A week ago, we unveiled the latest automatic watch to be added to our Union collection, the Brio Vermilion Red. As you can see, with its curved and lacquered dial, it joins the Rive Droite line and is therefore a perfect complement to the Brio Klein Blue and Brio Emerald Green models.
In reality, this last one was not really part of the program. Certainly, we had the prototype that was “hanging” on our watch shelf, and the ambassadors had seen a 3D representation during the vote for the creation of the Union collection. But we really didn’t plan to offer it anytime soon. However, the success of our pre-order campaign and the incredible support of our Ambassadors encouraged us to propose this new product a few weeks after the end of deliveries, and especially a few weeks before Christmas. Moreover, with the arrival of winter, what better color than red to bring warmth and elegance?
Let’s talk a little bit about this red because it is not just any red. We have carefully selected a vermilion red, but whose lacquer and curved shape of the dial brings carmine shades. Like its sisters, Brio Emerald Green and Brio Klein Blue, the latter has three circular hands. The minute and hour hands are covered with a Super Luminova treatment, and the second’s hand matches the color of the dial. Of course, it is also available in a limited edition of 500 pieces.
So will it be your new favorite?
Many people heard about the launch of the Union collection, an event in the heart of Paris, in an art gallery where, in addition to discovering and trying out the automatic watches in this new collection, it was possible to pre-order one’s own directly on the spot.
For the launch of the Brio Vermilion Red, as some of you know because they participated, Nicolas made a live presentation on Instagram. Why only online? Given the current situation in Paris, it seemed complicated for us to organize a big event, but it was still important to mark the occasion for this new model. So, in order to make this launch accessible to everyone, without worrying about the country, the number of guests, or other parameters, we invited ourselves to your place for a private presentation, via a Live Instagram.
This presentation allowed Nicolas to interact with you, and thus strengthen the link with the community. The welcome you gave him was most gratifying. And so, the very next day, the first enthusiasts were able to order the Brio Vermilion Red on our website.
Now, how about discovering it and trying it out? For that, nothing could be simpler, send us a message at contact@beaubleu-paris.com to book your private presentation in Paris or in video with a member of our team, or even better, with Nicolas, our designer, and co-founder.
Wishing you wonderful hours.
Beaubleu Team
Through various articles, we have talked to you about the automatic movement of your watch, about our patinated bracelets (which were offered in limited edition last winter), but we have also given you advice on how to take care of your Beaubleu. Now, with the arrival of new bracelets to match the watches in the Union collection, let us explain how to change your watch strap wherever you are and how to adjust it to your wrist.
Certainly, the great novelty of this new Union collection is the second hand that glides delicately over lacquered, glossy, or matte dials. But (because there’s always a but), there are other novelties in this collection, notably on the leather straps. The folding clasp brings security, comfort, and elegance, and the lug pumps that allow you to change your strap easily without tools.
So, let’s start with the adjustment of the folding clasp. Indeed, when you receive your watch, carefully wrapped and placed in its case, the folding clasp is mounted on only one part of the strap (the watch is presented flat), so as not to damage the leather.
To mount your folding clasp on your bracelet, simply follow the steps below:
1. To open the buckle, press the pushers on either side of the buckle.
2. Now you have a buckle made of three metal pieces. One part is already attached to the bracelet (C), the one in the center (B) is the longest with the two pushers used previously, and finally the part engraved with the Beaubleu logo (A).
3. Next, open the small clip located at the end of the folding clasp (it has a small point inside)?
4. Slide the other part of the bracelet into this clip and insert the small metal tip at the hole corresponding to your wrist size.
Now that the bracelet is at your size, close the buckle on your wrist until you hear “click”.
As explained above, the other new feature of the Union Collection bracelets is the lug pump on the bracelets to change them easily without tools.
The advantage of these lugs is that you will be able to change your watchband as many times as you want, quickly and without the risk of scratching the middle of your watch.
1. Place your watch flat with the dial face up against a flat surface that does not slide or scratch (cloth or towel).
2. At the end of your bracelet, between the lugs, you can see the lug, a small protruding ball. You just have to apply a slight pressure towards the inside, and it’s done. The pump dislodges on one side only and the bracelet comes off completely.
