Trilobe | The Revolution of Independent Watchmakers in France

From X-Centric to X-Nihilo: Until it had its own heart.

Watches have a charm that goes beyond simply telling time.
TRILOBE is an independent French watch brand that views mechanical watches as a form of artistic expression, lending poetic beauty to the passage of time.

Instead of moving hour, minute, and second hands, the rings indicating time rotate.
The hour, minute, and second discs each move against a fixed index.

This idea is not merely about eccentric design.
It's a revolution, as befits an independent French watch brand, questioning the very structure of mechanical watches.

Looking at Trilobe's journey, it can be broadly divided into two eras.

One is the era of the X-Centric caliber, backed by the advanced watchmaking technology of La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland.
The other is the era of the X-Nihilo caliber, the brand's first manufacture movement.

And now, that philosophy is carried over to the new model with an integrated bracelet, the Trente-Deux.

X-Centric | Trilobe's challenge began with X-Centric

A crucial point in Trilobe's early days was moving three rings instead of conventional hands to achieve a unique time display.

A ring for the hour.
A ring for the minute.
A small ring for the seconds.
Visibility.

Each rotates on the dial, indicating the current time against a fixed index.
Through this mechanism, Trilobe moved away from the traditional watch concept of "hands pointing to time," creating an expression where time itself seems to move.

However, this structure is more complex than it appears.

While the hands of a typical watch are very light components, Trilobe requires moving three rings.
This means that the moving parts are larger and heavier than those of a conventional hand-type watch, requiring high torque and stability from the movement.

Therefore, efficient winding and energy transmission design become important.
To stably move heavy rings, everything from the power transmitted from the mainspring barrel to the gear train, winding efficiency, and friction management of the display mechanism must be achieved with high precision.

The X-Centric is Trilobe's original movement, which made this unique display possible as a real mechanical watch.

Advantages of X-Centric

The biggest advantage of the X-Centric is that it mechanically realized Trilobe's design philosophy.

The idea of "no hands" would just end up as a design sketch.
But Trilobe actually moved three rings and completed it as an automatic watch for everyday use.

Another major appeal is that it is backed by the high-level watchmaking technology of La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland.
French aesthetic sensibility and Swiss precision mechanical technology.
The convergence of these two factors made Trilobe a serious independent mechanical watch, not just a designer watch.

Weaknesses of X-Centric

Supporting the movement of multiple rings. This is both a drawback and a distinctive characteristic of Trilobe. It's about confronting time, not just checking it.
There lies Trilobe's poetic charm.

Furthermore, the structure that moves three heavy rings is a mechanism that places a heavy load on the machine.
The simpler the display appears, the more advanced energy management and precise component design are required internally. In other words, while the X-Centric is an excellent movement that realized Trilobe's originality, it is also a caliber that presents difficulties different from those of conventional hand-type watches.

To X-Nihilo | Trilobe's first manufacture movement

And Trilobe moves on to the next stage.
That is the X-Nihilo caliber.

The X-Nihilo is Trilobe's first Manufacture Movement.
It is a caliber that marks a major milestone for the brand, with design, development, prototyping, machining, decoration, and assembly all performed in-house.

What is important here is not simply that it became an "in-house movement."
It means that Trilobe, as an independent French watch brand, began to express its unique representation of time through its own internal structure.

The X-Nihilo is an automatic movement with approximately 42 hours of power reserve.
Furthermore, the finished watch undergoes a 400-hour quality control test.

This 400-hour test holds significant meaning for Trilobe.
This is because Trilobe watches have a special structure that moves three rings.

Because the display mechanism is subject to a greater load than conventional hands, high standards are required for stability, winding efficiency, precision control, and durability.

In other words, the X-Nihilo is not merely an in-house movement designed for aesthetic appeal.
It is a caliber meticulously crafted to realize a poetic time display as a reliable mechanical watch for everyday use.

5N Gold | The beauty of 5N gold, or rose gold

Another aspect not to be overlooked in the X-Nihilo is the finish of the movement.

The X-Nihilo features a warm 5N Gold (rose gold) finish.
5N gold is a rose-gold-toned finish with a reddish hue, giving mechanical movements a soft and elegant appearance.

This 5N gold finish is not so much a flashy decoration as a finish that imparts Trilobe's characteristic warmth.

Against the cool and architectural time display without hands, the case back reveals a soft depth of rose gold.
This contrast makes the Trente-Deux not just a modern watch, but a poetic timepiece befitting an independent French watchmaker.

Advantages of X-Nihilo

The appeal of X-Nihilo is that the movement itself embodies Trilobe's worldview.

While typical in-house movements often exist to speak to performance or brand value, X-Nihilo is a little different.

The off-center display on the dial side. The time expression through rings.
The architectural movement visible from the case back.
The confirmation of practicality through a 400-hour quality control test.
And the beauty of the 5N gold, or rose gold, finish.
All of this connects to the philosophy of the Trilobe brand.

