BY DHANANJAY PATHAK
2021 has been off to a great start. While we are still within the first quarter, we have already seen quite a few intriguing watches released from the big names in the world of Horology. Today, however, we are going to the other end of the horological spectrum to have a look at a new release from a relatively young brand. So, without wasting any time, let have a quick look at the new Charlie Paris Concordia Automatic.
Charlie Paris is a boutique French brand that was established in 2014 by childhood friends Ambroise and Adrien. The brand was started with the idea of creating high-quality watches that are refined, packed with features, and at the same time don’t make a hole in the pocket, offering consumers an excellent price-quality ratio. To ensure that their products meet the highest possible standards in quality, all Charlie Paris watches are assembled by skilled watchmakers in France itself.
With their latest offering, the brand has attempted to create a versatile tool watch that can handle any challenge that comes it’s way. To promote the rugged spirit of this new sports watch Charlie Paris has collaborated with adventurer Matthieu Tordeur, who set a world record of covering 1150 kilometers without assistance skiing from the coast of the Antarctic continent to the South Pole. And throughout this tough journey, Matthieu had the Concordia wrapped around his wrist.
Sticking to the brand’s philosophy, the Concordia is a simple but handsome-looking watch. Presented in blue or black with a matt finish or silver with a textured finish, the face of the watch is very clean and highly legible. The hour indices have been applied and comprise lume filled circles and rectangles. The minute track has been printed in silver and a nicely bordered date window sits at the 6 o’clock position to keep the balance and symmetry of the dial intact. The hour and minute hands are baton-style and the second’s hand has a paddle-style design. The entire handset is well proportioned and just like the hour markers have been filled with luminous paint to ensure that reading time is never an issue, even during low light situations.
The 40mm case on the Concordia has been crafted from stainless steel and is well executed with a few intriguing details. It features a nice rounded shape with nice chunky lugs. The case has been finely brushed throughout apart from the sides, which also feature polished bevels that travel to the bottom of the lugs and lend the watch a premium feel. Sitting on top of the case is a relatively thin uni-directional bezel with an aluminum bezel insert with printed markings that matches the color of the dial. At the 3 o’clock position is a threaded crown which combined with the closed case back would make sure that the watch remains water-resistant to 300 meters. One of my favorite aspects of the case is the conical crown which seems to be offering some nice grip and features a circular ring in the center that has been matched to the color of the dial.
At the helm of this watch is the Swiss-made STP1-11 caliber. A clone of the ETA 2824-2, the STP1-11 has gained a lot of popularity in recent times for being a reliable timekeeper. The movement comprises 26 jewels, operates at a frequency of 4 Hz, and offers an autonomy of around 44 hours.
The new Charlie Paris Concordia Automatic can be currently pre-ordered from Charlie’s website starting at an attractive price of EUR 595.