3. To put on your new bracelet, keep the watch on the cloth or towel with the dial turned upside down. Insert one side of the strap pump into the corresponding hole on the lug, then apply slight pressure on the lug to reduce the size of the pump and slide it into the other hole. Click. The wristband is correctly positioned.
You are now well-informed about your bracelet. Of course, if you encounter any problems, we are here to solve them, or at least do our best to be available and help you.
So let’s go back a few days when our watchmakers recovered all the separate parts: dials, cases, hands, and movements. After having followed every step in the creation of your watch, today we will find out how it is assembled.
Promptly we will finish assembling the first Union Collection watches. Unfortunately, we had to announce a delay, but we have worked hard to shorten the delivery times of your watches as much as possible, in particular thanks to the express service. This service will allow all of your watches to be expedited before September.
The centerpiece of the watch, the movement, is made up of around a hundred parts, which when assembled must respect well-defined precision. Each movement must be engraved with the name of the Maison (rotor), checked, and then adjusted using the adjustment racket. Once this operation is complete, we can move on to fitting the dial.
The first step in assembling Union Collection watches is adding the hands to the dial. To execute this, we place the two feet on the back of the dial in the plate (here it is not the material but the base plate which supports all the components of the automatic movement). Subsequently, we place the winding stem at 3 o’clock. It is essentially screwing the screws to the side of the plate in the corresponding holes. During this phase, you must be careful not to use force with the fragile feet of the dial.
For this second delicate phase of assembling the Union Collection, our watchmakers are arming themselves with their pointer drift and massive amounts of patience.The first step is to align the hour hand well in front of the 12. Here, the difficulty is placing the hand adjacent to the dial, without it touching the indexes. Afterward, our watchmaker checks several times to make sure that nothing prevents it from turning.
For the minute hand, we repeat the same operation. It should be almost glued to the hour hand (0.2 mm), without touching it. The difficulty with our round hands lies in their positioning facing the 12 without bending. We then do another round of verification.
To check that the hands are correctly aligned, the watchmaker places them at 6 p.m. If the 2 hands are in the same position, the hand placement has been correctly performed, and we can move on to the second-hand placement. On the other hand, if it is not done correctly, the two hands must be removed using a dial cover, vital in avoiding scratches.
Once the checks are done, it is time to switch to the second’s hand. The largest of the hands, the second’s hand, is particularly difficult to assemble. Not having a small dot at its end, it must be positioned as precisely as possible on the dial. It also must be handled gently because of the risk of bending. This is a meticulous process because watchmakers must be error-free to prevent damage to the mechanism. When the three circular hands are impeccably placed, we check the cleanliness of the dial, the case, and the glass. Fingerprints and final dust particles are removed using a Rodico and a microfiber cloth.
This step requires that all checks be made, and the elements are cleaned. It is an obligatory step because if a speck of dust becomes stuck in one of the elements, it would require the watch to be disassembled.
Then, we remove the winding stem and place the automatic movement in the case. During this step, you must pay attention to the direction in which the movement is positioned, and the space that accommodates the winding stem must be opposite the 3 o’clock.
To maintain the movement for continued assembly, we put the winding stem back on after another cleanliness check. The automatic movement is clean, and it is time to place it in the case keeping in mind the casing ring which keeps the movement in its proper place.
Now, we will have to cut the winding stem to the right length and file and screw the crown. Everything is a question of delicacy and gentleness in watchmaking. Come on, one more final check for dust and fingerprints. We can, therefore, close the case with 4 screws in the back of the case and the assembly is finally finished. All that remains is the addition of your strap and final detail and water-resistance checks.
Speaking of bracelets, let’s make a small parenthesis before concluding. Being equipped with a flash pump, it is easily interchangeable at home and without tools (internal link page how to change your bracelet). Moreover, for the first time, we offer bracelets with a folding buckle. What’s the difference? A lot of things, but above all this type of buckle makes the bracelet more durable by damaging it less since once adjusted, there is no need to touch it anymore. The folding buckles match the case, Rose Gold for the Audace and Olympus and Steel for the other models.
This is the end of our production notebook. We have given you the main lines concerning the manufacture of the various elements and the assembly of our watches. But of course, if you have any questions or would like more information on certain points, we will be happy to answer them. Please do not hesitate to contact us via our contact form.
