We know Charlie Paris for its Concordia divers or for its Initial dress watches, but not yet for its range of more upscale Alliance automatic watches. Swiss Made Watch had the chance to test the Charlie Paris Alliance Phase de Lune for a fortnight, a watch designed and assembled in France, equipped with a Swiss automatic movement ensuring foolproof precision. All at a moderate price. The verdict of Mr Watch!
The story of Charlie Paris: almost 10 years of experience
Review of the Charlie Paris Alliance Phase de Lune watch
There is no not one but two models of Charlie Paris Alliance Moon Phase watches. Everyone will be able to find what they are looking for thanks to two dial colors:
- Charlie Paris Alliance Moon Phase – Blue : €1,895 is the version tested on Swiss Made Watch
- Charlie Paris Alliance Phase de Lune – White: €1,895, the version with a white dial (and a blue Moon Phase sub-dial) is also magnificent
With the collection AllianceCharlie Paris is offering two new models of automatic watches equipped with a Swiss caliber: the Alliance Phase de Lune and the Alliance 68h.
They both have common technical characteristics with a case 39.5 mm in diameter, in polished and brushed 316L stainless steel, a water resistance of 3 ATM, a dial protected by a sapphire crystal (domed), a transparent caseback also protected by a sapphire crystal, and indexes (applied) and hands (leaves) equipped with luminescent material (Super-LumiNova) for better readability of the time at night.
The new Alliances are also very thin (< 9 mm thick), guaranteed for 3 years, designed and assembled in France, equipped with a notched crown (not screwed down) and bearing the brand's "C" logo, and therefore equipped of a Swiss movement. The perfect “Alliance” between France and Switzerland?
First look: Design dress watch, dial and two blue sub-dials, 39.5 mm steel case, indexes (cardinal points), hands and moons with Luminova, crown with the Charlie Paris logo.
The box
The introductions being made, it’s time to put this watch on your wrist. The first impression is often the right one: it immediately inspires confidence and is quickly forgotten on the wrist.
THE housing in 316L steel has a diameter of 39.5mmFor 9mm thick and 46.5mm in length. Dimensions that make this Moon Phase Alliance a watch that can be worn by both men and women.
Note that the crown is not screwed down, notched and that it features the brand’s “C” logo. The bezel meanwhile has circular brushing against polished and brushed finishes on the case.
The new Charlie Paris watch has a transparent case back, is water resistant to 3 ATM / 30 m, and its dial is protected by a domed double-domed sapphire crystal, anti-reflective treatment, 3 mm thick.
On the left side is a button for adjusting the Moon Phase complication. This button cannot be pressed by mistake; it requires a specific tool, fortunately supplied with the watch (for those in a hurry, a simple toothpick or paper clip can do the trick).
The dial & reading the time
The union of metal (indexes, hands, bezel, flange) and blue on this dial (under dials included) is of the most beautiful effect. Something to highlight, among other things, the flange which acts as a minute railroad, as well as of course its many complications.
THE needles are faceted, polished, brushed and luminescent (Super LumiNova) for the hours and minutes, while the second hand located in its “small seconds” sub-dial at 6 o’clock east polite. THE index are equally polite And brushed for the hours with the addition of Super-LumiNova BL grade A at 12, 3, 6, 9 o’clock for better readability of the time at night.
THE dial in itself is therefore blue And sand, which gives it some texture. For the rest, we find on the dial a strapping with magnifying glass for the date at 3 a.m. and a complication Moon phase at 9 o’clock.
It is more precisely a double hemisphere perpetual moon phase (South at 28° and North at 208°) at 9 o’clock and transfer in Super-LumiNova BL grade A on the moon and stars. The illuminated dial in dark or black environments is simply magnificent!
Movement
This is one of the strengths of this watch! The Alliance Phase de Lune is powered by a Swiss caliber with bidirectional automatic winding C105 by Soprod who assures him 42 hours of power reserve thanks to its 33 jewels and its 28,800 vibrations per hour.
The use of this caliber allows it to have formidable precision. Our test model has only one delay of 2 to 3 seconds per day “only”. An excellent score for a watch that is not COSC certified, and which, on paper, has a rate drift supposed to be between -0/+14 sec/d. Finally, note that this caliber offers a stop-second and one fast date change of the day.
For lovers of small details, note that the oscillating weight has been personalized by the Charlie Paris teams. In addition to coasts of geneva very characteristic, there is indeed a cutout of the mass showing the name of the brand. The case back is obviously transparent (sapphire crystal) to take advantage of it. And the visible casing circle is fixed with hot blued screws.
The bracelet
The strap in brown leather which equips our Moon Phase Alliance is very comfortable to wear, design (we say thank you to the stitching), very flexibleand his build quality East Good.
I usually don’t “half” wear the watches tested on Swiss Made Watch, and after more than fifteen days of intensive usewith winter gloves and a scooter jacket that sometimes leaves marks on the bracelet or the glass (thanks to the snaps), here the Moon Phase Alliance does not show no signs of fatigue.
THE clasp is classic, type pin buckle, and includes a reference to the Charlie Paris brand. The strap can be changed without tools (flash pump) and its lug spacer is classic (20 mm wide).
Note that Charlie Paris also markets this watch with a brown ostrich strap. The price then goes from €1,895 to €1,945. The supplement of €50 for the ostrich bracelet remains reasonable.
Technical recap
- Case: 316L stainless steel
- Size: 39.5mm
- Thickness: 9mm
- Dial: blue, indexes (cardinal points), luminescent moons and hands, date window at 3 o’clock
- Movement: C105 by Soprod (Swiss caliber with bidirectional automatic winding), 42 hours of power reserve
- Front glass: domed double-domed sapphire, anti-reflective treatment, 3mm thick.
- Caseback: domed double-domed sapphire crystal, anti-reflective treatment revealing the caliber. Apparent casing ring fixed with hot blued screws
- Bracelet : leather, pin buckle, interchangeable without tools (20 mm lug)
- Water resistance: 3 ATM / 30 m (crown not screwed down)
- Warranty: 3 years
Swiss Made Watch’s opinion on the Charlie Paris Alliance Phase de Lune
Let’s start at the end: it’s one of Swiss Made Watch’s favorites at the start of the year. The Moon Phase Alliance has everything to please: the watch is thin (9 mm thick) despite its Moon Phase complication, the blue dial sandblasted to give relief is magnificent and no less than three complications are available: moon phase (at 9 o’clock) of course, but also date window (3 o’clock) and small seconds (6 o’clock).
After having put it on the wrist for just fifteen days, we can only salute the‘Excellent value what does this watch offer! It is certainly not perfect, we would have liked for example a waterproofness of 50 or 100 m against 30 m, but it was probably necessary to make choices to stick to the budget. All the same, let’s salute the beautiful move upmarket of Charlie Paris. Well done Charlie!
The Moon Phase Alliance is currently available for pre-order at €1,895. This is a limited edition of 100 copies per model for 2023. The first copies will be delivered from next July.
Discover the Charlie Paris Alliance Phase de Lune / €1,895
