Today, I’d like to introduce a project I find genuinely interesting, one that takes me outside my usual territory of high-end watchmaking and pure craftsmanship. This one comes from a French brand. If I say cushion case and Art Deco design, you may have already guessed Maison Boanton. Before moving on to one of their latest pieces unveiled in 2025, let me take you through the background of Hassan Sefrioui, the founder behind the brand.
Hassan Sefrioui was born and raised in Rabat, Morocco, in an environment deeply open to art and craftsmanship. As a child, he spent a lot of time with music: singing, clarinet, piano, guitar. He was also drawn to creation, materials, and well made objects. On his father’s side, there is a strong family heritage as well. His paternal grandfather was among the very first jewelers in Fès, and more broadly, part of his father’s family has been rooted for generations in the world of high jewelry and high-end watchmaking. His earliest watch memories naturally go back to childhood, watching his father wear watches. His passion also began when he received his first watches, which he still owns today: brightly colored Flik Flak pieces.
It was during his teenage years, at 16, that Hassan Sefrioui moved to France for high school. Around that time, he started wearing watches with real personality and a story to tell. Shaped watches, jewelry watches too, where proportions matter just as much as mechanics. From there, his path was clearly laid out: a bachelor’s degree in economics, a master’s in European affairs, and a magistère in international relations, specialized in business management. As a young graduate, Hassan Sefrioui spent more than ten years working for international organizations such as the United Nations, traveling the world while supporting hundreds of entrepreneurs. He valued that experience deeply, yet felt the urge to build his own project, to rediscover the excitement of something new and the thrill of pushing himself further.
To do so, he completed a program at the Institut Français de la Mode, which sharpened his eye for creation. Then, little by little, he wanted to move to the other side and “create” himself. For him, watches embody the perfect balance between the emotion of beauty and the rigor of design. With that in mind, he began laying the first foundations in 2022 for what would become Maison Boanton. The brand was born at the intersection of his entrepreneurial drive and his childhood fascination with beautiful watches. The name Maison Boanton is itself a creation inspired by his two first names, Hassan and Anthony, imagined as a synthesis of his French Moroccan roots and his own identity.
To bring the project to life, he surrounded himself with William Rigoulet, Mikael Bourgeois, and Matthieu Duvernet. William Rigoulet previously led Cartier’s Watch Design Studio, contributing to the creation of some of its most emblematic collections. Mikael Bourgeois, with over 20 years of experience, has worked with major watch houses to develop exceptional pieces. Matthieu Duvernet, a design expert, draws on more than 15 years of experience across luxury watchmaking and the automotive world. Bringing these skill sets together allowed Hassan Sefrioui and his team to build the project step by step.
Two years of successive stages were needed to move from the initial idea to the first sketches on paper, from computer aided design to prototypes, and finally to the finished product. Having gone through STATION F, one of the largest start up incubators, and supported by Bpifrance through the French Tech Grant, the project aims to offer watches with a vintage, timeless design inspired by the great design movements of the 20th century such as Art Deco, Bauhaus, and the elegance of 1950s watches. Creating timepieces that feel timeless, shaped by a rich heritage yet turned toward the future, because true beauty is the kind that crosses decades without ever losing its accuracy.
Then came the launch of the first collection, a modern reinterpretation of the very first waterproof wristwatch in history, the one that started the whole story. In less than 24 hours, their Kickstarter funding goal was reached. Since then, the brand has released several model variations, all different yet sharing a common DNA. In 2025, Maison Boanton unveiled a watch nobody expected, a piece paying tribute to the design of a French automotive icon developed by Jean Rédélé and brought back to life not so long ago within the French car landscape. Now, it’s time to introduce this watch, one that I believe will speak to both watch lovers and car enthusiasts.
Table of Contents – Maison Boanton Heritage
What are the specifications of the Maison Boanton Heritage?
Case
The Maison Boanton Heritage features a cushion-shaped case with soft, well balanced lines, fully polished in 316L steel. The cushion case is a classic in watchmaking, calling back to the pre-war years, the retro era, and the kinds of vintage pieces our grandparents, or even great-grandparents, might have owned. Very vintage in spirit, with beautifully soldered lugs that help it sit properly on the wrist, this 5 ATM water-resistant case, manufactured in Asia, measures 40 mm in diameter, 44.6 mm lug-to-lug, 10.9 mm thick, with a 20 mm lug width. The various polished elements of the case remind me of chrome headlight bezels, chrome bumpers, or even the two-piece wheels of a period Alpine.
I really liked the fluid lines of the case, with a geometry that feels both simple and obvious. The work on the brand’s signature fluted crown, with its distinctive, atypical design, also gives the sense that every detail matters. What sets the brand apart is the use of a rare central component, found only in a handful of major watch houses. The bezel and caseback are fixed directly onto this container, delivering exceptional precision and robustness. To stay fully aligned with the retro spirit, a slightly smaller diameter might have been even more interesting, so it could be worn equally well by women and men. Another point where I was a bit disappointed is the anti-reflective treatment on the double-domed sapphire crystal, which I did not find quite up to the level I expected.
Dial
The Maison Boanton Heritage is fitted with a lacquered metallic blue dial that catches the light and creates reflections like freshly polished car paint. Echoing the iconic shade of the original Berlinette A110 launched in 1955, this dial also includes several elements that transport us straight into a turbulent rally stage. The vertically brushed Racing hands, in the spirit of a Momo steering wheel, take inspiration from the lightened spokes of perforated steering wheels found on vintage sports cars, ending with a flat tip. To make the time highly legible, the brand added a small circle at twelve o’clock and dots at every position except three and six, where two half-circles naturally create an opening. For precise reading, you also need to look at the rectangular perforations, especially since they are filled with blue Super-LumiNova that is visible at night.
