Article: Beaubleu La Pièce: when the mint meets watchmaking
Beaubleu La Pièce: when the mint meets watchmaking
Beaubleu is one of those brands that isn't afraid to push the boundaries of watch design, and their latest project , La Pièce, is perfect proof of that.
This limited edition was created in collaboration with the Monnaie de Paris , one of the oldest mints in the world, operating continuously for over 1,200 years .
The result is a collection that combines the traditional craft of metal stamping with modern watch design. It's not just a new watch model. It's a completely new way a watch face can be created.
Two crafts, one story
The Monnaie de Paris is an institution that has been minting coins and medals with extreme precision for centuries, but until now, their technology had never been used to make watches.
The La Pièce project changes that.
The dials of this collection are created directly in the workshops of the historic mint in Paris. Instead of the classic construction where individual elements are applied to the dial, the metal is directly stamped into relief .
The surface of the dial is not created by layering components, but is formed directly in the material.
The result is visually and technically exceptional.
Dial created by stamping
Traditional stamping techniques allow for the creation of a structure that is very rare in watchmaking.
The metal is pressed, raised, sunk and engraved to create a relief directly in one piece of metal .
This means that elements such as indexes or dial details:
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are not applied,
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they are not glued,
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but they are part of the metal itself .
Light behaves completely differently on such a surface. It hits at different levels, reflects off different textures, and creates a dynamic effect that changes with every movement of the wrist.
Two interpretations: La Pièce No.1 and No.2
The La Pièce collection is presented in two different interpretations of the dial.
La Pièce No.1
The first version looks as if it was cut from a single block of paper .
The dial is made up of non-concentric circles that symbolically resemble the movement of light throughout the day — from sunrise to sunset.
The surface has a fine powdery texture that evokes paper. The printed hour markers create a subtle moire effect , so the dial changes tone according to the light.
Above all this hovers a typical Beaubleu element — the flying seconds hand .
La Pièce No.2
The second version presents an even greater technical challenge.
The hour indexes and inner surfaces are milled directly from a single piece of metal that was first stamped.
Various surface finishes meet on one dial:
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mirror polished surfaces
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satin surfaces
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finely powdered textures
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iridescent reflections
The contrasts between them create a rich play of light and shadow that gives the dial a distinct depth.
Here too, the iconic round seconds hand floats above the relief, gently catching the light with every movement.
A design that lets the dial stand out
The watch case remains true to the Beaubleu aesthetic.
It combines polished and brushed surfaces that emphasize the architecture of the watch, while leaving the main dial space exposed.
The crown is located at 3 o'clock and partially hidden so as not to disrupt the purity of the design.
The entire watch looks like a small metal sculpture on your wrist.
Limited chapter of the Beaubleu brand
La Pièce is not just another model in the brand's portfolio.
It is a project that brings together two historic crafts of Paris :
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minting
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watchmaking
The result is a collection that shows that even in modern watchmaking, there is still room for new production techniques and creative experiments.
And that is exactly why Beaubleu is one of the brands that simply belongs on Chronoforte.
