Beaubleu

Maison Beaubleu was founded in Paris in 2017 by Nicolas Ducoudert, a designer specialised in automobile and luxury product design, around a single, instantly recognisable signature: circular hour and minute hands, replacing the conventional pointed hand with a perfect circle at its tip. Ducoudert traces the idea to his own thinking about the circle as the fundamental starting point of any conceptualisation of space — from astronomy to the proportions of a classical painting — and describes the resulting watch as something that moves beyond a simple tool or accessory into a genuine object of experience, one that each wearer is free to interpret according to their own sensitivity. Since its creation, Beaubleu has embodied what the brand calls 'the desire to free oneself from codes through the culture of free time,' elevating each passing moment to the rank of a unit of measurement rather than treating time as something to be raced against. The Maison states its identity through three founding rules: challenging the status quo in constant search of new ingredients for what it calls 'the art of the twist'; defending creative freedom as the central driving force of its community and initiatives; and promoting sustainability through attachment, building solid, meaningful objects intended to be kept and passed on rather than discarded. Beyond a brand, Beaubleu describes itself as a community united around this vision, in a spirit where hedonism and creativity are equally championed.

Design, conception, and assembly all take place in Paris — a commitment Beaubleu frames with characteristic French self-awareness as returning production to watchmaking's original cradle, working closely with French artisans to guarantee both efficiency and quality. Movements are sourced from two partners: Miyota calibres power select references, while the La Pièce and Seconde Française collections are built around movements from the historic French manufacture France Ébauches, whose close partnership with Swiss manufacture Soprod allows Beaubleu to offer a 5-year warranty and, on these models, an open caseback revealing the movement's distinctive symmetrical architecture. The brand's steel bracelet — developed over many months of research into an articulated steel-blade construction that follows the curves of both watch and wrist — is a more recent signature addition, engineered specifically for softness, lightness, and flexibility.

The collection is organised into four named families beyond the Permanent and Limited Editions ranges. Ecce, the Maison's inaugural permanent line launched in 2023 and titled 'It's Obvious,' is structured as a trilogy of dials each expressing a distinct personality within the same artistic direction: Ecce Vesperal, brushed and minimalist with finely executed beveling revealing a blue border that shifts with the light of day and night; Ecce Lys; and Ecce Smalt. Ecce Figura extends that visual language further, while Seconde Française and La Pièce showcase the France Ébauches movement partnership directly through open casebacks. Beaubleu also maintains an Ambassador Club for its collector community, an Archives collection of past limited editions, and Flat White as a further named reference within the wider catalogue — all sold through Beaubleu's own boutiques and online store from its Rue Notre-Dame de Nazareth address in the Marais.