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I admit it frankly: my heart beats spontaneously for automatic watches. No doubt out of habit, out of comfort too. We put them on our wrist, they live, feed on our movements. And yet, sometimes all it takes is one detail to shatter a well-established certainty.
Discovering that the Royale Paris 39.5 mm is now available in a manual winding version aroused an unexpected curiosity in me. Because winding your watch is not a simple technical gesture. It is a discreet ceremonial, a daily tête-à-tête with time. A moment that we allow ourselves, without screen or emergency, to remind the mechanics – and ourselves – that nothing works without attention.
Yes, this gesture has become unnecessary. Outdated, some will say. But that’s precisely what makes it valuable. Winding your watch is perhaps refusing to save time. It means agreeing to waste a few seconds to become more aware of it.
Pequignet, a French house with a unique history
Founded in 1973 by Émile Pequignet, the French house is one of those rare French brands to have pursued, at all costs, a strong watchmaking ambition. A trajectory marked by risk-taking, more complex periods too, but always guided by a desire for independence and innovation.
By becoming a manufacture in 2010 with the launch of the Caliber Royal®, Pequignet reached a decisive milestone. Few French brands today can claim to design and assemble their own mechanical movements. This singularity forges the identity of the house.
Since its integration in 2021 within the Maisons & Manufactures structure, the brand seems to be evolving in a more serene dynamic. A gradual move upmarket, more readable, more coherent, which I observe with interest.
The Royale Paris collection, the basis of a renaissance
The Royale Paris collection perfectly embodies this renewal. Completely revisited in 2025, it displays a more assertive, more architectural design, without denying a certain form of classicism. The attached horns, the bezel held by screws and the work of the finishes give the watch an immediately identifiable personality.
The 39.5 mm Manual version is part of this continuity, while offering a different approach, more introspective, almost more confidential.
A balanced case, designed for everyday life
With its diameter of 39.5 mm and its contained thickness of 11.5 mm, the Royale Paris Manuelle displays particularly accurate proportions. It is worn naturally, without ostentation, and finds its place both under a shirt sleeve and in everyday use.
The polished-satin finish of the case offers a subtle play of reflections, while the domed “glass box” sapphire crystal reinforces the slightly retro charm of the whole. The crown adorned with the fleur-de-lys discreetly recalls the French roots of the house and, isn’t it highly “stylish” to wear a fleur-de-lys on your wrist? I adore.
An architectural dial with sober elegance
The opaline white dial, exclusive to this manual version, seduces with its sobriety. Its grained texture in the center contrasts elegantly with the circular gouge running around the edge. The whole thing is readable, balanced, without overload.
The small seconds at 6 o’clock structures the dial, while the beveled indexes alternating between polished and satin-finished surfaces demonstrate real attention to detail. The polished steel hands, discreetly treated with blue Super-LumiNova, remain faithful to the spirit of the watch: functional, but never demonstrative.
Manual winding as a watchmaking experience
Wearing a hand-wound watch means accepting a constraint. But above all it is reconnecting with a ritual. A slow, almost meditative gesture, which we perform for no other reason than to take the time.
However, I have to admit: although my natural inclination is towards automatic watches, the idea of wearing a manually wound watch has a very particular appeal for me. Every morning — or every evening — the watch demands its due. A few turns of the crown. A few seconds stolen from the everyday race.
As a child, I had a mechanical alarm clock with double bells, I remember that it was transparent and I liked to see the movement. It was therefore necessary to wind it regularly (I imagine it was not COSC certified!) to see the movement come to life but it was also necessary to remember to wind the spring which activated the small hammer whose function was to strike the two bells. It was impossible not to wake up because the ringing must have approached 90 decibels. This buried memory comes back to me while writing this article: thank you Pequignet for this Proust madeleine.
This gesture no longer has any real use. He belongs to a world where we had to think about everything, even bringing time to life. And it is precisely this uselessness that makes it valuable. In this silent dialogue between man and mechanics, the Royale Paris Manuelle reminds us that time is not only consumed: it is maintained.
The Royal Manuel® Caliber, the beating heart of the watch
The Royale Paris Manuelle is powered by the Caliber Royal Manuel®, the second in-house movement developed by Pequignet. A manually wound caliber offering a remarkable power reserve of 100 hours, well beyond the segment average.
With its frequency of 21,600 vibrations per hour, its large balance wheel with compensating screws and its robust construction, this movement demonstrates a serious and sustainable approach to mechanical watchmaking. Visible through the sapphire caseback, it adds a contemplative dimension to the experience.
A watch designed to last and evolve
Waterproof to 5 ATM, equipped with interchangeable bracelets, the Royale Paris Manuelle is not a fragile watch reserved for formal occasions. It is designed to be worn, experienced, accompanied over time.
Delivered on a brown calfskin strap, it can easily change character depending on the desire or the situation, reinforcing its versatile side.
A coherent proposition in the current watchmaking landscape
Priced from €3,900, the Royale Paris Manual 39.5 mm is positioned in a competitive segment. But rare are the watches capable of offering, at this price level, a truly French manufactured movement, a strong identity and such overall coherence.
Without seeking to compete head-on with the big Swiss houses, Pequignet is charting its own path. A more discreet, more demanding path, but deeply sincere.
A watch that speaks to enthusiasts
The Royale Paris Manual 39.5 mm is not for everyone, and that is undoubtedly what makes it interesting. It speaks to those who love watchmaking for what it truly is: an art of time, made of gestures, patience and living mechanics.
For Pequignet, this piece seems to confirm a calmer, more controlled trajectory. A dynamic that I will continue to follow carefully.
