Here is something you don’t see every day. The intensely unique HMS watch line from true avant garde French watch maker JP Lepine Belharra is not seen very often. This boutique watchmaker hails from Paris, but has Swiss roots and has a handful of carefully crafted underwater machine looking watches. The HMS (probably standing for “Her Majesty’s Ship”) watch used JP Lepine Belharra’s signature case, which is its most standout feature. The case itself is constructed from several parts and have articulated ball-jointed lugs. The cases are 40mm wide and known to be very comfortable. I like the use of contrasting polish and brushed steel. The watches are based on the designs from some of JP Lepine Belharra’s ocean themed pen collections. Also notable is that Belharra makes the limited edition Titanic DNA pens for Romain Jerome.
The face is not as “exciting” as the case, but it does not disappoint me. I appreciate how legible it is, and the there is a rich amount of lume covering the surfaces. Further, the number indexes are nice to look at in an almost whimsical manner. The watch is available in various colors and strap options, each with the same nautical theme. Not really sure the movement used. In this version, I suspect it is an ETA 2824-2 or 2892-2 automatic mechanical movement. These are great collector watches from a well-versed independent watch maker. Right now, a black faced JP Lepine Belharra watch is available on eBay for about $2,200, which is a good price given the original retail value and the fact that these watches are very hard to come by.
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