Today, I would like to talk to you about a French high horology brand that seeks to make us reflect on our relationship with time. It is the brand Trilobe. Before presenting a model that represents the poetic universe of the brand, let me tell you more about its founder, Gautier Massonneau, who created this brand alongside his partner and General Director, Volcy Bloch.
Gautier Massonneau grew up in a family of architects and interior decorators, with parents who always encouraged him to be observant, to change perspective, to mix materials and shapes while respecting a certain tradition, with an ever-present attraction for beauty and complexity. Graduated with a Bachelor from WASEDA University in Tokyo, a Master from Université Paris Dauphine complemented by a second Master from the École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées in Paris, Gautier Massonneau followed a career quite inclined toward international exposure by studying economic sciences, mathematics, and finance.
After these studies, he spent 4 years at Natixis as an associate in the development of large infrastructure projects, first in Tokyo, then in Dubai. Those were intense years for him, as he accompanied the development of power plants in East Africa and desalination plants in Oman. When reading his background, one would not have predicted that he was destined to embrace watchmaking and create his own watch brand. And yet, it was in 2013 that the watch virus caught him.
It all began when he decided that it was time for him to buy his first watch. He was searching for an original piece, one that would stand out from the others and reflect his personality. But a watch like A. Lange & Söhne’s Zeitwerk was completely beyond his budget at only 25 years old. Knowing nothing about watchmaking techniques, he naively decided to create his own watch with a different way of displaying time. After a few months of buying horology books, studying, drawing, and producing a prototype via 3D printing, he succeeded in not succeeding—and that is how he got his start. In 2016, he left his post in Dubai and returned to France to begin the adventure.
Now 100% committed to this project, he quickly realized that he could not do it alone. Rather than giving up, he decided to contact horology professionals for assistance. It was then that he understood there was room for people with a more artistic, offbeat vision of watchmaking. During his research, he noted a gap between innovation and tradition. Some time later, he eventually met Jean-François Mojon, an emblematic figure in horology, who was immediately captivated by the project and accompanied him in R&D. This decisive encounter transformed his personal watch project into what we now call “Trilobe.”
The trilobe is an architectural motif found in mosques, Gothic architecture, and even in India. This universal architectural form, a symbol of eternity and balance, became the brand’s signature and was specifically chosen by founder Gautier Massonneau to pay homage to his familial origins. Moreover, he found it somewhat pretentious to put his name on the dial and preferred to associate his brand with the idea of questioning the form, material, and design of these creations. The Trilobe also represents the three pillars of time: hours, minutes, and seconds.
Creating something extremely identifiable yet extremely classic—this was the initial idea. Trilobe is a brand that invites you to take your time, to seize life with passion, to shiver with refinement, to live and open yourself to your destiny, to open up to the world around us with new perspectives, and to live every minute without trying to master it.
For his brand, Gautier Massonneau focused on the question and chose to do things in reverse: to make time turn instead of the hands, which are replaced by a series of rotating rings, each indicating the hours, minutes, and seconds, moving counterclockwise. Gautier Massonneau draws his inspiration from poetry and architecture and is in search of a new perspective on time indication. Although this idea emerged in 2014, it was not until 17 December 2018 that the first collection, Les Matinaux, was presented at the official launch soirée of the brand at the Musée des Arts et Métiers in Paris.
In 2021, the second Trilobe watch, Nuit Fantastique, made its debut, inspired by the 1920 fictional novella by Stefan Zweig, which describes the experience of a night that transformed the protagonist’s life. It is a very personal object, which is why it is called Secret. The client chooses a date, a place, and a time that will determine a starry sky reproduced on the dial that will be unique to them. It is a luxury for oneself first, not for others. Now, let us move on to the presentation of this watch.
Table of Contents – Trilobe Nuit Fantastique Secret Blue
What are the features of the Trilobe Nuit Fantastique Secret Blue?
Case
The Trilobe Nuit Fantastique Secret Blue features a titanium case with a meticulous polish on all surfaces, except for the case body, which has a matte brushed finish, as does the crown bearing the Trilobe logo. Measuring 40.5 mm in diameter with a thickness of 9.2 mm, this case, water-resistant to 50 meters, is well executed, although I find the 38.5 mm version more elegant and discreet.
Dial
The Trilobe Nuit Fantastique Secret Blue is adorned with a captivating dial engraved with constellations, designed to evoke mystery and a starry sky by representing a specific date, place, and time of the wearer. In fact, the brand can determine the position of the stars for that location and moment using an algorithm of 1,600 constellations, following a 4-year repetitive cycle. The watch is capable of depicting the starry sky at a given moment, past or future. This algorithm is based on the work “Calculs astronomiques à l’usage des amateurs” (Jean Meeus, Société astronomique de France, Paris, 1986).
For me, it is a very poetic way to personalize a dial to immortalize a precious event such as a birthday, a wedding, or a celebration. The starry sky is a snapshot of a chosen moment in life—a delicate way to bestow upon its recipient a powerful message of love, a happy memory, a life project, a well-kept secret, for an intimate creation.
