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Michel Herbelin 17430B28 Galet Bracelet Watch - W03112
Ref. 17430B28
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Stepping up in Michel Herbelin's range
The name comes from the French word for a pebble, and the case earns it — every edge polished smooth, no seam or transition interrupting the curve, the whole form shaped as though by running water. It is designed and assembled by hand at Herbelin's Charquemont workshops in the Franche-Comté, which sit in the Jura mountains not far from the Swiss border, and the cultural proximity shows: the movement inside is a Ronda 751, a Swiss-made quartz calibre chosen partly for its unusually thin profile, which is what allows the case to sit at 6.55mm — flat enough that the watch disappears beneath a cuff or a sleeve and reads as jewellery before it reads as anything mechanical. The dial rewards a second look. A stamped guilloché pattern runs beneath the silver surface, visible in angled light, and the blued hands and mixed Roman and baton indices give it a register that is clearly French without being fussy. The fluted crown carries a cabochon in the same blue, coordinating the only protrusion on the case back into the overall composition. The bracelet is built to the same logic — polished links with enough flex to drape rather than sit rigid, fastened by a concealed butterfly clasp that releases on two buttons simultaneously.
- Reference
- 17430B28
- Brand
- Michel Herbelin
- Collection
- Galet
- Case size
- 28mm
- Case thickness
- 6.55mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Silver
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Quartz
- Calibre
- Ronda 751
- Water resistance
- 50m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Clasp
- Deployant clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- F.Hinds
Additional specifications
- Origin
- Swiss made
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 5 collections
This watch appears in Back in Stock (4,405), Stainless Steel Watches (2,927), Watches Under 37mm (1,553), Women's Watches (1,472) and Silver Dial Watches (653).
Manufacturer’s guarantee
What the specifications mean
Strengths
- 28mm wears small and slips under any cuff
- 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
- 50m suits rain and handwashing, not swimming
Michel Herbelin 17430B28 Galet Bracelet alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | 17430B28 | AR11776 | LB08010/07/D |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £225 | £229 | £229 |
| Case size | 28mm | 28mm | 27mm |
| Water resistance | 50m | 30m | 50m |
| Movement | Quartz | Quartz | Quartz |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet |
| This watch |
| Closely matched |
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Showering yes, swimming no. 50m covers splashes and brief immersion, but a swimming stroke generates well above the pressure that figure describes.
Water resistance explainedWill the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Sapphire, mineral and acrylic comparedDoes it need a battery?
Yes. It is quartz, so expect a battery change every two to three years at a jeweller.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedIs it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as women's.
Cheapest place to buy
F.Hinds is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference, so there is nothing to compare it against today.
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