Stephan Ciejka x Frank Sans C: let’s review Dubail’s low-cost models

BVLGARI, Octo Roma Automatic

With this perfect mix between an Italian-inspired design and a Swiss high watchmaking technology, Bvlgari presents the Octo Roma Automatic. A 41mm anthracite dial, a stainless-steel octagonal case (hence the name “octo”): it’s a real tribute to Rome’s architectural features, such as the Pantheon or masterpieces by Leonardo da Vinci.

The case design juxtaposes round and octagonal shapes, creating a striking play of light. Water-resistant to 100 meters, it is equipped with a built-in and screwed-down crown adorned with a ceramic inlay and protected by a crown guard. This stainless-steel model, animated by a self-winding manufacture movement, displays a distinctive Clou de Paris pattern on the dial. This detailed pattern is composed of small pyramid-like squares than give relief to the whole piece.

The dial, also available in blue and white, wears contrasting hands, indices and numerals covered in a luminescent substance. Its high legibility is completed by a date aperture at 3 o’clock. Eternal, the Octo Roma Automatic is equipped with a smart interchangeable strap system, so easy to use that you don’t even need tools. An additional rubber strap is then delivered with the watch.

€7,900

See the full technical specification sheet of the Bvlgari Octo Roma Automatic

BVLGARI, Aluminium GMT x Fender®

Since its release in 1998, the Bvlgari Aluminium has been redefining the luxury sports watchmaking standards. By introducing unprecedented materials – light aluminium and sturdy rubber – the Roman company designed a watch with a strong visual identity, especially thanks to its bezel engraved with the double Bvlgari logo. Daring aesthetics, Italian elegance… all these details make for an emblematic timekeeper, with a timeless sporty-chic style.

The GMT complication – double world time function – adds a travel-oriented dimension to the piece. In a quite noisy video, Frank Sans C already studied this model released in homage to the 70^th anniversary of the legendary Stratocaster®: Bvlgari collaborated with Fender® for a limited edition. Despite their separated universes, the two houses share a common vision: pushing back the limits of creation while respecting a high-standards technical level.

This collaboration gave life to an exceptional box: the Bvlgari Aluminium GMT x Fender® Limited Edition, delivered with a Fender® Custom Shop Bvlgari Stratocaster® guitar, with only 70 copies worldwide.

€4,600

See the full technical specification sheet of the Bvlgari Aluminium GMT x Fender® Limited edition

CARTIER, Santos de Cartier Watch Small Model

Delivered on a built-in interchangeable bracelet, this Santos de Cartier watch reinterprets the original version of the model designed by Louis Cartier for his friend Alberto Santos Dumont. This time, the stainless-steel case is a bit smaller (27mm x 34.5mm). This scale model, 7.08mm thin, is water resistant to 30 meters and displays a refined dial slightly sun-brushed. With a quartz movement guaranteeing 8 years of autonomy, the watch carries on the visual codes of the house: blued-steel sword hands, Roman numerals, rail-track minute circle and a secret signature.

€6,550

Technical details:

Santos watch, small model, quartz movement. Steel case, 7-sided crown set with a synthetic faceted blue spinel, silver sun-brushed dial, blued-steel sword hands, sapphire crystal. Steel bracelet, second strap in dark blue alligator leather, with steel ardillon buckle. Both straps are fitted with an interchangeability system. Dimensions: 27mm x 34.5mm, thickness: 7.08mm. Water-resistant up to 3 bars (approx. 30 meters).

Cartier website

CHOPARD, Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph

The common story between Chopard and the Mille Miglia began in 1988, when the watchmaking manufacture became the official partner and timekeeper of the famous Italian race. Indeed, motorsports have always left their mark on the house’s DNA – by the way, Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, the current co-president of Chopard, has been participating to this competition since 1989. It is now custom to have a Mille Miglia-dedicated watch released every year, for the pleasure of collectors and well-oiled machine lovers.

Here is the 2023 version, with an obvious retro style. Made of Lucent Steel™, Chopard’s own steel produced with 80% of recycled elements and twice harder than traditional steel, this 40.5mm version stands out by its “Verde Chiaro” or light green dial with a circular satin-brushed finish. It displays a white minute circle and a tachymetric scale, with luminescent hours and minutes hands. The red tip of the seconds hand is a reference to the race’s logo colour. The case, protected by a “glass box” sapphire glass that adds perspective and depth to the whole piece, is adorned by a notched crown and knurled push-buttons that recall the appearance of a car brake pedal.

