Trilobe L’Heure Exquise (video presentation): opening, reviews, price

Trilobe L’Heure Exquise (new for 2024)
Exclusive video interview with Gautier Massonneau

The French house Trilobe participates in the Watches & Wonders exhibition for the third time and presents the L’Heure Exquise line, a mini-collection of six watches of striking elegance.
Gaultier Massonneau, founder and designer of the brand, answered Pierre’s questions live from the Geneva show.

THIS ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW…

Trilobe L’Heure Exquise:
Absolutely luxurious new for 2024.

For those unfamiliar with Trilobe, check out the articles and videos we’ve covered since its introduction in late 2018 here: The Launch of the Trilobe Watch Company.

Why should you be interested in Trilobe?

Pretty simple because they are an outstanding brand whose watches go beyond the well-trodden traditions of watchmaking while remaining high-end.
For example, the L’Heure Exquise line, presented at the Watches & Wonders 2024 exhibition.

Moon phase indicator lively endless poetry

This is the first complication offered by Trilobe that selects, according to its DNA, a moon phase indicator.

The watch company’s website put it better than I could, stating (and I quote): We are the watchmakers of poetry, and Trilobe is the craftsman who shapes time. Intentionally complex, the Maison reinvents itself by exploring the world of lyrical horological complications for the first time with timepieces adorned with moon phase indicators..

And the site adds: Trilobe watches are designed to remind us that time is a treasure and time is exquisite!

And honestly, opening this watch and handling it confirms it: the new Trilobe is a real success.

This new L’Heure Exquise watch is based on the original Trilobe Les Matinaux – I’ll get to that later.

It differs from its predecessors by having an off-center circular opening on the dial side, surrounded by a flange with a polished and satin finish, welcoming two moons facing each other.
Reminiscent of the Moon’s orbit around the Earth, they complete a full cycle of 29.5 days.

First of all, they take place under a dynamic starry sky printed on sapphire crystal, which changes in the rhythm of the seconds – Trilobe’s press release aptly speaks of a real ballet of stars.

THIS ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW…

Outstanding Achievement

The production is sumptuous, with the night sky taking the form of an azure, deep blue disk that contrasts with the textured surface of the lunar stars.

This wonderful spectacle unfolds on the sandblasted dial, which Trilobe offers us in two interpretations: Dune and Blue.

Added to this is a third version called Secret.
We discovered this principle in 2019 with the release of the Les Matinaux Secret watch.
This is repeated in the new Heure Exquise.

Its principle is as simple as it is attractive.
When you place an order with Trilobe, you specify a location, date and time.
The brand will then take care of getting the star positions for that specific place and time and reproduce it on the dial of your watch.

So why Secret? Because each watch face is completely unique and holds the secret of the moment you wanted to immortalize.

Choose between titanium and rose gold cases and between two diameters

Trilobe offers us six models made of high quality materials.

You have a choice between a titanium case and a rose gold case.

In this case you can combine one of three watch faces: Dune, Bleue or Secret.

Rest assured, you can’t go wrong either way; each of these six versions offers stunning elegance and great freedom.

To ensure everyone can find what they’re looking for, Trilobe adds a choice between two case sizes: 38.5 and 40.5 millimeters in diameter.

THIS ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW…

DNA of the Les Matinaux collection

While Trilobe recently introduced us to watches with weightless dials with the incredible Une Folle Journee collection, with this new creation for 2024 the house has decided to return to its first love: the Les Matinaux line.

Around the periphery of the rotating disc are hour markers printed in Arabic numerals in relief, with the Trilobe noon logo painted and affixed to indicate the current time.

The minutes are displayed using a second rotating disc, which houses an off-center moon phase indicator.

THIS ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW…

Exclusive caliber for the Trilobe L’Heure Exquise collection.

For L’Heure Exquise, Trilobe uses the X-Centric caliber.

It is an automatic mechanical movement designed and developed specifically for Trilobe by Cercle des Horlogers, its partner manufacturer based in La Chaux-de-Fonds.

Featuring the first moon phase detection feature, this automatic micro-rotor movement offers a classic 48-hour power reserve and, like other Trilobe watch movements, features a contemporary design.

You’ll find a platter sandblasted in absolute black, a micro-rotor adorned with a delicate arabesque design, rhodium-plated wheels and gears with a satin-finish round finish…
It’s great.

Finally, it should be noted that the movements built into Trilobe watches are now assembled and controlled in-house, in the watchmaker’s workshops in Paris.

But soon I will tell you much more.

Price for Trilobe L’Heure Exquise watch

The price of these new Trilobes naturally differs from one version to another.

• Steel versions Dune and Blue: 14,500 euros.
• Secret steel version: 18,200 euros.
• Dune and Blue versions in rose gold: €26,500.
• Secret version in rose gold: €29,200.

THIS ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW…

Our opinion about the Trilobe L’Heure Exquise watch

The implementation of the phases of the Moon is almost always essentially the same from one house to another, only the interpretations of the Moon and stars can differ.

With L’Heure Exquise, Trilobe takes us to another dimension.
This poetic complexity first of all has a real meaning in the clock, which gave the reading of time itself a philosophical dimension.

His creation is also admired: the surface of the lunar stars is breathtakingly realistic.

And most of all I fell in love with this starry sky, which emphasizes the seconds and gives the model a fairytale dimension that suits it perfectly.

Great success.

Technical characteristics of L’Heure Exquise

– Grade 5 titanium or 18k rose gold case / Mirror polished surfaces alternate with satin finish
– Dimensions: 40.5 mm OR 38.5 mm (Ø) x 9.2 mm (thickness) / Lug spacing: 20 mm
– Convex bezel with sapphire crystal and multi-layer anti-reflective ARDUR coating
– Sapphire case back with anti-reflective coating.
– Press the crown
— Leak tightness tested at 5 bar (≈ 50 meters)
– Moon Phase: Sapphire crystal with white tampon-printed stars/Blue moon disk/Laser textured moon
– Patent: A display concept consisting of 3 display elements representing the current hours, minutes and seconds, located in the same plane as the dial.
– Indication: hours, minutes and seconds using rotating rings and a fixed pointer / Titanium rings painted with DLC (Diamond-Like Carbon) / Numbers printed with white or blue pad depending on the model.
– Movement: X-Centric caliber, mechanical self-winding, micro-rotor / Thickness: 5.78 mm; Diameter: 35.2 mm / Power reserve: 48 hours / Balance frequency: 28,800 vph (4 Hz) / Function stones: 33 / Total movement parts: 227 / Anthradec treatment
– Leather strap with clasp.