Trilobe has unveiled its latest watch at Geneva Watch Days 2026, the Château Trente-Deux, inspired by the craft of winemaking.
When Trilobe unveiled the Trente-Deux collection at last year’s Geneva Watch Days, I was genuinely surprised by just how much I liked these watches. Trilobe had always been on my radar thanks to some of its more unusual designs, particularly the UNE Folle Journée, but the Trente-Deux seemed to go in a new direction for the Parisian brand.
You can read my thoughts on the original Trente-Deux collection here, but a year on, Trilobe is adding a new colourway to the collection with the Château Trente-Deux, bringing a deep burgundy-red dial to its distinctive design.
The name gives away the theme. Trilobe has drawn inspiration from the world of French wine for this edition, bringing together two distinctly French crafts through the deep red dial and the watch’s now fully Parisian construction. And while the wine connection could easily have been treated as little more than a marketing exercise, Trilobe has actually carried the theme through the watch and its launch in a way that I think works pretty well. Read on…
The Château Trente-Deux
The Trente-Deux was introduced as Trilobe’s first collection to be designed, developed, manufactured, decorated and assembled entirely in Paris, with the name itself referring to the address of the brand’s Parisian workshop as well as the code name used during development of its first in-house movement. For the Château edition, that same architecture remains intact, but the dial completely changes the personality of the watch.
The deep burgundy dial has a matte sunray finish, which gives the colour considerably more depth as it catches and reflects the light. Having gone hands-on with this just yesterday, it can look relatively dark in some lighting, before opening up into a much richer red as the light moves across the dial. It is easily my favourite part of this new version, and gives another personality to the growing collection.
The dial is also where Trilobe’s unusual approach to displaying the time comes into play. Rather than conventional hands, the hours, minutes and seconds are displayed using three rotating elements positioned on the same plane as the dial. Fixed indicators allow you to read the time as the discs rotate around them. It is a unique way of telling time, which is very much in Trilobe’s DNA, and one that gives the Trente-Deux its identity, while also making the dial considerably more interesting than a conventional three-hand layout.
The case is beautifully done, as is the bracelet. Measuring 39.5mm in diameter and 10.15mm thick, the case is made up of seven individual components, with mirror-polished, satin-brushed and microblasted surfaces used throughout. There is also a fluted bezel with polished ridges and microblasted grooves, along with the fluted push-button crown.
The Trente-Deux is also a considerably comfortable watch to wear. That was something I liked about the original Trente-Deux when I first got hands-on with it last year, and the Château retains that same wearability. The 39.5mm case sits nicely on the wrist, while the integrated stainless steel bracelet follows the shape of the case and articulates naturally around the wrist.
The bracelet itself uses satin-brushed and bevelled links with mirror-polished interlinks, finished with a double folding clasp, which is spring-loaded, so it’s fairly easy to open.
The X-Nihilo Movement
Inside is Trilobe’s X-Nihilo calibre, the brand’s in-house automatic movement with an oscillating weight. It measures 7mm thick and contains 218 components, including 34 functional jewels, operating at 28,800 vibrations per hour, or 4Hz with a 42-hour power reserve.
The movement’s architecture is also a little different to the conventional automatic calibres you see on other watches, which keeps the unconventional Trilobe DNA running through the Trente-Deux. Rather than using the movement simply to power a set of conventional hands, Trilobe has developed the mechanism around its three rotating hour, minute and seconds indications.
There is also a fair amount of development work behind the calibre, with Trilobe stating that every X-Nihilo movement undergoes more than 400 hours of testing before leaving its Paris workshop. This fits with the broader philosophy behind the Trente-Deux, which has been built around keeping the design and production of the collection within Trilobe’s Parisian Manufacture.
A Bottle of Wine to Go With It
One of my favourite details about the Château Trente-Deux has nothing to do with the movement or the case. Yes, it’s the wine! For the first 100 watches produced, Trilobe is including a carefully selected French Grand Cru, presented in a special case created specifically for the edition. It is a small novelty, but one I actually like.
Trilobe obviously didn’t need to do it, but given the wine theme behind the Château Trente-Deux, it makes sense. The idea is that you have the watch on your wrist and the wine ready to pour, bringing the two sides of the concept together. It also gives the first 100 pieces something extra without changing the watch itself or adding unnecessary decoration. After those first 100 examples, the Château Trente-Deux will become part of the permanent Trente-Deux collection.
Initial Thoughts
After being surprised by how much I liked the Trente-Deux when I first saw it last year, I think the Château version makes a strong addition to the collection. The design remains unusual enough to stand apart from the crowd, but it is the deep burgundy dial that really does it for me. The sunray finish gives the red a surprising amount of depth, and it changes quite dramatically depending on the light.
More importantly, the things I liked about the Trente-Deux originally are still here. It is a comfortable, easy-wearing watch, the integrated bracelet works particularly well with the case, and the rotating display gives Trilobe a distinctive way of showing the time without making the watch feel like a gimmick.
Then there is the wine. I like the fact that Trilobe has actually committed to the theme with the first 100 watches, rather than simply giving the watch a wine-inspired name and calling it a day. A good bottle of French wine alongside a watch made entirely in Paris is a pretty fitting combination for the Château Trente-Deux.
Reference & Specifications
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| References: | 3201BDX |
| Dimensions | 39.5mm diameter, 10.15mm thickness, 46.18mm lug-to-lug |
| Case Material | Stainless Steel with a seven-part construction |
| Case Back | Sapphire crystal caseback |
| Dial | Matte sunray finish, grained discs for hours and minutes, and seconds wheel combining azurage and Clous de Paris guilloche. Circular chapter ring with satin -brushed and mirror -polished finish. |
| Crystal | Sapphire crystal with multi -layer ARDUR anti -reflective coating |
| Movement | X-Nihilo calibre In-house movement, beating at 4Hz / 28,800VpH |
| Power Reserve | 42 Hours |
| Water Resistance | 50m / 5 ATM |
| Bracelet | Stainless steel with double folding clasp engraved with the Trilobe logo. Rubber strap available to order as an accessory. Satin -brushed and bevelled links. Mirror-polished interlinks |