Yet the looks don’t disadvantage the watch’s inner workings. A self-winding manufacture calibre is at the heart of this speedster water-resistant up to 50 meters. Certified chronometer by the COSC, it offers a power reserve of about 54 hours. To complete the motor race vibe, this timekeeper is delivered on a punched brown calf leather strap that reminds of driving gloves.

€10,100

See the full technical specification sheet of the Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph

See all our full technical specification sheets for the Chopard Mille Miglia collection

Chopard website

GERALD CHARLES, Maestro GC Sport “Grass”

Founded in 2000 by Gérald Genta, key figure of the watchmaking industry, the Maison Gérald Charles carries on their creator’s work with remarkable faithfulness and requirement, both aesthetically and technically. When the master designer passed out in 2011, the Ziviani family took over the company. Since 2019, its revival was remarked among the watchmaking community – experienced collectors or passionate connoisseurs. 2025 marks a symbolic milestone: the 25^th anniversary of the Maison. On this occasion, several new pieces were presented, especially the GC39 25^th Anniversary Edition that was unveiled for the Watches and Wonders exhibition.

This Maestro GC Sport “Grass” embodies as well the spirit of Gérald Charles, blending stylistic audacity and mechanical innovation. This new sport edition reuses the famous asymmetrical case designed by Genta, this time made of Grade 5 titanium, both light and resistant. Its complex baroque outline was directly inspired by Borromini’s architecture works the Maison’s founder was so fond of. The screwed-in crown, delicately decorated with a Clous de Paris pattern and Gérald Charles logo, ensures the watch to be water-resistant up to 100 meters. The whole piece is perfected by a matching green vulcanized rubber strap with the same Clous de Paris motif.

Designed for assisting athletic performances, the Maestro GC Sport went through an important engineering process. Its self-winding movement was specifically reinforced to be shockproof and to withstand mechanical challenges – it underwent about 40% more solidity tests than the previous editions. Tested with a robotic arm, the watch can resist up to 5G shocks. It is equipped with an Incabloc shockproof system and a gold oscillating weight, redesigned to prevent the movement from being wound up too fast during an intense sport session. This rotor reconciles technicity and refinement through several finishing steps: sand-blasting, snailing, sun-brushing and a honeycomb pattern, the Maison’s signature.

The dial of this “Grass” edition is an elegant nod to tennis grass courts. The green tint, that gets gradually lighter towards the centre, mimics the court’s natural wear during a competition. The textured surface evokes an irregular grass area, with rounds and hollows. Positioning the crown on the left side of the case adds comfort for the wearer, especially when playing sports.

€19,000

See the technical details of the Gerald Charles Maestro GC Sport

Gerald Charles website

IWC , Ingenieur Automatic 35

We presented them in the videos filmed at the last Watches and Wonders exhibition: the new Ingenieur watches by the IWC manufacture are available as numerous editions, especially 35mm models. Here is the video and its dedicated article:

IWC and Panerai: the revival of icons

€11,100

See the full technical specification sheet of the Ingenieur Automatic 35

IWC website

JAEGER-LECOULTRE, Reverso Tribute Monoface

Embodying elegance and innovation since 1931, this Reverso Tribute Monoface pays a vibrant tribute to the Reverso model’s history. Born during the 1930s, it was created for polo players who wanted to protect their watches during games. Accurately reproducing the proportions and the aesthetics of the first 1931 model, the stainless-steel Reverso Tribute Monoface watch perpetuates the Art deco spirit though the harmonious and refined outlines of a rectangular case (40.1 x 24.4mm and 7.56mm thick).

The silver grey opaline dial hides a customizable reverse – an inherent feature for this model. Powered by a manufacture manual winding movement, the watch offers a power reserve of 42 hours and is water-resistant up to 30 meters. The light brown strap, based on an iconic Fagliano design, emphasizes the watch’s delicacy thanks to a double finishing: the flap in smooth calfskin blends in with the short strand and the long sprig in grained calfskin known as Saffiano.

