Michel Herbelin are a highly sought after watch brand with a beautiful range of watches in over 20 watch collections. Most watch brands like to celebrate their anniversaries with a limited edition or special watch release and Michel Herbelin is no exception to this.
The 30th anniversary of the brands stunning Newport collection was the perfect opportunity for Michel Herbelin to boast about the iconic timepiece which was first created in 1988. Michel Herbelin has (until recently) a studio in the UK and one in France. This recently changed however when the Newport Chronograph Automatic was discussed and designed it was still two parts.
The side in charge of the design and manufacture of this limited edition celebration was the French Michel Herbelin Watchmaking Studio who set about completely redesigning they already iconic timepiece, the automatic chronograph and a deadline for its release was set.
For an anniversary like this there was only one stage large enough to get it the release it deserved, Baselworld. The 2018 fair was the perfect projection they needed to get the new model showcased worldwide. The model was of course limited edition and only 300 numbered timepieces were ever made, each and every single one proudly flaunts a new style that accentuates its distinctive character.
Three Decades of History
It was a while ago now (1980 in fact) that Jean-Claude Herbelin took control of the company that his father founded. Jean-Claude had huge ambitions for the watch brand and first set his sights on a new collection which he wanted to release to the world.
It would show the real core values and rich French watchmaking heritage of the Michel Herbelin brand. Since it was first introduced the Newport collection has honoured the Herbelin family’s passion for all things sailing and the sea.
Much of the brands inspiration has been drawn from the yachts especially those which compete in the America’s Cup Race in Newport, Rhode Island. The yachts that can be seen in this race have a similar shape to these timepieces, if you inspect the two you will see these similarities especially the portholes of transatlantic yachts.
The Michel Herbelin Newport has been around for three decades and its easy to see why this is the brands number one best seller. Since its creation in 1988, it has elevated the brand to new height with its success story and shows no signs of stopping.
Newport design inspired by stealth ships
The Newport Automatic Chronograph is very similar to many of the other timepieces it sits besides in the timeline or releases, mainly the original model which was launched in 1988 as well as the Newport Connect which was unveiled in 2017 and was in fact the first French-made smart watch to ever be released.
This brand new addition to the Newport collection is a new-generation chronograph which still has a strong anchorage in the world of the big blue. The subtle differences that help to differentiate between this new model and one of the earlier timepieces is the futuristic architecture of the watches which have been drawn from stealth ships.
The die hard Michel Herbelin fans out there will be able to distinguish this watch as a Newport due to a number of factors including the wide style bezel, the traditional iconic attachment points, the tapering indexes which has been styled to a boats hull and of course the ship’s wheel motif on the crown. This is however as far as the similarities go in terms of resemblance as everything else is different.
The watch has a stainless steel case which measures 43.5 millimetres from edge to edge and is coated in an anthracite-grey PVD that has both brushed and polished sections which help to accentuate its three-faceted outline. The push-pieces on the new model have been reshaped slightly to be rectangular in shape with a faceted shape.
The bezel has been designed to match the case and as you can see from the photos it has the name “Newport” engraved around the edge along with five screws which is so very reminiscent of sailing boat windlasses. The watches dial display has been thought out well and has been perfectly balanced in its design in regards to the combination of practicality and functionality.
The watch has a stunning black backdrop made from carbon which is nicely framed by the minute tracks, the black backdrop matches the nickel hands which have been specifically designed just for this timepiece. So that you can read the time no matter the lighting level the hands of the watch have been partially coated with luminescent paint.
The watch has a number of impressive features which Michel Herbelin boast and rightly so, there is an advanced chronograph called a ‘tri-compax chronograph’ which is able to record elapsed times to a maximum of 12 hours, three sub dials located around the watch face which display the 30 minute counter, the small seconds hand and hour counter.
These sub dials have been coated in the same blue as the rest of the dial to keep them as subtle but readable as possible.
A new power unit with automatic pilot
The watch also features a brand new Swiss-made Sellita SW510 mechanical movement which oscillates at 28,800 vibrations p/h with 25 stunning jewels incorporated in the movement. The Newport Chronograph also feature a 42-hour power reserve and a transparent case back with allows you to look into the very heart of the timepiece. Inside is an oscillating rotor which is engraved with the brand name “Michel Herbelin” and comes with a stunning Côtes de Genève pattern decoration too.
This timepiece has been held to the strict standards of design and manufacture that all Michel Herbelin timepieces must conform too. The latest ‘new-generation’ Newport design is entirely French with everything from the drawing designs to the assembly and even the inspection taking place at their world renowned studio in the Jura mountains of the Franche-Comté region. Their impeccably high standards have been a tradition of Michel Herbelin for over 70 years and is there to offer assurance to their customers and to their stringent technical standards.
The watch is available worldwide however it has been limited to an edition of only 300 timepieces each of which are numbered on the case back. IF you do not manage to get one of the limited edition models then it is not cause for worry as there will be a unlimited edition of this timepiece available with a slightly different design. The distinguishing factors are a stainless steel case with a blue sunburst dial which is completed with a golden leather strap.
For a full product description and list of features on this watch please click here to see the product PDF: Michel Herbelin Newport Automatic Chronograph.
