Trilobe Château Trente-Deux: A French Watch Inspired by the Art of Fine Wine
There are plenty of watches that borrow terminology from the world of wine, but few take the idea quite as literally as the new Trilobe Château Trente-Deux. Created to bring together two distinctly French crafts, the latest edition from Trilobe combines its unconventional approach to displaying time with a deep burgundy dial inspired by the colour of a great vintage.
The Château Trente-Deux marks another chapter for Trilobe's Trente-Deux collection, a range that was designed, developed, manufactured, decorated and assembled in Paris. The name itself has a particularly personal meaning for the brand: Trente-Deux is the address of Trilobe's Parisian workshop and was also the codename used during development of its first in-house movement.
A Watch With Its Own Terroir
Trilobe has built much of its identity around doing things differently, and the Château Trente-Deux is no exception. The brand draws a parallel between the concept of terroir in winemaking and the importance of place in traditional French watchmaking. Its own "terroir" is the heart of Paris' Opéra district, close to Place Vendôme and the Palais-Royal, an area historically associated with celebrated French watchmakers including Le Roy, Berthoud and Lepaute.
The watch itself is entirely produced within Trilobe's Paris Manufacture, with the edition designed, manufactured, decorated and assembled there. It is an interesting distinction in an industry where "French design" and "Swiss made" can often be very different things. With the Château Trente-Deux, Trilobe is putting its Parisian manufacturing identity firmly at the centre of the watch.
A Deep Burgundy Dial
The obvious visual talking point is the dial, which takes on a rich, deep red tone inspired by the colour of a great vintage. Rather than simply applying a flat burgundy coating, Trilobe has given the main disc a matte sunray finish, while the different indications introduce additional textures and depth.
As with other Trilobe watches, the time isn't displayed using conventional central hands. Hours, minutes and seconds are represented by rotating rings and fixed indicators, with all three elements positioned on the same plane as the dial. The result is an unusual interpretation of the traditional analogue watch display, while still remaining mechanically driven.
The seconds wheel is particularly elaborate, combining azurage and Clous de Paris guilloché, while the circular chapter ring alternates satin-brushed and mirror-polished finishing.
Seven-Part Case Architecture
The Château Trente-Deux is housed in a 39.5mm 316L stainless steel case measuring 10.15mm thick, with a lug-to-lug measurement of 46.18mm. The case comprises seven individual components and combines mirror-polished, satin-brushed and microblasted surfaces.
A fluted bezel adds another layer of texture, with polished ridges contrasting against microblasted grooves, while the fluted push-button crown continues the theme. Both the front and rear are protected by sapphire crystal, with the front receiving a multi-layer ARDUR anti-reflective coating. Water resistance is rated at 5 bar, or approximately 50 metres.
The finishing is clearly intended to be an important part of the experience. Trilobe describes the architecture as echoing the layers of a wine-growing terroir, but underneath the rather elaborate wine terminology is a case with a surprisingly sophisticated combination of finishes for a stainless steel watch.
Trilobe's X-Nihilo Movement
Powering the Château Trente-Deux is Trilobe's X-Nihilo calibre, an in-house automatic mechanical movement with an oscillating weight. It operates at 28,800 vibrations per hour (4Hz), contains 34 functional jewels and is made up of 218 components.
The movement provides a 42-hour power reserve and measures just 7mm thick. Perhaps more importantly, Trilobe says every X-Nihilo movement undergoes more than 400 hours of testing before leaving the Paris workshop. The brand makes an obvious comparison with the time required for a young wine to develop in a barrel, although here the testing is concerned with isochronism rather than tannins.
It is the movement that allows Trilobe to create its distinctive display, with the hours, minutes and seconds indicated through rotating rings rather than traditional hands.
A French Watch With a French Vintage
There is one particularly unusual element to the launch. The first 100 Château Trente-Deux watches will be accompanied by a French Grand Cru, selected by Trilobe, and presented in an exclusive case created specifically for the edition.
It is a playful idea, but it also makes sense within the concept of the watch. Rather than simply borrowing wine terminology for marketing purposes, Trilobe has created an edition where the watch and the wine are deliberately presented as two expressions of French craftsmanship and appreciation.
After the initial 100 pieces, Château Trente-Deux will become part of the permanent Trente-Deux collection.
Specifications
Model: Trilobe Château Trente-Deux
Reference: 3201BDX
Case: 316L stainless steel
Case diameter: 39.5mm
Case thickness: 10.15mm
Lug-to-lug: 46.18mm
Water resistance: 5 bar / approximately 50m
Crystal: Sapphire with multi-layer ARDUR anti-reflective coating
Caseback: Sapphire crystal
Movement: X-Nihilo in-house automatic mechanical
Frequency: 28,800 vph / 4Hz
Jewels: 34 functional jewels
Components: 218
Power reserve: 42 hours
Display: Rotating hours, minutes and seconds rings
Bracelet: Stainless steel, satin-brushed and bevelled links with mirror-polished interlinks
Strap: Rubber strap available as an accessory
Price: £18,000
Warranty: 24 months
Initial edition: First 100 pieces accompanied by a French Grand Cru
Winding Things Up
The Château Trente-Deux is a distinctly Trilobe creation. The burgundy dial gives the watch an immediate visual identity, but it is the combination of the unconventional rotating-ring display, complex case construction and in-house X-Nihilo movement that makes it more than simply another colour way.
At £18,000, this is firmly positioned as a high-end independent watch rather than an accessible entry into the Trilobe range. Yet the price reflects a watch produced around an unusual in-house movement and manufactured, decorated and assembled within the brand's Paris Manufacture.
And while the wine-inspired language might initially seem like a marketing gimmick, Trilobe has at least committed fully to the concept. With its deep red dial, French manufacture, Grand Cru pairing and deliberately "vintage" character, the Château Trente-Deux is perhaps one of the more entertaining examples of a watch brand finding an unexpected way to tell its own story.