€9,600

See the full technical specification sheet of the Reverso Tribute Monoface

Jaeger-LeCoultre website

PANERAI, Luminor Logo

Officine Panerai’s iconic 1936 Radiomir watch, developed at first for the Italian Navy divers, evolved at the beginning of the 1950’s to give rise to another Italian icon: the Luminor. Although this new model kept the cushion-shaped case and the “sandwich” dial made of 2 slabs placed on top of each other – the top one wearing the indices and the bottom one being covered in a luminescent substance – the addition of a prominent crown guard made the difference. This bridge-shaped patented protection is one of the key features of the Luminor collection, ensuring the crown’s waterproofness. The present model, a Luminor Base Logo watch, is named after the historical logo of Officine Panerai: a stylised arrow symbolising the letters O and P.

This sporty 44mm timekeeper is made of stainless-steel and is water resistant up to 100 meters. On the white sandwich dial, luminescent hands, numerals and indices ensure an optimal legibility, even when diving in the ocean’s deep dark depths. Delivered on a military green rubber strap, this edition is powered by a manual winding movement with a power reserve of about 72 hours.

€5,700

See the technical details of the Panerai Luminor Base Logo PAM01086

Panerai website

ROLEX, Oyster Perpetual

As the emblem of Rolex’s watchmaking DNA, the Oyster Perpetual watch embodies the purest form of time measuring, with a triple hand display. Available as women or men’s models, its aesthetics remain unchanged, whatever the size of the case or the colour of the dial. Demonstration, with this 41mm model, here with a “Med Blue” dial.

This vivid tint is obtained with 6 meticulously brushed layers of lacquer and a polished varnish on top, that give the dial a dizzying depth. The hands and the indices are coated in Chromalight, an exclusive blue luminescent substance that offers optimal legibility, even in the darkness. The piece is protected by an Oyster case water-resistant to 100 meters, with a fluted back hermetically screwed-down with Rolex’s exclusive watch maker tool that guarantees the watch to be both dustproof and waterproof. Both case and bracelet are made in Oystersteel, an exclusive alloy from the 904L steel family renowned for its remarkable resistance to corrosion. This self-winding watch is certified Superlative Chronometer, a certification that allies COSC’s accuracy with strict tests particular to Rolex. It ensures a chronometric precision of -2/+2 seconds per day, a rate well higher than the traditional watchmaking standards. The movement also offers a power reserve of 70 hours.

€6,700

See the technical details of the Oyster Perpetual

Rolex website

TUDOR, Black Bay 58

As a tribute to the year the first Tudor diving watch (water resistant to 200 meters) was released – the 7924 model, called “Big Crown” – the Black Bay 58 is now available as a 39mm variation.

In a definite vintage style, this edition presents a stainless-steel case with a polish and satin-finish. Also water-resistant to 200 meters, it is equipped with a screwed-in streel crown and a unidirectional rotating bezel with a matte black anodized aluminium disc. This bezel displays a 60-minute graduated scale and pink gilded markings and numerals, as well as a red luminous triangle-shaped marker. The matching black dial, protected by a cambered sapphire crystal, displays snowflake hands and large luminescent indices. Certified Chronometer by the COSC, the self-winding manufacture calibre offers a power reserve of about 70 hours.

This calibre is equipped with a silicon hairspring that ensures a high protection against magnetic fields and works at a 4Hz frequency, meaning 28,000 vibrations per hour. Cherry on top, the watch is delivered on a riveted stainless-steel bracelet, also available in brown leather or in a black fabric strap with a golden strip.

€4,190

See the technical details of the Black Bay 58

Tudor website

ZENITH, Defy Skyline 36

Proud descendant of Zenith’s 1969 model, with a powerful look and a unique movement, the Defy Skyline is now available as a 36mm model with an interchangeable integrated bracelet.

Yet available with a pink or a green dial, we preferred the blue version of this watch water-resistant to 100 meters. The mesmerizing metallic dial displays a sun-brushed finish whose centre is the star localised at 12 o’clock – Zenith’s emblem since its foundation 160 years ago. A myriad of 4-pointed stars glints over the deep surface, forming a stylized background.

The dial, with a date aperture at 3 o’clock, stands out thanks to its meticulously made hours chapter that evokes Zenith’s iconic 12-sided bezel. The watch is powered by a self-winding Elite manufacture movement that vibrates at a 4Hz frequency (28,000 vibrations per hour) and offers a power reserve of about 50 hours. The transparent case back reveals an oscillating weight pierced with a star shape. The circle is complete.

€9,300

See the technical specification sheet of the Zenith Defy Skyline 36

Zenith website

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