Is this French watchmaking at its finest? With the recently launched Royale Paris Chronograph, Pequignet has added a very interesting and rather handsome new watch to its impressive portfolio. Founded in 1973 by self-taught watchmaker Emile Péquignet, the name has withstood the pressure and challenges of the quartz revolution and is slowly but surely moving to a higher echelon of French mechanical watchmaking in recent years.
The Royale Paris Chronograph we are featuring today was added to the line-up earlier this year, and is a rather handsome, contemporary-styled chronograph watch with an interesting movement. Available in two colourways with tons of character, the movement itself uses the in-house base automatic and a chronograph module developed by Dubois-Depraz. For us, it's the perfect showcase that the French manufacture is on the right path, onwards and upwards!
This, and more, in the full video. Enjoy!
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Video Summary
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The Pékinier Royal Paris chronograph is a refined timepiece from a leading independent French manufacturer. Combining a modern aesthetic with classical watchmaking, it features a 39.5mm stainless steel case and a unique modular movement. It represents the brand's evolution toward higher-grade watchmaking, blending elegant design with a functional, high-performance chronograph.
French watchmaking at its finest?
This is the handsome Pékinier Royal Paris chronograph and it packs a very interesting movement.
Founded by self-taught watchmaker Émile Pékinier in Morteau, France, a stone's throw north of Neuchâtel
and the epicenter of French mechanical watchmaking, Pékinier has been in business since 1973.
Withstanding the pressure and challenges of the quartz revolution, the company has long
remained one of France's leading independent watchmaking names.
In the early 2000s, the reigns of the Pékinier brand were transferred to Didier Leibugut
and since 2021 it's in the hands of INAO, a family-owned ethical investment fund.
Also important to note is the fact that Pékinier is a proper manufacturer since 2010,
when it introduced its first in-house movement, the Calibre Royal, making its debut a year later.
And since then, the brand has slowly but surely been moving towards a higher grade of watchmaking.
The Royal Collection is the cornerstone range for the brand, hallmarked by a refined profile
with balanced multi-layer dials that offer classical watchmaking indications
with subtle contemporary elements.
And this Royal Paris chronograph is one of the brand's latest introductions
and comes with the brand's first own chronograph movement.
The design follows suit with the ethos of the Royal Paris,
a modern yet elegant watch fit for everyday life.
The case is in stainless steel and measures a pleasant 39.5mm across and 12.7mm in height
and reveals the signature style lugs of the Royal Paris Collection.
The finishing of the case shows contrasting brushed and polished sections
and around the back you get an unimpeded view of the movement.
The flanks are recessed to add a bit of a sporty flair,
yet it all feels very restrained and refined.
And on the right side, the knurled crown is flanked by a pair of classical piston style pushers.
The sloping bezel on top has a brushed surface and meets a box-type sapphire crystal.
But where the Royal Paris range usually offers asymmetrical layouts for added complications
such as a moon phase or a power reserve display,
the Royal Paris chronograph is all about balance.
The flat center section has a grained finish and connects the two sub-dials
with the outer tachymeter scale.
The sub-dials themselves have a snail finish and come in either deep blue or burgundy red.
And in between the heart of the dial and the outer scale sits a concave trench,
with the applied hour markers bridging the gap.
The polished central hour and minute hands have a touch of superluminova down the spine
and the applied Pekingier logo rounds everything off nicely.
While it's nothing groundbreaking, the attention to detail,
the mix of textures and multiple levels give it tons of character without compromising legibility.
Now, on to the movement, which needs some explaining as I mentioned.
While most watches in this collection use the in-house produced Calibre Royale
as an automatic-based movement,
the Royal Paris chronograph uses the Calibre Initial instead.
This slim automatic movement is usually found in the Additive collection,
but here it serves as the driving force for the cam-actuated chronograph module
developed by Dubois-Depraz on top.
It runs at a frequency of 28,800 VPH and has a power reserve of 64 hours.
A nice touch, and one that's often overlooked,
is the mechanism that aligns the crown with the pushers.
In most modular chronograph movements the crown sits below the pushers
due to the fact it's connected to the base movement,
while the pushers are connected to the chronograph module on top.
The finishing of the movement is rather modern,
befitting the overall look and feel of the watch.
There's a recessed grain section on the three-quarter bridge,
with brushed outlines and multiple openings to reveal its mechanics.
And on top there's an openworked darkened central rotor,
proudly bearing the brand-stylized Fleur Delis logo.
The Royal Paris chronograph is offered on both a strap or a bracelet,
and as seen here the straps are in green nubbuck or denim-like leather.
The stainless steel bracelet complements the aesthetics and finishing details of the case,
with brushed center links connected to smaller connector links
with a polished finish for some added contrast.
With the Royal Paris chronograph, Piquigny has added a handsome modern chronograph watch
with subtle classical elements to its collection.
It simply looks great, it's very nicely finished throughout
and packs an interesting movement that's mostly done in-house.
Retailing at €6,450 it's a very solid offer, well worth your consideration.
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