Corniche Watches
is a new brand from Sweden, but as you might have gathered from the
name, they draw inspiration from a more southern locale. "We spent our
childhood summers on the French Riviera," they say. "It’s such an
amazing place; the dry rocky coastline, the smell of ancient pine trees
and the warm evening air filled with the chi-chi-chi of a thousand
crickets. Even the Parisians come here in the summer – and we all know
how they’re never wrong about anything!" Well, I'm not sure I'd go so
far as "anything" (they are dead wrong about mimes, for instance) but
I'll admit the French Riviera is a lovely place. If you set out to
embody this place in a watch, you have set a very high bar indeed. Does
Corniche meet this mark? The Time Bum borrowed a Corniche Heritage 40 to
find out.
The Heritage 40 is a mid-sized
watch, 40mm wide with a round stainless steel case and curved lugs. It
is a svelte 7mm thick, so it slips easily under a shirt cuff.
Personally, The Time Bum would have preferred a 38mm case but I
recognize that is a minority opinion. I suspect most buyers will be very
comfortable with the 40mm as it satisfies current expectations for
wrist presence. Truth be told, I found it perfectly reasonable for daily
wear. There is not much detail in the case, but it is clean and simple.
The upper surfaces and rounded bezel are polished, and the sides are
brushed. Rose gold PVD is also an option.
A coin-edged, push-pull crown sits
at 3 o'clock. It is polished and signed, but you will find a more
impressive decoration on the case back, which is secured with six screws
and engraved with a polished image of a Mediterranean Pine on a matte
background. It is a pleasant picture that ties into the Côte D'Azur
theme.
Even though the Heritage is a dress
watch, it is sufficiently durable for daily wear. It features a
scratch-resistant sapphire crystal and carries a 50m water resistance
rating. Inside, a Miyota 2025 quartz ticks away. Frankly, this is not a
terribly sexy movement. Like most inexpensive quartz units, it is
compact and reliable, but otherwise unremarkable; however, its
diminutive size makes the thin case possible, and there is no jumping
second hand to betray its presence.
Of course, a dress watch is nothing
without a pretty face. To this end, Corniche went with a ceramic dial, a
railroad track index, applied polished markers, and peaked dauphine
hands. The dial was a glossy black on my Graphite sample, but they also
offer a white dial with blue hands. Corniche limits text to just the
brand name and model. Overall, it is simple, conservative, and very
attractive. The polished hands have a tendency to disappear against the
dark background, but their beveled edge mitigates this somewhat. The
blue-on-white combination would likely be far more legible under a
variety of light conditions.
The supplied 22mm black leather
strap has a high sheen and is embossed with a crocodile print. Unlike
many new straps, this one was pliable right out of the box which made it
easy to work with the signed butterfly deployant clasp. Strap swappers
should note that the spring bar seats are positioned high in the lugs,
very close to the case. The stock band has curved bars and ends that
match the contour of the against the case, but aftermarket straps will
be a bit trickier to fit.
Corniche Heritage 40 reflects the
casual elegance of the Riviera but departs from it in one significant
way. The Côte D'Azur is a pricey place, but the Corniche Heritage 40 is
not – it sells for just $345 USD, which is entirely reasonable for a
watch with these specifications. Diehard watch nerds will note that you
can get an automatic dress watch in this price range, but they will
sacrifice the slim profile and grab-it-and-go convenience.
Overall, I enjoyed my time with the
Corniche. It is a traditional dress watch, so while it may not break any
new ground, it acquits itself nicely as an elegant, conservative
choice.
Pro: Slim profile, sleek dial.
Con: Pedestrian movement.
Sum: A handsome, everyday dress watch at a fair price.
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