Collection: Beaubleu Seconde Française

The 19.24 case is 39mm of 316L stainless steel, 10.2mm thick and 45mm lug to lug, finished in alternating polished and brushed surfaces with the crown hidden at three so the profile stays symmetrical. A double-domed sapphire crystal sits over the dial and a sapphire caseback shows the movement and the edition number.

That movement is a France Ebauches automatic - a movement actually manufactured in France, which is rare at any price and almost unheard of under $2,000. It runs at 4Hz with a 46-hour power reserve. The dial carries 18th-century Indo-Arab numerals and a railroad minute track, with Beaubleu's circular hour and minute hands above and the floating seconds hand turning as though attached to nothing. The 20mm grained leather strap closes on a stainless steel folding clasp, and water resistance is 50 meters.

Beaubleu launched the Seconde Française in 2024 as a tribute to French watchmaking, and backed the sentiment with a French movement rather than a French name on a Swiss or Japanese caliber. France Ebauches supplies it, and the watches are assembled in Paris.

The collection runs in two designs: the 19.24, with the classical numerals and railroad track that King Jewelers stocks, and the 20.24, which takes a more modern line. Both are 39mm, both are limited to 888 numbered pieces, and both use the floating seconds display that gives the collection its name.

Seconde Française 19.24 Imperial Green - Imperial green enamel dial on a grained green leather strap. Limited to 888 numbered pieces. $1,691.

Seconde Française 19.24 Anthracite Gray - Anthracite gray dial with a fine grained finish, on grained black leather. Limited to 888 numbered pieces. $1,691.

The Seconde Française 19.24 carries a 36-month warranty on the watch against defects in materials and workmanship, with five years of coverage on the France Ebauches movement - the longest coverage Beaubleu publishes on any of its watches. Beaubleu services them from the Paris atelier. Because a manufacturer warranty depends on the watch having been bought through an authorized dealer, purchasing from King Jewelers keeps that coverage intact from the day it leaves the store.