In terms of legibility, although the system is relatively simple, it is much more challenging to use than the classic three-hand system. The reading is done from the outside in—hours, minutes, then seconds—thanks to the Trilobe symbol. You will have to take the time to read the time. The three floating rings are eccentric and mobile, ingeniously arranged to form the infinity symbol: each follows its own trajectory, rotating in different directions, never overlapping, and creating a hypnotic dance of time on the wrist.
For example, the hours are indicated by the upper point of the Trilobe logo, just above the printed name. The minutes are indicated by the tip of the arch in the small round sub-dial, while the seconds are displayed by the large disc of the sub-dial, which features at its center a Clous de Paris guilloché, surrounded by a railway track, itself encircled by a comb-worked azure ring.
At dusk, the sky sparkles and comes alive to illuminate the chosen moment and suspend the passing of time. In fact, the constellations are hand-decorated by an artisan, with each star filled with superluminova. These stars light up after being exposed to UV light.
Movement
The Trilobe Nuit Fantastique Secret Blue houses the X-Centric automatic mechanical movement, specially designed and developed in 2020 at La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, by the Cercle des Horlogers’ manufacture. Inspired by brutalist architecture—characterized by the desire to create functional buildings with a minimalist design, a clear emphasis on structure, and a valorization of materials for their intrinsic qualities—its mission was to combine technical challenge and an artistically offbeat approach while perpetuating Swiss horological excellence.
Displaying the hours, minutes, and small seconds in a singular manner, this calibre, composed of 230 components and 32 jewels, features a large barrel that provides a power reserve of about 48 hours (satisfactory given the power required to drive the 3 discs, heavier than 3 hands) and operates at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour.
This movement exhibits a resolutely contemporary architecture, intriguing and almost vertical, that conceals the unusual eccentric time display. The galvanic treatment of the bridges and plates gives them an anthracite grey color reminiscent of concrete and creates a contrast between a quest for luminosity on the front and an invitation to journey into storm-grey depths on the back. The movement also benefits from a carefully micro-peened finish on its bridges and plates.
Its linear arrangement, with the micro-rotor and balance wheel positioned at the top and bottom, ensures perfect symmetry. This tungsten micro-rotor was chosen to expose the movement’s structure by revealing its components, usually hidden, and also allowed for a reduction in the watch’s thickness for more elegant proportions. Interestingly, the assembly and casing of the movements are carried out at the Trilobe workshops, rue de l’Opéra, in Paris. The movements are marked with: Paris – France.
Strap
The Trilobe Nuit Fantastique Secret Blue is typically delivered with a dark blue alligator strap with a titanium tang buckle. Here, it is presented with a suede leather strap, rendering it a bit less conventional and more comfortable.
What is the price of the Trilobe Nuit Fantastique Secret Blue?
The Trilobe Nuit Fantastique Secret Blue is offered at a price of €14,500 (Including 20% VAT).
Trilobe Nuit Fantastique Secret Blue: An Intimate and Personalized Watch
The Trilobe Nuit Fantastique Secret Blue is a magical piece that brings poetry to our relationship with time. The phrase “Mon âme a son secret, ma montre a son histoire” perfectly summarizes this piece. When I look at it, I have the impression that time seems more concentrated and, in a way, more precious. In short, let us not waste it and instead live life to the fullest!
Beyond being creative, this brand also shows that France, the nation of luxury, knows how to bring a different touch to classic and conventional Swiss horology. Trilobe is an eccentric brand that represents luxury for oneself, not merely an object to display as a symbol of hypothetical success.
In barely 7 years, this brand has managed to progress and offer more refined products, now delivering nearly 600 pieces per year. Their 5 nominations at the GPHG and their Prix de la Petite Aiguille at the GPHG in 2022 also give the brand recognition among collectors. A poetic French touch and Swiss know-how—the best of both worlds, right? I would like to thank the GMT Milano teams, who opened their doors to present me with the Trilobe universe. I look forward to meeting the brand at Watches & Wonders 2025 soon.
Trilobe Nuit Fantastique Secret Blue – Watch Specifications
- Brand: Trilobe
- Model: Nuit Fantastique Secret Blue
- Reference: NF05SB
- Case Material: Grade 5 Titanium
- Dial: Blue
- Functions: Hours, Minutes, Small Seconds
- Movement: X-Centric, Self-Winding, 28’800vph frequency (3Hz), 230 parts and 33 jewels
- Power Reserve: 48 hours
- Water Resistance: 5 ATM
- Crystal: Sapphire
- Caseback: Sapphire
- Case Dimension: 40.5 mm (Diameter) × 9.2 mm (Thickness)
- Strap: Bue Alligator Leather with Grade 5 Titanium Pin Buckle
- Retail Price: € 14,500 (Including 20% VAT)
Do you know this French brand? Would you be a client of this type of watch? Please share your thoughts in the comments.
For more information about Trilobe, click here.
