Briston is an exciting new French watch company founded by the multi talented Brice Jaunet. As a veteran of the industry, Brice’s CV makes very impressive reading. Over the last fifteen years he has worked for the Richemont Group, Cartier, Baume & Mercier and Zenith. With experience at a directorial level this provided the perfect qualifications to establish his own brand.
When I first communicated with Brice he thought I might not be interested in his watches due to the price point. Ultimately my main priority is original design and I believe Briston offers this in abundance. The watches range from €129-€269 (approximately $174-$363) and are fashion inspired. Essentially the company describes themselves as a lifestyle watch brand creating a range of affordable trendy timepieces. In my opinion the Clubmaster Chronograph Date is their most successful design so far.
The name Briston is derived from the beautiful and historic village in Norfolk, England. Even though Brice is French, his student days in Oxford have been influential in the styling of these watches. On first inspection the Clubmaster Chronograph Date looks very good quality for a timepiece of this price range. The watch measures 40mm x 40mm (excluding pushers, crown and lugs), which I feel is suitable for the unisex market. Both my wife and I tried on the watch and felt it was very comfortable to wear. On that basis I feel this timepiece will appeal to a wide variety of potential buyers. I also think it would look great with casual and formal clothes.
What initially intrigued me about these watches was the choice of case material. The Clubmaster Chronograph Date is manufactured out of a brown Italian tortoise shell (cellulose acetate) commonly associated with the eyewear industry. This gives the timepiece a really cool and retro aesthetic unlike any other watch available on the market. The dial is composed of two contrasting plates. An upper layer finished in glossy black and the lower in silver. These work in perfect harmony with the rhodium plated baton style hour and minute hands. Other successful elements of the design are the large date window (positioned at 6 o’clock) and 316 stainless steel bezel. Overall the watch has a really attractive and sporty appearance.
Briston has equipped all its timepieces with Japanese quartz movements supplied by Citizen. The Clubmaster Chronograph Date is powered by a reliable Miyota OS21 caliber. Impressively the watch features hours, minutes, seconds, date and chronograph functions. Brice believes in complete transparency and has advised me that all of their timepieces are assembled in China. Currently the watches are for sale on the company’s website and through various retail outlets.
Presently the Clubmaster Chronograph Date is Briston’s best selling watch and comes with a durable interchangeable Khaki NATO strap. The suggested retail price is €249 (approximately $336).