Now it’s time for us to finish the shipping so that our Ambassadors will have the pleasure to receive their watches.
Wishing you wonderful hours,
Beaubleu Team
The second stage of production is the Union Collection case manufacturing. In the previous article, you discovered the process and creation of the flat and curved dials. Today, we will introduce you to the next chapter of our series and will discuss the savoir-faire of the case’s fabrication.
Before we begin, it is important to note that our cases go through a unique design process. Generally, the horns are an integral part of the case, but in Beaubleu, the horns come to encircle it and screw inside the case. The challenges of our design, therefore, lie in the adjustment of parts and the treatment of surfaces. An exciting process but not without risk.
Let us start the manufacturing of the cases! Suffice to say that, for now, these are simple blocks of steel, and it will be a long journey before the results. To go from the draft to the result, you must follow different stages interspersed with measurement and annealing operations.
The first step in creating the middle of the case is the modeling of the steel block. It is a simple block that will be successively compressed and flattened ten times using rolling mills – machines made up of hardened steel cylinders. This stage changes the metal quality to create a compact solid shape. Each piece will have to pass the dimension test because each variation will be visible on the final product. Nothing we can’t handle!
Today, we are in the workshop to check the first pieces of the stamping stage. We will discuss with our craftsmen the various difficulties encountered and viable solutions.
The stamping operation, which would be like cutting, consists of shaping the medium with a stamp that crushes the material. Repeated several times, the metal gradually regains its shape. Between each stamping, the part is annealed and remeasured.
We begin to see the first elements of the Beaubleu watch horns. They are worked separately, and at this stage are only a silhouette of the design. We remain ruthless in the face of quality, and non-conforming parts are entirely reworked.
Once the stamping process is finished, the piece is now ready to begin the machining stage. The machining process is an important step, and failure at this level of manufacturing can result in significant costs. This step consists in sculpting the final shape of the parts, focusing on the mechanical aspect, i.e. ensuring the placement and drilling of the screws, the adjustment of the parts between them (case horns and movement), and the quality of the shapes (chamfers, fillets, curves, and solids).
At this stage, we finally have before us the Beaubleu pieces. The horns are hollowed out using an arm capable of positioning on five axes. This technique is called CNC 5-Axis Use and is intended for small series. In our case, it is the most advanced technology to obtain the expected result. The horns’ slenderness and position must be treated first by computer-controlled machines and after by hand.
Alex, a machining specialist, sums up our day with a laugh: “Your horns are beautiful, but hell to do.” In order not to spoil anything, pieces are precise to a tenth of a millimeter, with each part remeasured and redone from the start if it is considered non-compliant.
We knew it, but the machining step being extremely delicate, several parts were not in conformity: deformations of certain parts due to metal variations and other unexpected “pleasures”. So, we stay calm and begin again. Luckily, this has no impact on production times, which is a victory.
Considering the past few days and the relaxation of government working conditions regarding Covid-19, we are now entering the most beautiful stage: the treatment of surfaces. We have gone from a big block of steel to a rough watch. Now it is time for a final look at the metal of the Union collection: grained and polished. All visible parts are placed in a sealed box where very fine sand will be thrown at high speed. Abrasion of the steel will then give this grainy, almost powdery appearance. The challenge here is to better control the grain size to obtain homogeneous and delicate graining.
The next steps is polishing. Using a lathe, the parts are polished, being extremely careful not to protrude from the grained surfaces. Despite the loud noise of the machines, the workshop is plunged into religious silence for the concentration of each craftsman. A single movement can damage the sanded surface and if this is the case, we must start sanding completely.
Another element must be considered: the quality of the surface. Aside from the absence of scratches, the qualified experts, and our designer Nicolas, check the light and environmental expressions on the watch. It is like the body of a car, the reflective design will tell you if the part is “veiled”, concave, or convex. It is a question of experience at this level because if you remove too much material from the polishing, it is the assurance to start the part from the beginning.
There is a special mention for the hollowed-out ropes. Since no power tool is small enough to polish the interior, the finishes are done entirely by hand. Great progression!
A small routine check on the first steel watches begins. The angles of the parts are well controlled, and we see ourselves in the polished surfaces. Some parts have been reworked to meet our quality requirements.
