{"id":227753,"date":"2025-10-20T15:34:12","date_gmt":"2025-10-20T15:34:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/227753\/"},"modified":"2025-10-20T15:34:12","modified_gmt":"2025-10-20T15:34:12","slug":"beaubleu-seconde-francaise-hands-on","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/227753\/","title":{"rendered":"Beaubleu Seconde Fran\u00e7aise | HANDS ON"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jamie Weiss<\/a><\/p>\n

There\u2019s just something about French design (a je ne sais quoi, if you will) that isn\u2019t afraid to be a bit offbeat. French cars, for example, are famously quirky, and some of modern France\u2019s most famous architectural landmarks \u2013 from the Eiffel Tower to the Centre Pompidou \u2013 were, at the time of their construction, incredibly bold statements. That\u2019s exactly what the Beaubleu Seconde Fran\u00e7aise is, too: a bold, very French horological statement<\/a> that offers Parisian panache and refinement at a surprisingly reasonable price point.<\/p>\n

The case<\/p>\n

\"beaubleu<\/p>\n

In terms of watch cases, 2025 has been defined by two major design trends: shaped cases and hidden lugs. The Seconde Fran\u00e7aise features the former rather than the latter: while it has a relatively conventional circular form, it\u2019s got a real \u2018disco volante\u2019<\/a> vibe which feels very of the zeitgeist and gives it a shapely, demure aesthetic. And it might not have hidden lugs, but it does have a hidden crown, with the curvaceous lug shoulders flowing over the top of the crown, almost blanketing the case middle, showing off alternate brushed and polished surfaces.<\/p>\n

\"beaubleu<\/p>\n

Dimensions-wise, it wears quite nicely, measuring up at 39mm in diameter, 10.2mm thick and 45mm lug-to-lug. Proportionally, the lugs feel a little on the long side, but that\u2019s a nitpick.<\/p>\n

The dial<\/p>\n

\"Beaubleu<\/p>\n

Seconde Fran\u00e7aise means \u201cFrench seconds\u201d, and Beaubleu has come up with an artful description of what that\u2019s supposed to be: \u201c[A] unit of time specific to the French way of life. Light, mysterious and approximate, it illustrates a certain taste of the Moment, a bit casual.\u201d Oh l\u00e0 l\u00e0. Well, I\u2019ll indulge it if this is what a French seconds indicator is supposed to be. Rather than hands, the Beaubleu Seconde Fran\u00e7aise utilises three rings, which feature small tips that point to the hours, minutes and seconds.<\/p>\n

\"beaubleu<\/p>\n

At first glance, it\u2019s a slightly bewildering way to read the time \u2013 it reminds me of a circus artist spinning hula hoops \u2013 but it\u2019s entirely functional. These circular hands are a signature of Beaubleu\u2019s, with all of its model ranges utilising them, but the Seconde Fran\u00e7aise stands out from the pack by using a \u201cflying seconds\u201d. This hand\/circle is mounted on a transparent disc, meaning the Seconde Fran\u00e7aise is technically a mystery dial<\/a> (a format of timepiece that the most famous French name in watchmaking, Cartier, is well-known for\u2026 So it feels quite appropriate).<\/p>\n

\"Beaubleu<\/p>\n

There are two dial variants for the Seconde Fran\u00e7aise: pictured here is the ref. 19.24, which features an enamelled dial with printed details, while the ref. 20.24 replaces the printed lines with embossing. The former is available in Midnight Blue, Imperial Green and Anthracite Grey, and the latter in Pearl Grey or Salmon<\/a>. I do think the Midnight Blue is the pick of the bunch, though: if you\u2019re committing to the French bit, blue feels most on-brand.<\/p>\n

The strap<\/p>\n

\"Beaubleu<\/p>\n

The Beaubleu Seconde Fran\u00e7aise can be had with either a grained or caiman leather-patterned leather strap, or a Milanese bracelet<\/a> with integrated ends (a premium and welcome touch).<\/p>\n

