French watch brand Gustave & Cie is days away from launching its new Paul 24H Automatic watch collection. Available in four variations and named after French poet Paul Éluard, the Gustave & Cie Paul 24H Automatics are elegant dress watches that showcase the brand’s signature single-hand time display.

The watches feature 316L stainless steel cases, entirely polished and comprising three parts: bezel, case middle, and caseback. The cases measure a restrained 39mm in diameter, 12.1mm thick, and 44.6mm lug-to-lug while the silhouette mimics that of a pebble formed over time. The lugs are rounded and shaped to gently hug the wrist to ensure a comfortable fit. What’s more, the first one hundred and fifty models will be numbered with an engraving between the lugs. Sitting atop the superbly slim and smooth bezels are domed sapphire crystals, which are both scratch-resistant and anti-reflective.

The casebacks are similarly furnished with sapphire crystals and the cases are water-resistant to 50 meters. Previously, all Gustave & Cie watches were fitted with winding crowns placed at the 4 o’clock position. However, the crowns on the latest Paul watches are not positioned at the more traditional 3 o’clock location, stamped with the brand’s Eiffel Tower-inspired logo. Fun fact: Gustave & Cie takes its name after Gustave Eiffel, who was originally from Dijon, France — the same city that the brand’s founders, Timothée Barbier and Guillaume Rémond, met.

A signature design trait of Gustave & Cie is relying on a single hand, also known as mono-aiguille, to indicate the time. The hand, which is hand-polished and slightly curved at the tip, on the new Paul watches indicate the hours and minutes simultaneously on a 24-hour dial layout. The words “MIDI” (noon) and “MINUIT” (midnight) are spelled out, marking the two most important landmarks of the day. The enamel dials feature polished applied indexes at the 6th, 12th, 18th, and 24th hours while the font of the chapter rings around the periphery are fashioned after the handwriting of the poet whom the watch is named after. Adjacent to the hour scale is the minute scale, graduated in 10-minute increments with the half-hours marked with a slightly longer line. While this style of time indication is unconventional, telling time on a Paul watch becomes quickly intuitive.

Powering the Paul watches is the self-winding Miyota 9075 GMT movement, which operates at 28,800 beats per hour and supplies 42 hours of power reserve. The movement, which is visible through the sapphire caseback, is entirely regulated and assembled in Gustave & Cie’s workshops in Besançon, France. Along with the Geneva stripes on the bridges, the movement’s rotor is entirely engraved with a part of Paul Éluard’s poem, “La nuit n’est jamais complète.”

The four variations of the new Paul watches are: rose gold and blue, rose gold and white, silver and blue, and silver and white. The straps, offered in blue or brown, are crocodile-style, Korean calfskin and all the straps are interchangeable and fitted with folding buckles that match the color of the cases. Regardless of the variation, all the watches strike a beautiful balance between elegant simplicity and unconventional charm.

The new Paul 24H Automatic watches by Gustave & Cie will be available to purchase on Kickstarter from March 14 until April 15, 2024. The first 150 pieces will be priced at €590 Euros and the following pieces will be priced at €690 Euros. Gustave & Cie will also offer a special boxed set of two watches for €1,090 Euros. After the Kickstarter launch is complete, the Paul watches will be available on Gustave & Cie’s website from September 2024, retiling for €890 Euros. For more information, please visit the brand’s website.

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