Pequignet Royale Paris 39.5mm Coral Edition: French Watchmaking Resurgence | Hands-On Review (2025)

There is something happening in terms of watchmaking in France at the moment… Something quite interesting, if I must be honest, and I’m not saying only because I’m French. We’re witnessing a resurgence of Frenchwatchmaking, with brands such as Yema delivering accessible watches equipped with made-in-France manufacture movements, or Trilobe recently unveiling an in-house movement made near Paris. And we have to mention Pequignet, a brand that continues its metamorphosis to focus on manufacture movements and higher-grade watches, such as the revamped, sleeker and rather appealing new editions of the Royale Paris. And today, the French brand presents yet another handsome watch, a salmon dial (which is dubbed coral by the brand) version of the Royale Paris 39.5mm Power Reserve Small Seconds.

If you’re a recurring reader of MONOCHROME, the watch in question today should be familiar to you. We have recently explored the classic silver and blue editions of the Royale Paris 39.5mm Power Reserve, two watches that pleasantly surprised us. More compact, much sleeker than before, more modern in their design and yet subtle in their approach, the new generation of Royale Paris now has the design to match its powerful and attractive movement. And even more so today, with a new edition that bears our favourite colour combination… White metal case and salmon-coloured dial. When done right, it is a winning combination. And this new Pequignet indeed has the right ingredients.

The base is the same as what we’ve covered in our review of the inaugural silver and blue editions. And it starts with a redesigned case, with more compact proportions of 39.5mm in diameter, 11.5mm in thickness including the box-shaped sapphire crystal, and about 47mm in length. Classic dimensions for a contemporary watch, and one that sits comfortably on the wrist. Besides this, the case has been redefined. It has nice details all around and adds some character to an otherwise subdued shape. This includes recessed and polished areas of the steel case flanks sandwiched between the brushed bezels, or lugs that are produced individually and then attached to the case.

Moving to the dial, this new edition of the Pequignet Royale Paris 39.5mm Power Reserve retains the same textures and display as before. It is made of a deep, embossed grained texture, paired with a satin-finished groove (so-called gouge) in between and thin applied markers that seem to float over this recessed trench. One of the main evolutions compared to older editions of the Royale Paris has to do with how the brand has sleekened the dials, while retaining the original display the brand was known for. The power reserve is now discreetly integrated with an arched track, while the small seconds dial has a stronger presence with its silvered ring. And now, there’s this handsome “coral” tone that brings warmth and elegance.

Under the sapphire caseback is a nice movement, one that’s proudly made in France in the brand’s workshops in Morteau, in the heart of the Jura region. The new-generation Calibre Royal, a descendant of the first French-made movement to place its complications on the same plate, retains everything that made it appealing and adds now more reliability. This large movement, with elegantly-shaped bridges, is built around an oversized barrel that delivers 96 hours of power reserve, and runs at a 3Hz frequency. It is adjusted to chronometric precision with an average daily rate of -4 to +6 seconds, and is regulated by a balance with gold compensation screws. The decoration, which includes perlage, stripes and soleillage, is no less appealing.

Worn on a black Cordura or nubuck alligator strap, this attractive Coral version of the Pequignet Royale Paris 39.5mm Power Reserve Small Seconds is now available and part of the permanent collection. It is priced at EUR 5,300. More information at Pequignet.com.