The movement<\/p>\n

\"beaubleu<\/p>\n

Powering the Seconde Fran\u00e7aise is the France \u00c9bauche Calibre FE. Being able to offer a French-made movement for the first time is a point of pride for Beaubleu, which has previously used Japanese Miyota<\/a> movements for its other models. France \u00c9bauche was a major French mechanical watch movement manufacturer that went bankrupt in 1997 and was revived by the Festina Group in 2023. It currently offers two calibres, both based on historical France \u00c9bauche designs, and clearly positioned to compete with ETA<\/a> and Sellita<\/a> offerings from Switzerland. However, as of publishing, few brands outside of the Festina Group utilise these movements.<\/p>\n

\"Beaubleu<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not a bad movement, though: Festina also owns Soprod, another major (Swiss) movement manufacturer, and Beaubleu relates that \u201cthe close relationship between France \u00c9bauche and Soprod allows us to offer a 5-year warranty\u201d, which should put consumers\u2019 minds at ease. Reading between the lines here, the Calibre FE\u2019s timekeeping and gear train components are sourced from Switzerland. Spec-wise, it has a 46-hour power reserve and 4Hz beat rate, and while it\u2019s not finished spectacularly, it\u2019s not an unpleasant-looking movement. I\u2019d describe it as being overall a bit nicer than an ETA 2824.<\/p>\n

The verdict<\/p>\n

\"Beaubleu<\/p>\n

I feel as if I\u2019ve spent a lot of time writing about French watches<\/a> this year, but I\u2019m not complaining. France might border Switzerland, and is one of the world\u2019s biggest names in luxury goods in its own right, but it\u2019s exciting to see a real revival of French watchmaking and how it\u2019s carving out a distinct identity for itself compared to its Swiss brethren. The Beaubleu Seconde Fran\u00e7aise is emblematic of this: it offers a stylish and playful way to tell time without being too obtusely hard to read or outrageously expensive. Beaubleu\u2019s own description of a \u201cFrench second\u201d feels absolutely apt.<\/p>\n

Beaubleu Seconde Fran\u00e7aise pricing and availability<\/p>\n

The Beaubleu Seconde Fran\u00e7aise will be available for a limited time via our \u2018Hot Drops\u2019 program in the Time+Tide Shop<\/a>. Price: \u20ac1,490 (leather), \u20ac1,590 (steel mesh)<\/p>\n

Brand
\nBeaubleu<\/p>\n

Model
\nSeconde Fran\u00e7aise<\/p>\n

Reference Number
\n19.24 (printed dial)
20.24 (embossed dial)<\/p>\n

Case Dimensions
\n39mm (D) x 10.2mm (T) x 45mm (LTL)<\/p>\n

Case Material
\nStainless steel<\/p>\n

Water Resistance
\n50 metres<\/p>\n

Crystal(s)
\nSapphire front and back<\/p>\n

Dial
\nMidnight Blue, Imperial Green or Anthracite Grey with printed details
Pearl Grey or Salmon with embossed details<\/p>\n

Lug Width
\n20mm<\/p>\n

Strap<\/p>\n

Leather strap, curved spring bars, steel deployant clasp
Steel mesh bracelet, folding adjustable clasp<\/p>\n

Movement
\nFrance Ebauche Calibre FE, automatic<\/p>\n

Power Reserve
\n46 hours<\/p>\n

Functions
\nHours, minutes, mysterious seconds<\/p>\n

Availability
\nLimited to 888 pieces<\/p>\n

Price
\n\u20ac1,490 (leather)
\u20ac1,590 (steel mesh)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Jamie Weiss There\u2019s just something about French design (a je ne sais quoi, if you will) that isn\u2019t…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":227754,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[64,63,135004,137795,105],"class_list":["post-227753","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-technology","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-metafrench-brands","tag-metahot-drops","tag-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227753","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=227753"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227753\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/227754"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=227753"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=227753"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=227753"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}