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Michel Herbelin 12248AP08 Classique Black Leather Strap Watch - W0398
Ref. 12248AP08
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Stepping up in Michel Herbelin's range
The Classique is Herbelin's longest-running line, assembled by hand at the company's workshops in Charquemont, in the Franche-Comté region that has produced French watchmaking for generations. The brief was always the same: a dress watch that behaves like one, without the mechanical complexity that drives up thickness. At 6.55mm, the case sits almost flush against the wrist and disappears under a shirt cuff with no resistance. The guilloché white dial with Roman numerals in black reads with the kind of unhurried clarity that only works when a designer has left the dial room to breathe. At 40 grams including the crocodile-grain leather strap, it is the sort of watch you stop noticing is there — which, for something intended for long days in formal dress, is exactly what is wanted.
- Reference
- 12248AP08
- Brand
- Michel Herbelin
- Collection
- Classique
- Case size
- 38mm
- Case thickness
- 6.55mm
- Lug width
- 20mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- White
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Quartz
- Calibre
- ETA F06.111
- Functions
- Date
- Water resistance
- 30m
- Bracelet / strap
- Leather strap
- Strap colour
- Black
- Clasp
- Buckle
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- F.Hinds
Learn more about Michel Herbelin
Michel Herbelin founded his workshop in 1947 at Charquemont, a village in the French Jura a few miles from the Swiss border, in a region that had made watch parts for generations. The company is still run by his descendants and still assembles in Charquemont, which makes it one of the few French watch brands of any age to have stayed independent.
The Newport, introduced in the late 1980s and named after the Rhode Island sailing town, is what most people know it for: a nautical-styled watch with a distinctive articulated bracelet. It has been in the range ever since and accounts for a large share of what the company sells.
- 1947
- Michel Herbelin founds the workshop at Charquemont
- 1988
- The Newport is introduced and becomes the signature line
Also in 3 collections
This watch appears in Stainless Steel Watches (2,605), Leather Strap Watches (840) and Dress Watches (448).
Manufacturer’s guarantee
What the specifications mean
A slim watch on leather, made for wearing with a shirt.
Strengths
- 38mm suits most wrists
- 6.55mm is unusually slim for a 38mm case
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- Sits in the lower half of Michel Herbelin's range as we list it
Worth knowing
- 30m means keeping it away from water
Michel Herbelin 12248AP08 Classique Black Leather alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | 12248AP08 | 1781908 | 24000191 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £163 | £159 | £159 |
| Case size | 38mm | 38mm | 38mm |
| Water resistance | 30m | 30m | 30m |
| Movement | Quartz | Quartz | Quartz |
| Strap | Leather strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet |
| This watch | Closely matched | Closely matched |
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
No. At 30m it will survive rain and handwashing, but not submersion of any kind.
Will the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Does it need a battery?
Yes. It is quartz, so expect a battery change every two to three years at a jeweller.
What size strap does it take?
20mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's, though at 38mm it sits in the range that suits anyone.
Cheapest place to buy
F.Hinds is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference new, at £163. There is nothing to compare it against today.
Who are F.Hinds?
F.Hinds has been run by the same family since 1856 and is now in its fifth generation, with more than 115 shops across England and Wales. They are a member of the Responsible Jewellery Council and an Authorised Diamond Dealer.
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