Exterior, display, movement, quality control, and finish.
Everything points in one direction.
Here lies a significant leap from the X-Centric era to the X-Nihilo era.

Trilobe, while being a poetic watch, also confirms its reliability as a practical timepiece through 400 hours of quality control.
This balance is the great value of X-Nihilo.

Weaknesses of X-Nihilo

What should not be overlooked here is Trilobe's unique display structure.
The X-Nihilo is not a movement that drives conventional light hands. To indicate hours, minutes, and seconds, it rotates rings that are larger and heavier than typical hands. This reduces the power reserve.

However, a power reserve of 42 hours should not be judged solely by numbers in a simple spec competition.
It should be seen as a design balance that achieves both a unique time display and practicality while stably moving heavy discs.

Furthermore, the finished watch undergoes a 400-hour quality control test.
This demonstrates that Trilobe's poetic display mechanism is validated as a mechanical watch capable of daily use.

Therefore, the X-Nihilo's evaluation should not be simply "42 hours is short," but rather it should be viewed as a caliber that achieves stability, beauty, and practicality while having a special structure that moves heavy rings.

Trente-Deux | Trente-Deux. A new Trilobe with an integrated bracelet

The new flagship model equipped with the X-Nihilo is the Trente-Deux.

The Trente-Deux rebuilds the case, dial, and bracelet while inheriting Trilobe's traditional off-center display.
What is particularly noteworthy is the design of the Integrated Bracelet.

Watches with integrated bracelets are a highly popular style in today's luxury watch market.
However, the Trente-Deux is not simply a luxury sports watch that follows a trend.

It looks like a regular integrated bracelet watch, but the time display is anything but ordinary.
While the case and bracelet are modern, Trilobe's unique rings quietly rotate on the dial.

This combination is the great appeal of the Trente-Deux.

Advantages of the Trente-Deux (Trente-Deux)

The advantage of the Trente-Deux is that Trilobe has evolved into a more everyday luxury watch.

Previously, Trilobe was a brand with a strong impression of being poetic, intellectual, and somewhat artistic.
However, with its integrated bracelet case, the Trente-Deux has become a more practical and contemporary wristwatch.

Yet, the time display is still classic Trilobe.
It looks like a normal luxury sports watch, but there are no normal hands.

This contradiction is very interesting.

Furthermore, equipped with the in-house X-Nihilo movement, it is a model that demonstrates the brand's current position not only in design but also in machinery.

Weaknesses of the Trente-Deux (Trente-Deux)

On the other hand, integrated bracelets also have drawbacks.

Compared to watches that allow you to freely swap out leather or rubber straps, the range of styles is somewhat narrower. However, established watches like the Rolex Daytona, IWC Ingenieur, or Audemars Piguet Royal Oak don't need additional embellishments. Additional structures are unnecessary for a watch that is already a complete sculpture. This has already been proven by the watch market.

Also, the fit of the bracelet varies from person to person, so it's important to try it on and check in person. Please experience the superb fit of this bracelet in store. It can also be said to be a result of prioritizing the complete form.
The Trente-Deux is not a watch where the case and bracelet are considered separately, but one where the whole is viewed as a single sculpture.

The practicality of an integrated bracelet and Trilobe's unique time display.
The value of the new Trente-Deux lies in the ability to enjoy these two simultaneously.

CONTÉVANOU, an authorized dealer of watches and jewelry.

The reason CONTÉVANOU d'Escomte finds Trilobe interesting is not simply because it's an unusual watch.

Trilobe is not a brand that competes solely on design.

With X-Centric, they achieved a unique time display backed by high Swiss manufacturing technology.
With X-Nihilo, they further advanced this philosophy, perfecting it as an in-house manufacture movement.
And with the Trente-Deux, they integrate Trilobe's unique time philosophy into a modern format with an integrated bracelet.

If you're looking for mere convenience, there are more easily readable watches.
If you're just comparing specs, there are watches with longer power reserves.

 If you choose a watch not just as a possession, but as something that quietly reflects your sensibilities and way of life, Trilobe is a very attractive option.Not a flashy presence that's obvious at first glance, but a beauty that deepens the more you gaze at it.
Not just rare, but a solid structure that can be discussed as a mechanical watch.

Not reading time in a hurry, but confronting time.
We highly recommend that those who can enjoy such a sensation experience Trilobe firsthand.

X-Centric brought Trilobe's ideas into mechanical existence.
X-Nihilo crystallized those ideas as its own heart.
The 400-hour quality control test demonstrates that this poetic watch is also reliable as a practical timepiece.
The 5N gold, or rose gold, finish gives the movement warmth and depth, conveying Trilobe's aesthetic from the case back.
And the Trente-Deux evolved this philosophy into a modern integrated bracelet watch.

No hands.
But time is there.
In fact, precisely because there are no hands, one becomes more conscious of time.

Trilobe is a particularly poetic, architectural, and intellectual brand among independent French watchmakers.
At CONTÉVANOU we carefully introduce the appeal of such independent watches through actual models.