Cheap watch, it’s possible!
65% of French people wear a [missing word] daily. watch And in recent years, it has evolved considerably. Between mechanical watches, smartwatches, affordable watches, and luxury watches, we're here to help you see things more clearly. To that end, check out the interview with our founder, Adrien, on the France 5 program "La Quotidienne" on the theme "Quality Watches at Low Prices: It's Possible!" In this video, you'll discover, with complete transparency, our model that allows us to offer you affordable yet high-quality watches. You'll also learn about the origin of watch components, a subject often considered taboo by luxury watch brands.
Luxury watch and cheap watch, why such a difference?
Today, a watch is increasingly considered a piece of jewelry. Whether it's a luxury watch or an affordable one, it's designed to withstand the rigors of mobile life. With technological advancements, smartwatches are becoming more and more common. But again, a traditional watch is quite different from a smartwatch. There are various types of watches, and their price depends on several factors: the components, the manufacturing process, the brand, and even the evolution of the watch market. We'll take a closer look at the manufacturing process of a luxury watch and an affordable one.
Luxury watch, the manufacturing process
Switzerland has been the world center of watchmaking for over two centuries. In this interview, we discover one of the largest watch manufacturers in Geneva, more precisely in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Mechanical watches have been handcrafted there for over 225 years. These watches don't use batteries; they function thanks to the movement of their mechanical parts relative to one another. Within this manufacture, the watches are sophisticated and truly considered works of art. The starting price for a watch from this manufacturer is over €7,000 and can reach €1 million. But how can we explain these prices, and more broadly, the price of a luxury watch? The most luxurious watchmakers use high-quality materials, precise techniques, and unique expertise in their timepieces. The decoration of the components and the finishing of the movement are key criteria of quality, especially among luxury manufacturers. The presence of gold, platinum, mother-of-pearl, or diamonds is common in luxury watches. This interview reveals the high level of technical skill required. Each watch is handcrafted by highly skilled watchmakers. In the making of a watch, it passes through dozens of hands. The more meticulous and time-consuming the watchmaking process, the higher the price. Finally, the brand's reputation and history also influence the price.
Beyond luxury lies the world of ultra-luxury. Here, only the elite of watchmakers work. Each watch is designed by a single watchmaker. The level of quality and exacting standards is extremely high, which is why each watch is crafted by a unique watchmaker, allowing them to personalize and assemble it according to their own vision. Creating a watch of this caliber requires over 100 different skills, and the development cycle for a watch movement ranges from 3.5 to 7 years. It also takes several days, even weeks, to produce exceptional timepieces. A watch with perfect aesthetics and extreme precision is the watchmaker's holy grail. For a watch to be considered highly accurate, it must not lose more than 4 seconds per day or gain more than 6. In any case, buying a beautiful watch is buying expertise.Today, the diversity of the watch market allows you to find different watch models, more or less expensive.
A cheaper but high-quality watch: Adrien explains how our Charlie Paris watches are made.
Adrien, one of the two founders of Charlie Paris, explains in this interview how our Charlie Paris watches are made. All of our mechanical watches The watches, both men's and women's quartz models, are designed and assembled in France. However, the components come from abroad, namely China, Japan, Switzerland, and Italy. Even though France possesses genuine expertise, including top-tier training programs, the watchmaking industry itself is no longer truly established for component manufacturing. Furthermore, while many people working in watchmaking live in France, a significant number reside near the Swiss border and commute daily. Consequently, all French watch brands, luxury or otherwise, including Charlie Paris, utilize components sourced from abroad. And for some, they collaborate with watchmaking workshops located in France for watch assembly, which represents nearly 50% of the watch's added value.
At Charlie Paris, we offer watches that reflect our image, with a brand universe and values that resonate with us, such as freedom, approachability, simplicity, kindness, and humility. It's important to us to operate locally, which is why our watches are hand-assembled in France, near Besançon, by professional and experienced watchmakers. We create watches with a clean, understated design that is both classic and contemporary, offering excellent value for money. By developing primarily through direct sales, without intermediaries, we can offer you watches at a fair price, avoiding overproduction and maintaining a balance between permanent collections and very limited editions. We continually invest in the quality and durability of our products while keeping prices accessible thanks to our direct distribution model. The price differences between our watches depend on the quality of their components and movements. Our waterproof watch women Aurore quartz movement (195€) features mineral glass and we use very high-quality 316L stainless steel. Our Men's chronograph watch has 275€, It uses a highly resistant sapphire crystal and a more complex quartz movement. The manufacture of our dive watch Concordia The automatic watch uses very high-quality materials, finishes, and a Swiss movement that justify its higher price (795€).
