I went to Paris. They had almost all of my grail watches.

This weekend, I went to Paris. It was actually my first time in France, ever, which is weird. Suffice is to say, it definitely will not be my last.

Prior to arriving, I had scheduled meetings with the Lange boutique and the JLC boutique there. Little did I know, just how many great watches I would get to experience first hand.

The first stop of the day was at Lange

Lange, with their low production volumes, rarely have all the models you want to see available. This is part of why they've moved to the Boutique model, and I applaud it. The Paris boutique had a number of interesting pieces though, albeit unfortunately not the one I was the most excited to see (current production Zeitwerk in rose gold). They had one that was sold just a few days before I arrived. In any case, I got to try the following:

The 1815 "base model" has really grown on me. I doubt I'll get it as I feel this watch wouldn't fill a gap in my collection (i.e. I wouldn't wear it a lot instead of my other watches). However, it's a great piece and if you're considering Lange, it could be an excellent entry level watch. As with all Lange watches, it has to be experienced before passing judgement.

The 1815 chronograph was the highlight of my visit there. Absolutely amazing, and the caseback is insane (very hard to do it justice with photos). Lastly, the Zeitwerk date isn't really my cup of tea. It's a huge piece, and I'm not a fan of neither the date ring, nor the colour combination.

The service at the boutique was great, and the 1815 chrono made an impression for sure.

Next stop was JLC!

For my scheduled appointment, I had requested both Reverso Tribute Chronograph variants. The boutique confirmed they would both be in. I was super happy to try them on, and the black + rose gold version was easily my favourite:

I had to ask if they had one of my long-term aspirational watches in, the Ultra Thin Tourbillon Moon, and they did! Now this was an absolute blast to experience in real life. Super grateful to have the opportunity, and the watch was every little bit I had hoped it would be:

It has so many of the elements I love about my current Ultra Thin, and everything is executed so well. I really hope I'm able to get this one day.

The service at this boutique was also supreme. Great experience, I highly recommend visiting them at Place Vendôme.

For the last stop of the day, I went to Vacheron Constantin

Initially, I just walked around the store. I hadn't scheduled an appointment, so I figured I'd just take a look and see what they had. Their pieces on display weren't that interesting to me, however I ended up talking with one of their sales associates.

Best. Decision. Ever!

The thing is, I wasn't in Paris to buy a watch. As such, it was more than enough for me to see watches. When I was told that they had the Overseas Tourbillon in, but that it was reserved for a client, I just had to ask if I could just please see it. Even better: They had both the steel and the titanium ones in at the same time, so I got to see and compare them. For the record, I was also told that the steel model will be discontinued (no surprise there).

The Titanium is a darker shade, but it's also coarser when you brush it. You can tell from the ring beneath the bezel that it isn't steel, it looks almost like grains of sand. I think this suits the watch even better than steel, and the blue dial is amazing (as always). Now, I've seen a few tourbillons in person, but this is the first one I see on an Overseas. It is definitely my favourite so far, Vacheron have really nailed the aesthetics of this complication on this model.

I was already super happy with everything I had got to see, and the service at all boutiques was amazing. The service I got at Vacheron probably stood out the most: When I held the Overseas Tourbillon in my hand, I just had to ask if they happened to also have the Overseas Skeleton Tourbillon model in. The sales associate told me that they did indeed, but that it was paid for and a client was coming in to pick it up in a few days. However, I could see the watch, just not touch it.

I was over the moon, and as she walked to get it, I could hardly contain my excitement. And there it was:

This has long been my absolute favourite, and it did not disappoint in the slightest in the metal. I don't know if I'll ever be able to get this. Just seeing it in real life was, in itself, amazing though. The boutique had so far only gotten 1 per year, and they've sold them immediately. By sheer, dumb luck I was there at the right time. If I were superstitious I would probably have taken this as a sign of sorts.

The level of finishing, the design, the various colours playing off of each other, the depth, and... and... I find it hard to put into words just how much I appreciate this watch.

The part of the hobby where you try stuff on, adore the fine craftsmanship that goes into creating these gorgeous watches, plan, think, consider: It's a big deal to me. As such, the trip to Paris was way above my expectations in terms of the watch part (the rest of the trip was great, too!).

Now, I'm back to thinking, planning, saving and waiting!

PS: It has nothing to do with Paris or this trip, but I have to add that the new Christopher Ward The Twelve X (skeletonized) is amazing 😀