Pequignet Rue Royale
The Rue Royale watch by Pequignet is a timepiece of rare elegance, powered by the remarkable Royal calibre, the flagship of French Haute Horlogerie.
A word first about the Pequignet manufacture. With watches entirely designed and made in Morteau, in the Doubs, Pequignet can today take pride in having had the audacity and courage to invest in developing its own calibre—an entirely integrated movement. The visionary Didier Leibundgut, the brand’s founder, overcame financial and technical obstacles to create the Pequignet legend and its famous Royal calibre. His work commands nothing but respect.
Among the 10 versions offered by the manufacture (steel, yellow gold or red gold case; opaline silver, opaline black, charcoal black, or silver guilloché dial), it is the 9010437 CG version that is presented in this review.
The dial
The silver-toned dial features an exceptionally fine honeycomb guilloché across the vast majority of the surface. The power-reserve indicator, meanwhile, benefits from a specific guilloché pattern of its own.
At 12 o’clock, beneath the fleur-de-lys, the large date and day displayed in the double oversized aperture feature a very elegant typeface. Their changeover—unique in the world—does not cause any loss of amplitude, with a triple instantaneous jump at midnight. Precision is the order of the day.
The dial displays applied hour markers and Roman numerals on a satin-finished ring, broken up by a fine track. The small seconds sits at 4 o’clock.
At 8 o’clock, the power-reserve indicator proudly shows 72 hours guaranteed in isochronism (100 hours), i.e. independently of amplitude.
The blued steel hands enhance the legibility of the time.
The large moonphase is an opportunity to showcase the manufacture’s finishing prowess.
The case
The 42 mm case is made of polished 316L steel whose appearance almost suggests white gold. The same goes for the bezel.
Subjectivity being what it is, the 42 mm diameter suits medium wrists particularly well, in a measured proportion that follows the rules of elegance and avoids yielding to the vulgar temptations of ostentation.
The sapphire crystals on the dial side and the caseback are anti-reflective.
The caseback is secured by 6 steel screws with polished heads.
Finally, the fleur-de-lys “crowns” the whole. The result is water resistance to 5 ATM.
The movement
When it comes to the movement, there is enough to write an entire book. Turn the watch over and the transparent caseback reveals the inner workings of the Royal Calibre, protected by 7 international patents. Beyond its high technical content, its decoration, harmony and elegance have been particularly carefully executed.
The wide opening onto the movement allows the fortunate owner to immerse themselves in its beauty. The oscillating weight leaves much of it visible. The large balance, pallet fork and escape wheel can be examined with ease.
The mechanical movement with bi-directional automatic winding beats at 21,600 vibrations per hour (3 Hz).
The Grand Barrel provides a 100-hour power reserve, with an 88-hour guarantee. Winding is carried out via the barrel drum, and the initial force is delivered by a central arbor to the barrel, resulting in very consistent running of the movement.
The balance and hairspring (at 6 o’clock on the back of the watch) benefit from central shock protection thanks to a shock-absorber system.
On the decoration front, perlage on bridges and plates, snailing, and Geneva stripes are all part of the festivities.
The strap
In brown large-scale alligator leather, the strap is hand-stitched and edge-folded. The steel pin buckle features a raised fleur-de-lys.
The Rue Royale, beyond its wearing comfort, is a watch with an identity, a history, an elegance and a technical sophistication that make it a remarkable, distinctive and exceptional timepiece.
Rue Royale Pequignet video
Photo shoot carried out at the Auberge Lamartine, in Bourdeau, Savoie.