Today, there are still different stages, such as the processing of certain models such as the Audace or Olympe from the Rive Gauche line, and of course the final assembly. In the meantime, we will focus on our signature round hands and their manufacturing process.
Most of us have resumed work, life is gradually resuming, and for several weeks now, the production of our Union Collection watches has begun. This article will be the first of a small series, which will give our ambassadors the opportunity to follow the manufacturing process and its different stages: from the dials to the straps.
Today we are going to discuss the dials. Originally, it was a simple metal plate, which quickly became the center of attention. If we consider the case as the body of the watch, the dial is therefore the delicate face.
This is the first element that attracts the eye, it is, therefore, important to carry it out in the rules of art with impeccable quality. The manufacture of a dial is far from being a subcategory of watchmaking, it requires impeccable know-how and extreme precision to be both beautiful and readable. It supports many elements such as indexes, decorations, or simply inscriptions. In addition, for perfect placement of the hands, without risking touching the glass covering them or the other parts of the dial, each measurement must be made to the nearest hundredth of a millimeter. For our watches, the additional difficulty will be the curved dial, which requires a special technique.
April 15, 2020
First day of production. The excitement is at its peak, after weeks of the pre-order campaign and the uncertainty that we have all faced with COVID- 19, we are finally starting the cutting of steel plates which will become flat or curved dials. We begin to make the central and outer contour, where the canon of the movement will be housed. The canon will consequently receive the circular hands. The cutting process stops here for the flat dial, and for the curved dial, we will have to carve a thicker steel plate to give it its curved shape.
April 20, 2020
That day, we soldered our feet to the dials. These feet will be clipped onto the movement to position the dial for the following operations and final assembly.
April 25, 2020
This Wednesday, big things are happening. Using sandpaper, we will soften the metal plate. This step will remove machining residue, then sand the surface and finally prepare it for polishing.
Directly after these stages of dial preparation, before lacquering and varnishing, the plate must be properly polished to obtain a perfectly smooth surface to eliminate micro-scratches. This stage of the process is very meticulous, and we establish the bases of the best quality to limit the problems which can arise later. Indeed, we always have some surprises…
April 27, 2020
The dials now have the desired shape, they are polished and ready to receive their first layer of lacquer for the curved dials and varnish for the flat dials. Here we begin the last and most delicate stage of the production of the dials.
Whether lacquer or varnish, the process remains the same, but as you may have seen in pictures, the rendering is different. To prevent particles of dust from settling on the dial, we isolate it in a special cabin under very strict conditions. Our standards of cleanliness are high to offer you high-quality parts. Then, the varnish is applied with care, set to dry, and adheres to the metal plate before adding a second coat to obtain our famous velvet colors. Generally, a lacquer is applied on a flat surface and it is thus easier to manage the thickness of the coats. On our curved dials, the operation is more complicated and requires a special technique which is a secret recipe from the Maison!
May 7, 2020
Our dials are now dressed in their velvet color. So, it is time to focus on the last details. Let us start with the decal, here it is to add the inscriptions that should appear on the plate. Whether on flat or curved dials, you will always find the same three inscriptions: “Beaubleu Paris”, “Création Parisienne” (Parisian creation), and “Automatique” (automatic). This pad printing process is carried out in a white room to prevent the encrusting of dust particles once again. You may have a question in mind, but what is pad printing?
A pear-shaped tool collects the ink inscription on an engraved surface, then immediately moves it on the dial to obtain a clear and precise inscription.
May 12, 2020
Today we insert the indexes. The application of the indexes which are in the form of a lamp requires a different technique. These elements must be applied meticulously in their reserved place on the dial. They thus create a relief effect that accentuates the contrasts of the dial and therefore of the watch. And you know, it is all about contrast with Beaubleu watches!
May 20, 2020
Now is the time for quality control, an important step as it determines which parts can be used and which have defects.
May 27, 2020
Following the quality control of the dials, defects were detected on 4% of the parts. These defects, not visible to the naked eye, are most often micro-dust between the varnish and the metal plate or microbubbles in pad printing. They, therefore, lead to the scrapping of these parts to remake them from scratch. By this process, we install a high level of quality for our pieces.
