Herbelin Launch the Accessible Sports Luxe Cap Camarat Square

Herbelin’s Cap Camarat is an incredibly diverse collection of accessible steel watches with a strong sports luxe aesthetic in a Genta-esque fashion. Earlier this year, Herbelin introduced an automatic skeleton version to the range, which really drew our attention for its Royal Oak-like design. However, the latest addition to the Cap Camarat collection, the Cap Camarat Square, bears more similarities to a different steel sports watch icon, the Cartier Santos.

Off the bat, the Cap Camarat Square Blue has a new square case that’s inspired by a similar case from Herbelin’s archives. There’s something uniquely satisfying about square watches, the perfect symmetry in the layout and uniform proportions. The Cap Camarat is well suited to the shape with a thick bezel and decorative screws that emphasise the design all the more. It measures 39mm by 39mm and has 100m water resistance.

The dial consists of a stamped horizonal pattern in a coloured gradient, with three colours to choose from: blue, green or red. The blue version is particularly nice and it’s impossible not to compare it to the recent blue edition of the Santos de Cartier, which is no bad thing because the Cartier is stunning. Additionally, the Santos has a price over £6,000 higher than the Herbelin Cap Camarat Square – making the Herbelin a really tempting value proposition at just €599 (approx. £518).

A key factor in the Herbelin’s accessibility is the fact it houses a Swiss Ronda quartz movement. While purists might balk at a battery-powered watch, you can’t deny its reliability and accuracy. Let’s not forget the reason quartz movements almost caused the extinction of mechanical watchmaking is because they’re fundamentally more practical. Ultimately, the Cap Camarat Square combines that practicality with a solid sense of style incredibly well.