We have had a good start to the year when it comes to reviewing new brands. We recently reviewed Nubeo Watches, which we really liked wit its open dial design. We are going on to carry this good start with the review of Charlie Paris Initial Open Heart. The Open Heart comes in six different models and the one we will be reviewing is the Open Heart-White.

Who is Charlie Paris?

As you have probably guessed from the name, the brand is based in Paris, France. It is the brain child of Ambroise and Adrien, who first started the collection in 2014. Charlie Paris’ mission is to create watches which represent the “French art of living, at the same time free, elegant and refined”. The brand has grown from strength to strength, employing a team of twelve people and they are approaching their 10 year anniversary.

Le plus beau reste l’avenir – the best is yet to come!

Features

Made in France : Assembled in France

Movement: Automatic CitizenMiyota Premium 82S7 Caliber, 21 Rubis, -20 / + 40s per day, 40h power reserve

Case material: 316L steel

Glass quality: Sapphire, ultra-resistant, anti-reflection

Dial diameter: 40mm

Bracelet width: 20mm

Case thickness: 11.5mm

Warranty: 24 months

Water resistance: 3ATM

First Impression

The packing of the watch has to be commended. The box is well presented and feel luxurious. Seeing the watch for the first time, it gave a very minimalistic feel. The white dial is at the center of attention and the ‘Open Heart’ can be clearly seen. Overall, this gives off a classy look and a watch which will be the perfect dress watch.

Charlie Paris Initial Open Heart White Unboxing

Dial

This is the perfect place to start to review the Charlie Paris Initial Open Heart. The first thing you will see on the dial is the open heart. Located near the 5 and 6 o’clock position, the open heart gives you a glimpse of the movement and jewels. It is a nice feature of have and it brings the watch to life and also add a bit more character to the minimalistic dial. There are two sub-dials, one for the second and the other for the hour. The second sub dial is a bit hard to read as it is against a silver wheel bridge. The second hand is in a dark blue colour and can be hard to read at times when the hour or minute hand are hovering on top. Having said that, it is an interesting feature. The index around the second sub dial is elevated to bring it at the forefront and simple batons have been used to represent the numerals.

The other sub dial is for the hour. Located close of the 9 o-clock position, the sub dial is simple. A silver hand has been used along with batons to represent the numbers. There are some numerals, and they are in 24 hour. Similar to the second sub-dial, the index is elevated bold. The 24 hour numerals adds a bit more functionality to the watch as you will be differentiate the time well rather than having a standard 12 hour numerals.

The background on the Charlie Paris Initial Open Heart is shiny and long silver batons have been used for the main numerals. Legibility of the batons is perfect and on the outer circumference of the dial, numerals in intervals of five have been added. A white background has been used against the black numerals and this makes it easy to read the minutes. The outer index has been given a slightly curved design and this makes it easy to read the minute from different angles.

Alpha hands design has been used for the watch and this goes well with the overall elegant and classy look of the Charlie Paris Initial Open Heart.

To finish off, there is a quite large Charlie Paris logo at the 12 o’clock position. You will not go amiss of which brand the watch is.

Casing

The casing is 40mm by 11.5mm. It is of standard size and fits the wrist well. The large casing allows the open heart to be seen along with its features. The casing is comfortable on the wrist and the curved lugs helps to press the casing to the wrist.

Sapphire, ultra-resistant and anti-reflection has been used for the glass and it is great. Reflection and glare is at its minimum and legibility of the dial from different angle is fine. We were wondering if a domed glass would fit the aesthetic of the watch. Given its minimalistic design and open heart feature, a domed glass would focus these feature more, but that is our opinion.

Teeth cut design has been used for the push and pull crown and it is easy to use. Another kissing feature for the watch would be for the Charlie Paris logo to be engraved or stamped. It would make the watch a bit more personalised to the brand.

An open back casing has been used to see the custom rotor along with the jewels and parts powering the Charlie Paris Initial Open Heart. The back casing has a convex design which helps to settle the watch on the wrist and enforced our view of having a domed lens.

Movement

Inside the Charlie Paris Initial Open Heart, there is a Automatic Citizen Miyota Premium 82S7 Caliber, 21 Rubis with a custom rotor. This is not your typical entry level watch movement. With 21 jewels working in tandem to power the watch, it produces 21600 vibration frequency per hour which translate to -20 / + 40s per day. Overall, we could not fault the movement. It works perfectly and is reactive. The power reserve is estimated to be around 40 hours, subject to use.

Strap

The strap is made from genuine Italian leather. The colour scheme for the strap is the Mick Marron. There are three other strap colours to choose from, along with a mesh strap. The Mick Marron complements the dial and then both work together to create a very alluring watch. The strap itself is comfortable and does not need breaking into. There are enough holes for smaller wrists and quick release pins to change the straps. The buckle unfortunately is not signed with Charlie Paris’ logo, it would have been a good feature to have.

Buy, Shortlist or Avoid?

As always, we need to discuss the price of the watch. The watch retails at €445/$470/£390. Given the features of the watch and design, we think this a buy. You will not find a dress watch which is minimalistic and also has features to be distinctive and stylish at the same time. The Mick Marron strap, for us, is the perfect choice with the white dial but with its range dials and straps, you can find our own colour scheme.

Do not forget to subscribe to New Labels Only and do follow New Labels Only on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Bloglovin and Youtube   @Newlabelsonly where New Labels only is most active!