I had family ties that took me to Paris and it’s surrounding suburbs. I of course took watches for the trip but it wasn’t the reason for the trip or the focus.

I wasn’t able to ignore horology however as I was surrounded by it with a visit into the city. I had sought the experienced advice of our own fellow contributor Victoria Townsend and selected some pieces I felt were under the radar of potential would be theft opportunists.

French Horology 

But what of French horology , it seems to be currently in somewhat of a Renaissance. Some brands are thriving in collecting circles. Yema , Baltic and Serica are all beautiful examples of design carried out well at affordable pricing at relatively affordable pricing making them favourites for collectors. 

Beaubleu and Laps-Paris feature great design for the more budget friendly.

Of course established houses Cartier being the most famous with Hermès starting to flex some watch making prowess in recent years. 

Trilobe are also producing high end pieces with a focus on distinct design cues. Pequignet in the same vein produce in-house movements. 

Laurent Ferrier I will mention despite being made in Switzerland along with of course Breguet but then we start to slightly muddy the waters of ownership , manufacturing and the history of the name on the dial. 

These brands always straddle the fashion progressive Parisians providing classic design language. 

Yema a long established watch brand has also produced new collections of their heritage pieces of the past from aviation , diving , motor sport and space with a tool watch approach mostly with cues from the 60s and 70s era.

Places of interest 

Notably three places in the city displayed the Parisian love maybe for style and luxury but certainly horology. There are many more I am sure. 

Charlyhorloger as the handle goes on Instagram is a vintage and modern specialist with its beautiful set window display of treasures. Found in the Godot de Mauroy , Charly is an absolute gem to be found and a heaven for the watch collector.

A dedicated aftermarket watch strap shop, rarely found with the exception of an online presence, only in Paris where accessory pairing is at the forefront , enter Cie. Bracelet Montre, Paris. 

A shop nestled in the Rue Du Dragon. You’ll find every colour , material and variant of aftermarket watch straps  , watch rolls and cases to pair with any time piece. A true watch collectors dream shop to freshen up the collection pieces. 

Luxury 

After a long Parisian lunch to boost the energy levels I was ready to enter Galeries Lafayette. A retail centre which caters for all things luxury while showcasing its beautiful architecture and ornate balcony and ceiling. 

In one large section dedicated to watches you’ll find , Rolex , Tudor , Breitling , Blancpain , Longines , Jaeger - LeCoultre , Tiffany , Montblanc, Omega , Tissot ,Tag Heuer and nestled in a corner store independent retailers featuring Patek Philippe.

You were open to wander and speak with retailers and try timepieces.

Under one roof the demand for luxury time pieces was still evident in this corner of the city. 

Paris was a joy and memories were made, Horology aside. 

I will be back to explore and check out some more places of interest in the future maybe even pick up a time piece to mark the trip.