Best known for its signature time display comprised of three off-center discs, Trilobe has introduced its first sport watch, the Trente-Deux. It’s yet another sports watch with an integrated bracelet, but the Trente-Deux is more notable for being the debut platform for the new X-Nihilo caliber, which for movement geeks will overshadow the launch of the new collection itself.

The X-Nihilo is a relatively simple automatic caliber, and many of its components are produced in Trilobe’s own newly established CNC workshop near the French capital.

Initial thoughts

I admit a certain fascination for watches without hands, that indicate the time with jumping windows, wandering displays, and revolving discs. The Trente-Deux, like the brand’s other watches, is an example of the latter. The hour is read at the top of the dial, using the logo as a pointer. The minutes slip by through a window in the dial, and the seconds disc rotates around a central hub embellished with stamped Clous de Paris.

The asymmetrical layout is visually compelling and results in a pleasing amount of negative space that somehow doesn’t feel empty. This might be due to the sunray pattern, which emanates outward from the center of the seconds disc. In terms of colour, grey and navy blue are safe, pragmatic choices that should have wide appeal, but the colours do little to differentiate the watch. Perhaps subsequent models will be more bold.

Similarly, the stainless steel case plays it safe with a familiar shape and tapering H-link bracelet. Though attractive enough in its own right and almost perfectly sized for a sport watch at 39.5 mm, the stubby wings on either side of the case feel too similar to those of the Patek Philippe Nautilus and its many derivatives.

The round fluted bezel, though similar to those of old Luftwaffe chronographs, manages to be just different enough to give the case a degree of individuality.

Of course, the big news is found on the inside. The X-Nihilo movement was developed primarily by Trilobe and some of the components are produced in-house at the brand’s new CNC facility near Paris.

On paper, the 4 Hz rate and 42-hour power reserve are pretty ordinary, but the look is unusual. The keyless works, mainspring, and gear train are secured by a single large squared-off bridge that resembles a small box.

The brand’s first-ever free-sprung balance is a nice surprise, as is the airy feel of the gilded movement, which is accentuated by an open-worked winding mass.

Given its versatile form factor and interesting movement, the Trente-Deux is priced at a reasonable premium to the brand’s other collections, at €16,500. For those who appreciate what Trilobe is trying to do by bringing industrial watch manufacturing back to the French capital, it could prove an attractive proposition.

That said, this pricing puts it in a tricky middle ground between small startup brands at lower price points and more adventurous independents further up the ladder.

Vive la France

The name translates to ’32’ in English and references the brand’s street address in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris: 32 Avenue de l’Opéra. Available with crowd-pleasing grey or blue sunburst dials, the watch features an integrated stainless steel bracelet and enhanced water resistance compared to its stablemates, and the resulting versatility should broaden the brand’s appeal.

The X-Nihilo caliber ticking within the Trente-Deux is quite distinctive visually, which can’t be said for most automatic movements. For one thing, most of the action takes place inside a straight-grained and gilded box-shaped bridge off to one side. It looks cool, but a movement with this much empty space almost begs for a larger barrel, a larger balance, or both.

And yet, I understand the designers’ impulse and the almost existential need to make it visually distinct from efficiently packaged Swiss movements. That also explains the electroplated rose gold finish, which is a nod to the historical French style of finishing.

While real-world reliability still needs to be validated, each X-Nihilo movement undergoes 400 hours of testing, roughly equivalent to the length of COSC certification.

Though no performance metrics are claimed, this testing process should give early adopters a degree of comfort. Compared to previous Trilobe movements, the free-sprung balance is a welcome upgrade and gives the entire package a more upscale impression.

A note on the recent history of industrial French watchmaking

It’s hard to approach the rebirth of industrial French watchmaking without a seed of skepticism. It wasn’t always this way; before Switzerland emerged as the dominant force in watchmaking in the nineteenth century, the industry was centered in England and France, which were locked in a struggle for naval supremacy and were offering big financial incentives to watchmakers who could further their nation’s strategic priorities with functional marine chronometers.

France began losing ground to nearby Switzerland during and after the Revolution, and while England’s industry managed to hang on into the early twentieth century, makers in both nations became increasingly reliant on Swiss components. But the glory days of French watchmaking are legend, and over the years many entrepreneurs and industrialists have attempted to restore the nation’s status as a watchmaking capital, with numerous false starts and bankruptcies along the way including the likes of LIP, France Ebauches, Pequignet, and Aiôn.

Manufacturing components for the X-Nihilo movement at the Trilobe facility near Paris.

Most of these failed ventures attempted large scale industrialisation without first establishing a differentiated product strategy or effective distribution. France Ebauches, for example, tried to take over what is now Glashütte Original in 1993, with the goal of producing 500,000 watches per year, but the venture failed and the group went bankrupt a year later. Aiôn had similar production goals when it launched in 2022, but probably never had a real chance of reaching them.

But Trilobe has a fairly distinctive aesthetic and, perhaps more importantly, has already developed a global network of sophisticated retailers. This might give the brand a chance to succeed where others have failed.

Trilobe Trente-Deux
Ref. 3201GS (grey)
Ref. 3201BS (blue)

Diameter: 39.5 mm
Height: 10.15 mm
Material: Stainless steel
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 50 m

Movement: Cal. X-Nihilo
Functions: Hours, minutes, and seconds
Frequency: 28,800 beats per hour (3 Hz)
Winding: Automatic
Power reserve: 42 hours

Strap: Matching stainless steel bracelet

Limited edition: No
Availability: Available directly from Trilobe and authorised retailers
Price: €16,500 excluding taxes

For more, visit trilobe.com.