The eternal magic of the Golden Hours
In the 24 hours that make up one day, there are a handful of minutes – right before sunset and just after sunrise – that photographers and filmmakers refer to as the “Golden Hour”. These sought-after moments challenge artistic precision and provide opportunities to capture truly timeless shots. French master watchmakers also practise that beautiful precision. The most daring go so far as to reinvent the way we read time, transforming every second into a unique experience. Trilobe, Réservoir, Vasco and Gustave & Cie are doing just that.
Trilobe – L’heure Exquise
At Trilobe, traditional hands are nowhere to be seen, and three rotating rings showing the hours, minutes and seconds have taken their place. This signature innovation is the result of unfailing know-how and creativity that the brand revisits with its “L’Heure Exquise” collection.
For the first time, Trilobe has adorned a timepiece with a moon phase, making the connection between time and its most ancient partner: the sky. A cogwheel with 59 spurs recalls the Moon’s orbit around the Earth, and it completes a complete cycle in 29.5 days. The dial is a major technical feat. It is made up of five parts, three of which are in permanent anti-clockwise rotation.
A unique trefoil indicates the hours and minutes, while the seconds flow freely. Here it is 9:55.
Reservoir – Drive time
An automotive mood drives watchmaking creativity at Réservoir. Drawing inspiration directly from speedometers on classic cars, the brand’s artisans subtly blend tradition with modernity in the “GT tour” collection
Echoing motor-racing conventions, the dial uses contrasting matte black and orange to recall vintage dashboard dials; the “240° retrograde” minute is a reminder of the rev counter; the jumping hour in the window the odometer; while the power reserve reproduces the fuel or oil gauge.
This functional complexity guarantees its wearer maximum readability while offering an immersive “on-the-road” experience.
Vasco and Gustave & Cie – 24 hrs on the clock
Even though Vasco retains the classic two-hand reading and Gustave & Cie opts for a single hand, the two brands do converge on one point: they both feature a 24-hour display.
At Vasco, this display harks back to a time when, deprived of sunlight, submariners and astronauts could only rely on their dial to know the time. With “Nocturne”, the brand distinguishes day from night with black and white backgrounds.
These watches highlight the Slow Time approach, which encourages peaceful enjoyment of the twenty-four hours ahead
Meanwhile, Gustave & Cie plumps for the minimalism of a single hand, eliminating every superfluous detail and prioritising peace of mind.
The “Paul” collection features the elegant Dress Watch single hand. The 24-hour dials on its timepieces form a poetic canvas that evokes the infinite cycles of day and night, while the words “Midi” and “Minuit” mark the day’s most important references.
This is an alternative yet clear vision of time in which these watches come into their own.
By rethinking how the wearer reads the time, these French brands are not just measuring the passing hours, they are capturing essential moments. Like the Golden Hours at sunrise and sunset, their watchmaking creations provide lovers of extreme precision with a new way of understanding every instant. It is an invitation to transform everyday life into a series of exceptional moments, where innovation serves timeless experiences and a bold approach constantly redefines eternity.
RESERVOIR