Now, with the Atelier Series ‘Carbon Edition,’ the design loses a lot of that elegance in a tradeoff for sportiness. Full disclosure: I’ve never been a big fan of woven carbon fiber on a dial, so to me, the classic in yellow gold is the one I’d pick for my wrist. But putting this material, often associated with highly industrial design cues, onto a classic yellow gold watch is certainly a bold choice. It changes the framing of the elements on the dial, with the three-dimensionality of the applied sloped minutes track standing out much more than on the monochromatic dials.
Paired with a calfskin-lined, braided black rubber strap, it’s clear that this edition is an attempt to push the boundaries of the Automatique into something more casual. Perhaps this is for the collector who found the other three-handers too dressy, for a place like Miami or Singapore. Regardless, I’m interested to see what this big shift in aesthetic means for future editions of this line.
