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The must-have Macro Loupe for all watch lovers

After watching a very comprehensive report on the spring drive movement that definitely convinced me that this movement is indeed a mechanical movement above all, I started to analyze the different models and see which one could suit me best. At the same time I was looking for a green watch. By cross-referencing the 2 criteria (spring drive + green dial) I arrived at this SBGE257 model. In the process I went to an AD Grand Seiko (Bijouterie Médard in Versailles) where I had the chance to try it. After 2 days of thinking about it I went back to buy it. For 8 months it is the watch that I wear the most, it is superb from all angles. The dial is matte most of the time and becomes sunray in strong light. The precision of the springdrive is obviously unbeatable (I noticed a drift of 1 to 2s per month). The zaratsu polishing of the hands and indexes is incredible. This is one of the watches that raises the most questions when I wear it, especially with its second hand with a perfectly fluid movement that slides endlessly. As you will have understood, I highly recommend this model. With my Rolex Explorer II, it has become my favorite daily. The only downside: the screws on the bracelet links are really very small and difficult to handle (the bracelet should be adjusted by your watchmaker).

SBGE257: superb

Military-inspired watch, but only inspired because unlike my 38mm khaki (see my other reviews), this one has some flaws that make it unsuitable for all-terrain use, notably the mirror-polished bezel and the combination of a glossy dial and the lack of anti-reflective coating, which means it constantly reflects light, which is quite annoying (especially when taking photos! It's a real pain).

military-inspired watch

The main criterion that led to my purchase is this incredible "linen canvas" dial but it is not the only asset of this watch. It is very thin and therefore very pleasant to wear. The day can be displayed in English or in kanji. The applique logos (Seiko & Lord matic) bring relief, as well as the indexes. There is great Seiko in this Seiko. A great treat for not much money (300 euros on Chrono 24).

superb dial, very thin case, for a very sexy price

This is the BR V2 92 steel heritage model with the tropical rubber strap. A military-style watch, very readable. The cream color of the hands and indexes gives a nice vintage look. I love the delta wing-shaped second hand base (looks like the wing of the Mirage 2000 with its single engine). The window is very discreet thanks to its black background and its small size. The watch is very flat and its rubber strap is very comfortable to wear.

a good military style watch

I bought this hefty piece (it's quite heavy) in the early 2000s. I don't wear it on my wrist anymore, but I still carry it in my heart :) because it brings back memories of a particular period in my life. Maybe I'll wear it again someday. It still looks great, it's very legible, the sunburst dial is beautiful, and the crystal that follows the curve of the case is a nice touch...that's it, I want to wear it again!

I'm not wearing it at the moment, but I'm attached to it.

I was looking for a fairly robust, waterproof to 200m minimum, stylish and with a budget of less than 900 euros. I went to my favorite watch jeweler (Mr. Medard in Versailles) who then introduced me to this incredible and fairly exclusive model because it is an edition intended for the US market only. The dial reproduces the scales of a sea turtle. The variations in color and texture of the dial are captivating. The only small downside is the not great precision of the movement (30 seconds per day is starting to be a lot) .. despite its diameter of 45 mm it is easy to wear and is very comfortable.

Sea turtle SRPH55: an incredible dial

This watch comes to me from my great uncle who bought it after the war when he returned from the prison camp where he was, around 1945. It is a small diameter of 32mm. Military style, it is very elegant. The patina of the dial is incredible. It turns perfectly, I had it serviced recently, the watchmaker told me that the mechanism was of incredible quality/robustness. The red seconds hand brings a touch of originality. I put on a beautiful barenia calfskin strap which also takes on a beautiful patina. The small difference in size between the hour and minute hands nevertheless makes readability difficult.