Speaking of lume, I love the discreet nod to the lighting signature of the current Alpine, with two luminescent white arcs that replicate the shape of its daytime running lights, in a neon blue tone. Another detail I love on this dial is the seconds hand counterweight, shaped like a fishing spear or a lightning bolt, the latter referencing the Alpine logo. At its base, a blue circle was added, reminiscent of a wheel’s central nut. Note that, unlike the two previous creations, the brand name is displayed very small, which is a real positive. A watch this distinctive :does not need extra text on the dial, much like an H. Moser & Cie. or a Mermont.
Movement
The Maison Boanton Heritage houses an automatic movement from Swiss Manufacture La Joux-Perret, the G100, which is increasingly used by brands such as Furlan Marri, March LA.B, or Fears. Known for its reliability and precision, this movement beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz) and offers a solid 68-hour power reserve.
Each calibre is designed, assembled, and tested in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, then regulated in their watchmaking workshop in Paris to ensure optimal accuracy. In terms of finishing, it is efficient and minimalistic. You will find Geneva stripes on the rotor and the mainplate, diamond-cut bevels, rhodium-plated screws that are polished then heat-blued, and a tungsten rotor decorated with the brand name and logo, engraved in black and tangerine lacquer.
Strap
The Maison Boanton Heritage comes with a comfortable black Alcantara strap with blue stitching, echoing the lines of the Alpine’s Sabelt bucket seat and its sporting heritage. It adds a raw, sporty touch to the watch. Lightweight, durable, and pleasant to the touch, it is fairly standard, but it features a lovely polished steel pin buckle engraved with the brand logo, designed with the same spirit as the case.
For each strap, the stitching is done by hand on both sides, and several layers of edge dye are applied manually to ensure a uniform finish. As an option, you can also create a bespoke strap according to your preferences. One small point I do not particularly like, since I change straps like shirts, is the presence of screwed bars, which require a screwdriver to swap straps. Personally, I would worry about damaging the polished lugs of this beautiful case, but if you do not plan to change straps almost daily like I do, then it is not an issue.
What is the price of the Maison Boanton Heritage?
The Maison Boanton Heritage is a limited edition of 252 pieces, a reference to the horsepower of the first new-generation Alpine A110, a subtle nod to both the car and the collection. It is priced at €2,100 (excluding VAT). I think the price is quite fair given the watch’s distinctive design and build quality. In addition, each watch comes with a two-year warranty, and servicing and after-sales support are handled in France, which is a strong point.
Maison Boanton Heritage: a modern watch meant to embody an era
The Maison Boanton Heritage is a watch I find interesting, both aesthetically and through the story behind it. To me, it is a watch that could have genuinely existed in the Berlinette era, in the 1960s, and that is exactly what gives it its charm. Through its design cues, it bridges a time period that is now gone with a modern interpretation of it. What I appreciate here is that this is not yet another “collab watch,” or a big brand simply adding a dial color, a material, or a logo on a dial. It starts from an idea, from a past era it wants to represent, using vintage-inspired elements within a modern and original watchmaking vision. Yes, it captures the Alpine spirit in its own way, but it goes further by preserving Maison Boanton’s own DNA. It is also worth noting that the watch was officially validated in a sense, as it was present for Alpine’s 70th anniversary.
You will have understood it, I did not agree to feature this watch because it offers an unbeatable value for money. You know very well that this is not my fight, nor my mission. I simply liked the approach of offering something different, something that steps outside the usual codes while keeping a strong identity. What is the point of making a watch you see everywhere, when you can use history and rework a design so the watch has something concrete to tell? I think this model can find its audience among enthusiasts who, with a relatively limited budget, are looking for something well thought-out and refined, while still bringing in automotive codes, which is not such a common proposition. Personally, I would be more of a client for their dressier model with the fluted bezel, which I find very successful.
Choosing a Swiss movement is not a bad thing, especially when most enthusiasts do not even know that French movements exist. Is that the next step the brand is working on? I do not know, but it is worth thinking about. Another direction could also be a more compact size, to make it more desirable for vintage lovers, or simply for a female audience. The brand told me they are working on several projects that should be released soon. Two new ranges are in preparation, still aligned with their philosophy: strong design, elegant pieces, and technically well-executed watches. Their goal is to create pieces that each tell a story and reflect elegance.
I would like to thank Hassan Sefrioui for lending me this watch, which I was able to wear, travel with, and truly live with on my wrist. It helped me understand the interest around the brand and what they are building. I wish them a lot of success for this entrepreneurial adventure, which is also committed to contributing to a more sustainable future.
Maison Boanton Heritage – Watch Specifications
- Brand: Maison Boanton
- Model: Heritage
- Case Material: 316L Stainless Steel
- Dial: Silver: Blue
- Functions: Hours, Minutes, Seconds
- Movement: La Joux-Perret G100, Self-Winding, 28’800vph frequency (4Hz) and 24 jewels
- Power Reserve: 68 Hours
- Water Resistance: 5 ATM
- Crystal: Sapphire
- Caseback: Sapphire
- Case Dimension: 40 mm (Diameter) × 10.9 mm (Thickness)
- Strap: Black Alcantara strap with blue stitching with stainless steel pin buckle
- Availability : Limited production 252 pieces
- Retail Price: €2,100 (excluding VAT)
Did you already know this brand? What do you think of this design, and of this return to the cushion case shape? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.
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For more information about Maison Boanton, click here.
