The conceit here is circular hands. That’s what Beaubleu watches are all about. I reviewed one of the many models from its Union collection, the Intrepide Klein Bleu, almost two years ago and was taken by the entire package; that second collection was an evolution and refinement of the brand’s first watch, introducing new cases with added circular seconds hands. For its third collection, Beaubleu has expanded its offerings further, presenting the Vitruve line (in pre-order with delivery in September 2022). Maintaining the central aesthetic of circular hands, the collection introduces comes in three variants: GMT, date, and a patterned dial with roman numerals. Considered herein is the Beaubleu Vitruve GMT, with an internal 12-hour bezel for tracking a second time zone.
On the Wrist
The Beaubleu Vitruve GMT is beautiful watch on the wrist. It’s got a unique three-piece case and the blues of the dial are vibrant. The circular hands take quite a bit of getting used to: having it in rotation for several weeks, it still never quite clicked for me. While readability may present a learning curve, legibility doesn’t suffer, as the all the elements of the dial stand out clearly.
Don’t worry, I don’t have the watch on the wrong way: The Vitruve GMT has two crowns, one for the time, one for the 12-hour bezel. The dimensions allow the watch to wear easily on the wrist (mine is 7 inches and I wear watches on the bone), and the sloped lugs help out too. Of course, at 9.6mm thick, there’s almost no way this is going to overwhelming any wrist.
Dial Details
The dial has a beautiful enamel-like gloss to it that adds depth and vibrancy to the blues. The layout is easy to read, though some may find the circular hands a bit cluttering. (Those hands call to mind the Raketa Copernicus, a favorite amongst Russian watch enthusiasts.) Note that there is no lume on the Vitruve GMT, which makes sense for the watch’s styling, but may turn some people off. (Wouldn’t it be cool if the entire hands or just the pips at the apexes were lumed?)
One of my gripes with the circular handset is the lack of a pip at the apex of the blue seconds hand; you just have to eyeball setting the watch to the second. The point where it would be is more difficult to pinpoint because it floats against the empty light blue ring. The pad-printed text with an in-house font and the placement of the name—perfectly between 55 and 5, and the same size—deserve plaudits.
The polished applied interior hour markers are a nice touch and shine when the light it right. The main dial is set above a lighter blue base, with the internal bezel on the same plane as the former. It makes sense to give a bit of break here: without it, the GMT bezel could easily be confused and the numbers would be cramped. As it’s presented, it allows for discrete presentation of the two time displays.
Case and Strap
While the dial on the Vitruve GMT is superior to the one I experienced on the Union model, the case is not quite what the Union’s is. Even if I prefer the Union case, though, the Vitruve GMT is a unique offering that should be appreciated. It should be noted that the Vitruve GMT has a different case than the other Vitruve options, which appear to share a case with the Union collection.
Where the Union featured a midcase with two arms along the length of the case, the Vitruve GMT omits the lower arm to allow for the crowns to avoid sticking out. The effect of the upper rail is still that the case feels smaller on the wrist as it steps in from the top to the midcase. The side of the rail features vertical brushing in contrast to the rest of the case’s polished finishing. The crowns are a bit small, but manageable. The time-setting crown is less of an issue than the GMT crown, which doesn’t pull out and takes a reasonable amount of force to turn. That tension keeps the bezel in place, though, and you won’t have to operate it too frequently, even if traveling.
One miss is the use of the Miyota 9015 instead of the 9039, which would have rid the 3 o’clock crown of its dead date position; the only practical reason Beaubleu may opt for the 9015 instead is greater flexibility with hand clearance. The brand has gone the small extra step of decorating the movement with striping and a custom rotor, so there is that.
One of the strap options for the Vitruve collection is a beautiful flat woven steel offering that recalls the vintage gold bands of Piaget, Patek Philippe, and Vacheron Cosntantin. It was not, however, sent with my review piece. After a short three days of sobbing, I was able to pull myself together and enjoy the leather strap it did come on. I was expecting something stiff, in need of breaking in, but was met with a somewhat pliable strap that after only a day or two was conforming to my wrist. The branded butterfly deployant buckle was easy to adjust and comfortable between the strap and my wrist (I’ve had some non-butterfly deployants in which the folding component was too long and caused discomfort). As far as other straps, I would never put a NATO on (and didn’t try), but the Vitruve GMT’s design does lend itself to thin, dressy straps.
Final Thoughts
For me the Beaubleu Vitruve GMT is another winner. The case is unique with well-managed dual crowns, the dial is stunning and has plenty of depth, and the circular hands—love them or hate them—offer something only rarely encountered. While there are small changes I would make, there’s nothing with the Beaubleu Vitruve GMT that would make me hesitate if I were thinking about buying one. Now if I can only convince the brand to let me try the guilloche cognac Vitruve Origine on the woven steel strap!
Check out more GMT watch reviews from The Watch Clicker
Check out the Beaubleu website
Beaubleu Virtuve GMT Specs | |
Case Width | Thickness |
Lug-to-Lug | Lug Width |
Crystal | Strap |
Water Resistance | Lume |
Movement | Price $880+ |
Little mistake at the end, the movement isn’t a Seiko – it’s the Miyota 9015! A very solid movement 🙂