{"id":31347,"date":"2026-06-05T16:46:08","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T16:46:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/31347\/"},"modified":"2026-06-05T16:46:08","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T16:46:08","slug":"hands-on-the-pequignet-royale-paris-chronograph-incl-video-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/31347\/","title":{"rendered":"Hands-On: The Pequignet Royale Paris Chronograph (Incl. Video Review)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Just a stone\u2019s throw north of Neuch\u00e2tel, Switzerland and crossing the border into France, you will stumble upon a town called Morteau. Much like Le Locle and the Vall\u00e9e de Joux are for the Swiss, Morteau is the heart of French mechanical watchmaking<\/a>. It is here that you will find the Pequignet manufacture<\/a>, a company that\u2019s been in business since 1973. Withstanding the pressure and challenges of the quartz revolution, the company has long remained one of France\u2019s leading independent watchmaking names<\/a>. One of the latest watches to come out of the brand\u2019s workshop is the Royale Paris Chronograph<\/a>, and today we\u2019re taking a closer look at it.<\/p>\n

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Founded by self-taught watchmaker Emile P\u00e9quignet in 1973, the company\u2019s reins were transferred to Didier Leibundgut in the early 2000s, and for the past couple of years, it\u2019s been in the hands of Enowe, a family-owned ethical investment fund. What\u2019s important to note is the fact that Pequignet has been a proper manufacture since 2010, when it introduced its first in-house movement, the Calibre Royale, making its debut in a watch a year later. And since then, the brand has slowly but surely been moving towards a higher grade of watchmaking<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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The Royale collection<\/a> serves as the cornerstone range for the brand, hallmarked by a refined profile and balanced multi-layered dials that offer classical watchmaking indications with subtle contemporary elements<\/a>. This Royale Paris Chronograph is one of the brand\u2019s latest introductions and features its own chronograph movement.<\/p>\n

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The design follows suit with the ethos of the Royale Paris range<\/a>. A modern yet elegant watch, fit for everyday life. The case measures a pleasant 39.5mm across and 12.7mm in height, and reveals the signature style lugs of the Royale Paris collection. It also means the Royale Paris Chronograph is a rather modestly sized watch, considering it\u2019s a modular automatic chronograph. The finishing reveals 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 flair, yet it all feels very restrained and refined. On the right side, the knurled crown is flanked by a pair of classical piston-style pushers. The sloping bezel has a brushed top surface and meets a box-type sapphire crystal.<\/p>\n

While the Royale Paris collection usually offers asymmetrical layouts for added complications, such as a moon phase or power reserve display<\/a>, the Royale Paris Chronograph is all about balance. The flat centre section has a grained finish and connects the two subdials with the outer tachymeter scale. The subdials themselves have a snailed finish and come in either deep blue or burgundy red, with an upcoming panda version, which you can see here on a steel bracelet. In between the heart of the dial sits a concave \u2018trench\u2019 with the applied hour markers bridging the gap, if you will. The polished hour and minute hands have a touch of Super-LumiNova down the spine, and the applied logo rounds everything off. While it\u2019s nothing groundbreaking, the attention to detail, mix of textures and multiple levels give it tons of character without compromising legibility.<\/p>\n

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As mentioned, the movement needs a little explaining. While most watches in this collection use the in-house produced Calibre Royale<\/a> as an automatic base movement, this Royale Paris Chronograph uses the Calibre Initial instead<\/a>. This slim automatic movement is usually found in the Attitude<\/a> or Concorde<\/a> collections, 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 28,800vph and has a power reserve of 65 hours.<\/p>\n

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The finishing is rather modern, befitting the watch\u2019s overall look and feel. There\u2019s a recessed grained section on the three-quarter bridge, with brushed outlines and multiple openings to reveal its mechanics. On top, there\u2019s a darkened openworked central rotor, proudly bearing the brand\u2019s stylised Fleur de Lys logo. A nice touch, and one that\u2019s often overlooked, is the mechanism that aligns the crown with the pushers. In most modular chronograph movements, the crown sits below the pushers because it\u2019s connected to the base, while the pushers are connected to the module.<\/p>\n

The Royale Paris Chronograph is offered on either a strap or a bracelet. As seen here, the straps are green nubuck, or denim-like leather with a steel pin buckle. The stainless steel bracelet, also available, complements the case\u2019s aesthetics and finish. The brushed centre links are connected to one another with smaller connector links, which are polished for added contrast. With this Royale Paris Chronograph, Pequignet has added a handsome, modern chronograph to its collection with subtle classical elements. It looks great, is very nicely finished throughout and packs an interesting movement that\u2019s mostly done in-house. Retailing for EUR 6,450, it\u2019s a very solid offer well worth your consideration.<\/p>\n

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For more information, please visit Pequignet.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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