Interview with Ambroise Parlos, Co-founder of Charlie Paris

“Our watches aren’t meant to stay in display cases or safes. They’re designed to be worn on the wrist, to be part of everyday movements and moments.”

Francéclat is committed to promoting the creativity, craftsmanship, and excellence of French watchmaking, jewelry, and tableware brands. These brands owe their success to the people who guide, shape, and inspire them behind the scenes. To celebrate their invaluable contribution, we are organizing a series of interviews that allow the leaders of these brands to share their vision and their journey.

Founded in 2014 by two childhood friends, Ambroise and Adrien, who are passionate about watchmaking, Charlie Paris champions a contemporary vision of French watchmaking. The brand designs and assembles watches that seek to combine elegance, simplicity, innovation, and craftsmanship.

Through its collections and artistic collaborations, Charlie Paris now aims to showcase a new generation of French watchmaking, both in France and internationally.

Can you tell us about the origins of your brand? How did it all begin?

Charlie was founded by two childhood friends who shared a passion for watchmaking, its technical, creative, and historical aspects alike.

For Charlie, the quintessential watch is a balance: between simplicity and uniqueness, modernity and timelessness, strength and refinement. It is also a balance between technological innovation and artisanal craftsmanship.

In each of our creations, we cater to women and men seeking a certain kind of understated elegance, convinced that quality is also a source of beauty.

Our vision is rooted in a “New Watchmaking” born of our era: free, vibrant, and contemporary. Our watches are not meant to remain in display cases or safes. They are designed to come to life on the wrist, in everyday gestures and moments.

Finally, our philosophy revolves around three values: freedom, quality, and simplicity. The first is reflected in our independence and our desire to explore new paths. The second is embodied in our attention to craftsmanship, detail, and durability. As for simplicity, it guides our pursuit of an authentic aesthetic, free from artifice.

Have you introduced any innovations recently?

We have recently developed several innovations that demonstrate our commitment to pushing the technical and creative boundaries of our collections.

In particular, we devoted two and a half years of research and development to creating a tinted sapphire crystal dial. This innovation is featured in our sports collections, notably the Concordia, and makes its debut this year in our classic collection with the return of the Alliance.

We have also developed a new Cerakote surface treatment, incorporated into our new GRX EVO models, unveiled in June 2026.

Our collaborations with artists also challenge us to push our technical and creative boundaries in order to translate their signature style and vision into a timepiece.

In 2025, we collaborated with artist Jordan Tran Kean, faithfully recreating his iconic color gradients through a manual paint-spraying technique applied to the dial.

An upcoming collaboration will also be unveiled this year.

What is your long-term vision for the brand?

Our vision is to embody contemporary French watchmaking for new generations seeking style, meaning, and precision.

We also aim to contribute to the preservation and development of French watchmaking, which has been recognized as part of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2020. Our goal is to grow the brand both in France and internationally, and to promote this new wave of French watchmaking from Paris.

To support this ambition, we plan to expand our network of partners in France and abroad. Our growth strategy includes the upcoming opening of counters at Printemps department stores in France and the expansion into new retail locations abroad, particularly in the United States, Germany, and Spain.

We aim to continue our growth alongside new partners and introduce our vision of contemporary French watchmaking to new audiences.

If you had to send a message to industry professionals who are just discovering you today, what would it be?

We want to continue building a French watchmaking brand that is accessible to all, while remaining true to our craftsmanship and our Parisian identity.

Our ambition is to bring this new approach to watchmaking to life both in France and internationally, and to contribute, in our own small way, to the global influence of French creativity.