A vintage military style watch

Apose&nbsp;est une marque horlog&egrave;re fran&ccedil;aise fond&eacute;e en&nbsp;2020 &agrave; Mulhouse (France) avec l&rsquo;ambition d&eacute;clar&eacute;e de b&acirc;tir une collection de montres fabriqu&eacute;es en France, automatique, haut de gamme, et au dessin &eacute;pur&eacute;.&nbsp;
<h3 class="p3">Histoire de la marque : mission 100 % France</h3>
N&eacute;e en pleine effervescence des micro-marques hexagonales, Apose revendique une d&eacute;marche &laquo; retour &agrave; la puret&eacute; &raquo; qui s&rsquo;oppose &agrave; la surench&egrave;re de complications et de styles criards. Le cap est clair - dessin minimaliste, composants sourc&eacute;s en France, assemblage local et partenariats tricolores (cadrans, aiguilles, bracelets et &eacute;crins&hellip;), le tout pilot&eacute; par Romain Thieriet, horloger talentueux et r&eacute;gional de l'&eacute;tape, ayant rejoit Apose d&egrave;s le d&eacute;but de l'aventure.
L&rsquo;objectif est de prouver qu&rsquo;une montre contemporaine et d&eacute;sirable peut &eacute;galement servir de vitrine au savoir-faire fran&ccedil;ais, si bien que la promesse d&rsquo;Apose tient dans l&rsquo;&eacute;quation &laquo; &eacute;l&eacute;gance fran&ccedil;aise, fiabilit&eacute; m&eacute;canique et cha&icirc;ne d&rsquo;approvisionnement localis&eacute;e &raquo;.
<h3 class="p3">Apose : design minimaliste et &eacute;l&eacute;gance subtile</h3>
L&rsquo;identit&eacute; formelle d&rsquo;Apose repose sur des volumes sobres et des contrastes ma&icirc;tris&eacute;s : carrure acier 316L aux facettes tendues, architecture de bo&icirc;tier souvent &laquo; en trois &eacute;tages &raquo;, alternance de bross&eacute;s et polis, cadrans &agrave; niveaux avec index sur&eacute;lev&eacute;s et aiguilles singuli&egrave;res. L&rsquo;ergonomie se veut universelle autour d&rsquo;un diam&egrave;tre signature de 40 mm et d&rsquo;une &eacute;paisseur contenue, avec des verres saphir trait&eacute;s antireflets et des &eacute;tanch&eacute;it&eacute;s r&eacute;alistes (jusqu&rsquo;&agrave; 10 ATM selon les r&eacute;f&eacute;rences). L&rsquo;objectif &eacute;tant de faire d&rsquo;une montre de ville, un compagnon &laquo; tous les jours &raquo; plut&ocirc;t qu&rsquo;un objet de vitrine, d&rsquo;o&ugrave; le fait que la lisibilit&eacute; et la tenue au port&eacute; priment syst&eacute;matiquement sur l&rsquo;effet de manche..
<h3 class="p3">Collections Apose : N&deg;3-100, Radial, Douz et Pur</h3>
La gamme Apose s&rsquo;articule en familles clairement diff&eacute;renci&eacute;es, dont l&rsquo;&eacute;volution illustre la mont&eacute;e en &laquo; francisation &raquo; des composants : la s&eacute;rie N&deg;3-100 (collection &agrave; composants exclusivement fran&ccedil;ais), les d&eacute;clinaisons Radial (anneau cannel&eacute; sur cadran), les collections Douz et Pur aux variantes esth&eacute;tiques plus &eacute;pur&eacute;es, chacune pens&eacute;e pour une allure chic au quotidien, plut&ocirc;t que sportive.
Les bracelets, propos&eacute;s en acier ou en cuir pleine fleur, ont &eacute;t&eacute; d&eacute;velopp&eacute;s notamment avec des chutes de cuir Longchamp sur certaines s&eacute;ries, consolidant l&rsquo;ADN d&rsquo;une montre urbaine fran&ccedil;aise qui assume ses choix de style sans recourir &agrave; des complications spectaculaires, de telle sorte que&nbsp;le choix entre les collections tient &agrave; l&rsquo;ambiance et aux styles ces cadrans.
<ul class="ul1">
