Trilobe Nuit Fantastique HODINKEE Limited Edition

"Microbrands", "independents" — however you want to label them, these small companies have never been more prominent in the horological sphere.  There are a handful of fantastic timepieces from these often one-man brands that offer thoughtful design and functionality, incredible value, and a personal touch unmatched by larger firms. One microbrand that continues to astound with their unique design language while still adhering to high Swiss watchmaking standards is Trilobe. Founded by Gautier Massonneau, Trilobe was founded in 2013 and made its official debut in 2018. Initially entering the workforce in finance as a graduate from the University of Paris, Massonneau quickly realized his passions deserved his full time and energy. Raised in a household by an architect and interior designer, it appears Massonneau inherited his parents’ talents as his inaugural watch brand draws direct inspiration from modern, deconstructive architecture.  Watch media and publication juggernaut, HODINKEE, decided to tap the humble brand for a limited edition release in 2023, and as we’ve found out over the course of a decade-plus, the ‘Dink seems to get it right with every collaborative piece.  This Trilobe x HODINKEE Nuit Fantastique draws inspiration from their foundational model, but with a certain touch of refinement and monochrome aesthetic that we’ve come to expect with a HODINKEE collab. This piece features a 38.5mm Grade 5 titanium case with brushed finishing, a signed crown and a sapphire exhibition caseback framing a well-executed, finely-finished self-winding X-Centric Calibre micro-rotor movement. In lieu of the standard Arabic indices, this piece features a more elegant display of telling time with Roman numerals displayed along an outer rotating hour disc. A silver digital minute aperture, as well as a running seconds display are positioned off-center and set against a beautiful, hand-machined guilloche Grain d’Orge.  Limited to just 30 pieces, this piece is individually numbered as 24/30 and is accompanied by all of its factory goodies. Like all HODINKEE collaborative releases, this one sold out in a flash; and rightly so. Featuring a hand-machined dial, beautiful movement, and charming way of telling time, this Nuit Fantastique has that ‘Indie it-factor’ that we absolutely adore.