Laboratoire Hegid

A mechanical watch, an Art Deco-inspired caseband

At Hegid, Laboratoire corresponds to a mechanical watch caseband, that is, the middle part that receives the movement. It can be associated with different capsules, namely Mirage, with a pearl gray dial, for the Laboratoire Nobel watch, a black dial that corresponds to the inaugural series for Laboratoire Clandestin, or even a Darwin capsule, with a brown dial. The Laboratory Dial, made in France and more precisely in the Doubs region, is characterized by its roundness and its lines. It claims to be the heir of an "era synonymous with elegance, where the world was speeding up with the music more and more rhythmic. Thugs and bankers showed off in three-piece suits made by master tailors that have become the standard of modern good taste. Watches, on the other hand, vied for precision in the observatories and their Art Deco lines melted into a sacralized elegance." The luxury watch brand established in 2015 is of course referring to the Roaring Twenties in the early 20th century. The 38.5mm diameter case middle with a thickness of 11mm is made of 316L stainless steel. As for the lugs, they measure 22 mm.

Capsules that adapt to styles and desires

The technical characteristics of the Laboratoire caseband and its timelessly elegant line are thus combined with capsules of different colors, but which have in common - and this is a Hegid trademark - the mechanical movement they contain. "A mechanical watch," the watchmaker reminds us, "is one of the only objects in the world that does not have programmed obsolescence. The watch thus becomes a durable object, which is passed on from generation to generation. But at Hegid, we are well aware that fashions pass and expectations change, hence the proposal that is made of evolving watch - and the House's desire to "make watchmaking evolve." The bracelets, but also the capsules of Hegid watches are therefore interchangeable. The Laboratory watch welcomes in particular with the capsules of the Inaugural Series, which itself comes in two models: the Neo version, with black dial, hands and indexes in rhodium; and the Retro version, with brown dial, hands and indexes in pink gold. This is a limited edition, so each watch has an engraved unit number. The Mirage capsule features pearl-gray "sunburst" finishes - Hegid more recently released a Blue Mirage version -, thin metal hands that sweep between stick indexes. A window indicates the date and the second hand bears the Hegid monogram. The watchmaker has again come up with a version for backpackers with Darwin Laboratory, with a brown dial and satin finish. The case middle itself evolves, with a slightly brushed steel body to better withstand the vagaries of adventure. All of these Hegid caps have in common their Swiss-made mechanical automatic movement, a power reserve of about 40 hours, scratch-resistant and anti-reflective sapphire crystals. They support water resistance to a depth of 100 meters.