<li class="li1">Apose n&deg;3-100 - S&eacute;rie limit&eacute;e &laquo; 100 % fran&ccedil;aise &raquo; : composants d&rsquo;origine hexagonale, bracelet issu de chutes de cuir Longchamp, mouvement fran&ccedil;ais Pequignet Initial (65 heures de r&eacute;serve).</li>
<li class="li1">Apose Radial - Cadran soulign&eacute; d&rsquo;un anneau cannel&eacute; anodis&eacute;, multiples coloris (Indigo, Azur, etc.), bracelet acier ou cuir et mouvement France &Eacute;bauches (44 heures de r&eacute;serve).</li>
<li class="li1">Apose Pur - La collection la plus minimaliste de Apose, mais qui en est aussi l&rsquo;essence m&ecirc;me&nbsp;: un cadran poli pour une profondeur de couleur intense. Mouvement France &Eacute;bauches (44 heures de r&eacute;serve).</li>
<li class="li1">Apose Douz - Variation plus sobre du cadran n&deg;3-100 avec mouvement France &Eacute;bauches (44 heures de r&eacute;serve).</li>
</ul>
En 2022, Apose franchit une &eacute;tape symbolique avec la&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/apose/n%C2%B03-100">Apose N&deg;3-100</a> : l&rsquo;&eacute;dition adopte le calibre fran&ccedil;ais &laquo; Initial &raquo; (65 heures de r&eacute;serve de marche, 4Hz, masse oscillante en tungst&egrave;ne) manufactur&eacute; par Pequignet, tandis que les bracelets r&eacute;alis&eacute;s &agrave; partir de chutes de cuir Longchamp viennent au service d&rsquo;un cahier des charges &laquo; 100 % France &raquo; des composants et de l&rsquo;assemblage. Cette configuration n&rsquo;a pas vocation &agrave; rendre obsol&egrave;tes les autres N&deg;3, mais &agrave; d&eacute;montrer la faisabilit&eacute; industrielle d&rsquo;un haut niveau de &laquo; Made in France &raquo; sur une montre de s&eacute;rie limit&eacute;e, c&rsquo;est-&agrave;-dire que le tour de force industriel sert d&rsquo;abord une coh&eacute;rence d&rsquo;ensemble design &agrave; la cha&icirc;ne d&rsquo;approvisionnement.
<h3 class="p3">Guide d&rsquo;achat Apose : comment choisir sa montre automatique fran&ccedil;aise ?</h3>
Pour s&eacute;lectionner votre Apose, commencez par la ligne : Apose Radial si vous aimez un cadran anim&eacute; par un anneau cannel&eacute; et des contrastes plus marqu&eacute;s, Apose N&deg;3-100 si la dimension &laquo; int&eacute;gralement fran&ccedil;aise &raquo; (y compris le mouvement Pequignet) est d&eacute;terminante, Apose Pur ou Apose Douz si vous voulez la sobri&eacute;t&eacute; maximale. Poursuivez par la couleur de cadran et la texture de bracelet (acier ou cuir faits main), puis v&eacute;rifiez le confort &agrave; 40 mm de diam&egrave;tre et l&rsquo;&eacute;paisseur au poignet. Enfin, gardez &agrave; l&rsquo;esprit que le v&eacute;ritable b&eacute;n&eacute;fice d&rsquo;une Apose r&eacute;side dans l&rsquo;&eacute;quilibre entre dessin, lisibilit&eacute; et provenance des composants.
<h3 class="p3">Conclusion</h3>
En quelques ann&eacute;es, Apose a impos&eacute; un style reconnaissable - coupe nette des volumes, cadrans architectur&eacute;s, bracelets soign&eacute;s - et une ambition rare de &laquo; francisation &raquo; int&eacute;grale de la gamme. La proposition est claire et transparente pour l&rsquo;acheteur : une montre automatique au dessin contemporain qui valorise un tissu de partenaires fran&ccedil;ais. Si vous h&eacute;sitez entre une Apose Radial ou une Apose N&deg;3-100 par exemple, pesez d&rsquo;abord votre rapport au &laquo; Made in France &raquo;, &agrave; la couleur et &agrave; la polyvalence ; et pour conforter votre d&eacute;cision par des retours concrets, fiez-vous aux avis clients Dialicious.
(Mise &agrave; jour Mars 2026)