This is how the first part of our logbook of the production collection ends. In the next article, we will detail the manufacturing of the cases, which requires different know-how but is just as exciting.
After a few weeks full of emotions, we have decided to share the crazy Beaubleu adventure and the launch of our new Collection Union with our Kickstarter campaign. A common success with a lot of twists and turns!
35 days of joy, enthusiasm and will power, but also some moments of anxiety and unexpected (otherwise, it would not be funny…). 35 days to become closer together with our Beaubleu community. This project, that we carried to heart, could not be what it became without your support and your enthusiasm.
Launched on February 29th (lucky day?), our Kickstarter goal of 42K € has been exceeded in less than 24 hours, instead of the 35 days planned. An amazing start, full of memorable memories for the Beaubleu House and its community.
Quickly, we created the keen interest of watchmaking experts in France and abroad, with press articles worldwide – actually, we count more than 25 press releases!
During these weeks, the number of backers did not stop growing (more than twice), and made us reach more than 300% of our final objective: 128 443 €.
A common accomplishment that gives us the opportunity to serenely launch the Union Collection production thoroughly prepared upstream.
In a few hours, our backers will receive a survey on Kickstarter to finalize their choices of watch, strap and other options available.
As every good thing comes to an end, the preorders
will continue on our website at a
higher price than the one proposed on Kickstarter.
Over the production, we will publish a detailed diary about the birth of the
Union Collection, on our different digital platforms (website, Instagram,
Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter et Newsletters).
Today, our craftsmen and professional partners are ready to start
production, and even if the world is facing a complicated period, our daily
discussions assure the best manufacturing monitoring.
We stay at your complete disposal to answer your questions.
We wish you wonderful hours.
The Beaubleu team.
For a few days, for general health, we are encouraged to stay at home. But no worries, life is still going on and more than ever the Beaubleu adventure so. As you may know, our new Union Collection has highlighted some innovations such as the second’s hand, the lume, and the blued steel hands. And we will talk about these last ones.
You can see them on some models like the Olympe and the Intrepide, they are easily recognizable with their blue shades. We have chosen them to twirl on our dial because they give poetry – as we are always looking for – contrast – you can find it in every detail of our watches – and readability – their blued shade stays discrete to be more focused on the reading of time.
Today, more used for the aesthetics of our watches, the blued steel hands used to have specific usefulness.
Let’s go back a few decades ago, we can say the Before War period. The steel hands were flame blued to reduce the sensitivity of the metal against the corrosion. But what process do we use? It is quite simple – depending on your knowledge and experience of course – the blued color is obtained thanks to a temperature rise process. First, we heat red the steel and then we steep it to increase its resistance. Then, we heat it again at a specific temperature. If it is not heated enough, we will have yellow shade, if the temperature is too high, we’ll obtain a purple shade.
Here we are, you know all about our blued steel hands and the contrasts they give to our timekeeper while conserving the best reading of time possible. Each variation given by these hands extends the discovery of your watch and these surprises unfold by the everyday light. For us – and for you too – each detail counts, then it seemed important to us, and useful, to tell you these “small” information about our circular hands.
Even if the actual period in France is not the best ever, we will keep writing every week about our watch and our universe.
We wish you wonderful hours,
Take care and stay safe.
The Beaubleu Team
You got it, you will be able to preorder our new Union Collection from February 29th at 00:01. To centralize and simplify the preorder process, everything will happen with the crowdfunding platform called Kickstarter. Never heard about it? No worries, this article is made for explaining how the platform works and the simple step to follow to preorder your watch.
Kickstarter is a crowdfunding platform with the objective to achieve for starting the production. Through this process, you take part in the Beaubleu adventure and you have the opportunity to have your watch before anyone else.
Our goal is to reach and overtake the crowdfunding objective –the sky is the limit. When the campaign will end, we will start the manufacturing process of your watch.
Our Kickstarter page will be online on February 29th at 00:01. This page gives you access to all the details concerning the new collection, from the creation to the production chain. After learning everything about our project (if you did not know it), discover the 3 simple steps to follow for preordering your watch:
When you are on our Kickstarter page, on the right side, you will see a column with different rewards. You just have to select the one you want.
After having selected your reward, you will be invited to subscribe to Kickstarter in a few seconds. When your personal informations are completed, you will be automatically redirected to the payment page, the preorder final step.
