial, and an impressive range of bracelets and straps for these models.
Gentlemen aren’t left out in the cold, either. The strikingly elegant Inspiration, especially with its deep blue dial and understated sword hands and hour markers, makes an indelible first impression.
And in a consumer culture obsessed with the popular, choosing the Inspiration is an inspired decision.
Baltic
A newcomer to the luxury scene in France, Etienne Malec’s Baltic Watches reflect his father’s deep-seated love of horology, and that passion is front and center in this watchmaker’s collections.
Rarely does one house produce so many eye-catching designs, and if you’re on the hunt for a lesser-known alternative to big names in the luxury industry, look no further.
From the ultra-legible, no-nonsense Hermetique Tourer, available in a wide range of dial colors and matching straps, to the refined HMS, to “classics” like the Aquacaphe, Baltic knows the look of luxury.
That’s not flash or bling; Baltic’s designs draw on a clear sense of purpose translated into action, and whether you need a timepiece for dress that can serve just as ably in causal roles, or demand a precision instrument for the field, there’s a watch that’s a reflection of your esprit among their offerings.
And to my eye, the subdued, textured dial of the Aquascaphe, paired with its minimalist aesthetic, makes this perhaps the diver’s watch to own. That’s saying a lot for a timepiece competing with the likes of the Submariner and Aqua Terra.
Lip
In 1867, Emmanuel Lipmann founded a small watchmaking workshop in Besançon, beginning a horological journey that continues today. One look at LIP’s catalogue reveals a situation similar to Baltic: there are so many spectacular timepieces that it’s hard to choose just one.
The Himalaya Calendrier Automatique is the kind of watch every gentleman craves: sophisticated, yes, but ready for action, too. The deep blue dial, simple hands, and red accents are less ornaments and more a testament to clever, legible design.
This is a watch capable enough to trust with your life when summiting impossible peaks (it was – in 1950, Maurice Herzog and Louis Lachenal reached the summit of Annapurna wearing these timepieces). It’s also perfect for a sunset cocktail party with friends by the sea.
For those who prefer pilot’s watches, the rugged Type 14 is nothing short of heart-stopping, and as with the Baltic Aquascaphe, that matte dial finish is marvelous.
Dressier occasions are met where they live by the Churchill and its many variations in dial, case, and strap. Among them, you’ll find the Churchill T18 (ref. 671000), offering the classic elegance and timeless value that the discerning demand.
Pequignet
Emile Pequignet founded this watch house in Morteau, France, in 1973. Since then, it’s been producing timepieces that rival anything you’ll find in Zurich for precision manufacture and sheer aesthetics.
My two favorites are easy choices for refined elegance: the Attitude Hallmark Viper’s Head (ref. 9060313PV) and the Royale Origine (ref. 9010437).
The Attitude is something very hard to pull off: minimalist elegance that signals taste. There’s something about that opaline-white dial and subdued hands and markers that my eye can’t let go.
And from a drive down the Adriatic coast to a weekend in Malta, this watch somehow manages to look effortlessly elegant in anything short of a tuxedo.
By contrast, the Royal Origine’s intricate details, striking blue hands, and elegant case design is perfect for everything from business casual to the opera, and no one, no matter what they’re wearing or how deep their horological savvy, will fail to be impressed.
Serica
Serica was born from the creative minds of Jérôme Burgert and Gabriel Vachette in 2019. And while this watch brand has a very limited collection, what you’ll find is nothing short of stunning.
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The 5303 Diving Chronometer is an effective counterpoint to the Rolex Submariner – by any metric, the bar against which all dive watches are measured.
Rather than double down on the Submariner’s good looks, Serica took the 5303 in a different direction: a unique dial design that enhances legibility through simplicity.
By moving the hour markers toward the center of the dial, the hour hand is brought into closer communion with the indicators, making instant readability a snap.
And the oversized crown, bruised case, and mesh bracelet mean that this watch looks just as sharp for work as it does for play – something quintessentially French.
Another Serica timepiece making waves in Gallic horology is the 6190, a field watch with military origins, it neither tries to hide nor can.
Simple legibility, uncluttered elegance of purpose married to design: that’s what Serica offers with the 6190, and from afternoons in vineyards to dinner on the Champs d’Elysees, this watch is for style-conscious but not trend-driven ladies and gentlemen with a cultivated sense of taste.
Conclusion
In horological circles, “luxury” and “Switzerland” are more or less synonyms, and that stands to reason. Swiss watchmaking stands out for its mechanical excellence, its rich history, and its brand recognition.
Despite this, the style-forward French are repositioning themselves to recover Gallic horology’s well-respected roots, and companies like Serica, Pequignet, Baltic, and Yema are demonstrating that they have what it takes to compete in luxury watchmaking.
If you’re searching for a new timepiece, it’s worth travelling the path less taken and exploring what these watch houses have to offer.
About Exquisite Timepieces
Established in 1998, Exquisite Timepieces is your one-stop shop for all things luxury watches! We are an authorized dealer for 60+ luxury watch brands including Omega, Hublot, Seiko, & Longines! We are proud to showcase one of the world’s largest pre-owned watch collections, including renowned brands like Rolex and Patek Philippe. Check out our brand new watch arrivals here and popular pre-owned listings here.