Apose is a French watch brand founded in 2020 in Mulhouse (France) with the stated ambition of building a collection of watches made in France, automatic, high-end, and with a clean design.
<h3 dir="ltr">Brand story: 100% French mission</h3>
Born amidst the burgeoning French micro-brand scene, Apose champions a "return to purity" approach that opposes the overabundance of complications and flashy styles. The direction is clear -minimalist design, components sourced in France, local assembly and tricolor partnerships (dials, hands, bracelets and cases&hellip;), all managed by Romain Thieriet, a talented local watchmaker, who joined Apose from the beginning of the adventure.
The goal is to prove that a contemporary and desirable watch can also showcase French craftsmanship, so the promise of Apose lies in the equation "French elegance, mechanical reliability and a localized supply chain".
<h3 dir="ltr">Apose: minimalist design and subtle elegance</h3>
Apose's formal identity is based on understated volumes and controlled contrasts: a 316L steel case with taut facets, a case architecture often resembling three tiers, alternating brushed and polished finishes, and multi-level dials with raised hour markers and distinctive hands. The ergonomics are designed to be universal, centered around a signature 40mm diameter and a slim profile, with anti-reflective sapphire crystals and realistic water resistance (up to 10 ATM depending on the model). The aim is to create a dress watch, an everyday companion rather than a showpiece, hence the fact that readability and fit when worn always take precedence over the waouh effect.
<h3 dir="ltr">Apose Collections: N&deg;3-100, Radial, Douz and Pur</h3>
The Apose range is structured into clearly differentiated families, whose evolution illustrates the increasing "Frenchification" of the components: the N&deg;3-100 series (collection with exclusively French components), the Radial variations (fluted ring on dial), the Douz and Pur collections with more refined aesthetic variants, each designed for a chic everyday look, rather than a sporty one.
The bracelets, offered in steel or full-grain leather, were developed in particular using offcuts of Longchamp leather for certain series, reinforcing the DNA of a French urban watch that embraces its style choices without resorting to spectacular complications, so that the choice between the collections depends on the atmosphere and style of these dials.
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
Apose n&deg;3-100 - Limited series &ldquo;100% French&rdquo;: components of French origin, strap made from Longchamp leather hides, French Pequignet Initial movement (65 hours reserve).
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
Apose Radial - Dial highlighted by an anodized fluted ring, multiple colours (Indigo, Azure, etc.), steel or leather bracelet and France &Eacute;bauches movement (44 hours reserve).
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
Apose Pur - Apose's most minimalist collection, yet also its very essence: a polished dial for intense color depth. France &Eacute;bauches movement (44-hour power reserve).
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
Apose Douz - A more understated variation of dial N&deg;3-100 with France &Eacute;bauches movement (44 hours power reserve).
</li>
</ul>
In 2022, Apose reached a symbolic milestone with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/apose/n%C2%B03-100">Apose N&deg;3-100</a> the edition adopts the French "Initial" caliber (65-hour power reserve, 4Hz, tungsten oscillating weight) manufactured by Pequignet, while the straps, made from Longchamp leather offcuts, serve a "100% French" specification for components and assembly. This configuration is not intended to make the other No. 3 models obsolete, but to demonstrate the industrial feasibility of a high level of "Made in France" on a limited-edition watch, meaning that the this industrial feat primarily serves to ensure overall design coherence across the supply chain.
<h3 dir="ltr">Apose Buying Guide: How to choose your French automatic watch?</h3>
To select your Apose, start with the line: Apose Radial if you like a dial enlivened by a fluted ring and more pronounced contrasts, Apose N&deg;3-100 if the "fully French" aspect (including the Pequignet movement) is crucial, Apose Pur or Apose Douz if you want maximum simplicity. Next, consider the dial color and bracelet texture (handmade steel or leather), then check the comfort at 40 mm in diameter and the thickness on the wrist. Finally, keep in mind that the true benefit of an Apose lies in the balance between design, legibility, and the origin of the components.
<h3 dir="ltr">Conclusion</h3>
In just a few years, Apose has established a recognizable style- clean lines, architecturally designed dials, meticulously crafted straps - and a rare ambition to fully "Frenchify" the range. The proposition is clear and transparent for the buyer: an automatic watch with a contemporary design that showcases a network of French partners. If you are hesitating between an Apose Radial or an Apose N&deg;3-100, for example, first consider your relationship to "Made in France," to color, and to versatility.
And to reinforce your decision with concrete feedback, rely on Dialicious customer reviews.
(Updated March 2026)

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