When our Kickstarter campaign will end (April 5th), we will send you a survey about your watch choice(s) and the options available (strap, engraving, etc).
Finally, we will keep you in touch about the different manufacturing steps until the reception of your watch in July.
The Beaubleu adventure continues, thanks to you. Your support on Kickstarter will help us to extend our brand and to be internationally known. Let’s start this new chapter together on February 29th!
Thank you again for your support and enthusiasm.
We wish you wonderful hours.
The Beaubleu team.
You couldn’t miss it, our babies are out, and we did not expect this frenzy about the new collection! The excitement aside, I wanted to take a few minutes to talk to you about the story of the Union Collection. This part is the first step about the design process of the house before the launching (very expected) of the pre-orders.
A few months ago, someone asked me: “so how is going to be the new collection?”. I knew people were expecting a lot from this new creation, and I asked myself: How to offer more surprise and keeping at the same time the Beaubleu’s identity? Who will go these watches to? How to integrate the community’s expectations? Such a hard work…
However, before putting down my first thoughts, I strolled in Paris… From the antique stores to the design gallery and the 11th district restaurants, I was looking for a main thread for the entire collection. It was the moment to find the coherency.
I imagined this watch like an interior. From a room to another, the aspect stays because of the combination of warm and cold materials. The warmth of a wood table with a velvet sofa joined by a marble table, all these contrasts play with our senses, for our greatest pleasure.
As often, we have the same vision as our ambassadors. The envy of giving colors was evidence. So, what colors? How to keep the vibrating and warm side of the interior design? I started to buy velvet and satin to find deeper colors, that tell stories.
Once the main thread is found, it is complicated to not draw the first ideas, and keeping adding new materials, and images. We test our first inspirations, to see if, with time, we are not bored. This process is long and hard, but we cannot miss it, because if there is one thing that we don’t want, it is that became bored. No, no and No !
After, I compiled the finale inspirations, and I mixed them: a velvet with a polished steel, a green with a Soulage painting or a grained paper. And without any drawings, the models started to appear (almost) by themselves.
Then, the inpiration step is ending, but will stay on our Studio’s wall until the end of the production.
This step was celebrated with the team, of course, and the next day, the serious thngs were back with the step of creation.
Next week, same day, same hour, we meet for the second step of creation. We will talk about drawings and composition.
We wish you wonderful hours,
Nicolas Pham, Beaubleu’s designer
You couldn’t miss them. These last days we have posted pictures of new universal collection’s watches. Of course, the pending continues, but don’t worry, you will discover them very soon (speaking of hours), but before that, a few words about our first universal collection.
After two years, you got it, our first universal collection is coming! A few changes have been made…
“Universal”, such a word. It means for everyone. We were exhausted to hear “mixt” or “unisex” without a real meaning. Our universal collection is the results of thought about the watchmaking about the gender distinction and about the watch for women. As we said in our previous article about our vision of the watchmaking for women, this collection breaks the frontiers between gender and refocus on the watchmaking.
Adios butterflies, glitters and unicorns for the women! Adios the super big watches for men! Welcome to the poetry and the innovation with our fine details! Our goal? Finding back a balance with a unique size of box and an elegance signed Beaubleu.
Beaubleu, a watchmaking house with circular hands but not only. As we like to say, Beaubleu is not only a story of watches. We like to share our passion and experiences with you. This is why we have created the Beaubleu Club, reserved to our Ambassadors. It gives access to many advantages such as the co-creation of new collections. For the first time (not the last), we asked our Ambassadors to compose this new universal collection. And again, the worry of details was in the heart of our exchanges. They were very concerned and played the game perfectly by telling us comments and expectations, and also encouragements and congratulations.
Very expected, the third circular hand for the seconds has finally appeared. It has a different material treatment than the minutes and hours hands. It offers a new poetry on the dial while keeping the readability of the time. When we see it moving on the colored curved or flat dial, you cannot stop watching it, and you can see the time passing.
Our new collection will be launch for the first time of Beaubleu’s history with the crowdfunding platform called Kickstarter. The pieces will be presented during a big event and they will be available for preorders form the 29th of February. And always with the wish to give more privileges to our clients, we will propose a very special price.