A few months ago whilst doing research for another article I discovered a wonderful new watch label called Bausele. The company is the brainchild of Christophe Hoppé and was established in 2011. When I spoke to Christophe, he explained that Bausele is an anagram of Beyond AUStralian ELEments. Since I founded Total Watch Reviews, I have tried my best to represent brands from as many geographic regions as possible. Apart from The Melbourne Watch Company this is only other noteworthy Australian watchmaker I have featured so far. Hopefully this situation will change in the very near future.
Even though Christophe Hoppé was born in France he emigrated to Sydney with his family a few years ago. Since then he has immersed himself into Australian culture and likes to manufacture his timepieces here in the future. In a recent telephone conversation with Christophe he informed me that a decade spend in the watch industry inspired him to design his own timepieces. Impressively he has worked for a range of companies including the Swatch Group and Techomarine. About a month and a half ago he left his high power position as the Director of Finance for Hurley to pursue this venture full time.
A few weeks ago I published an editorial entitled ‘More Style On a Budget’. This article showcased five attractive timepieces marketed under the $1,000 threshold including Bausele’s fantastic Japanese automatic. Even though this watch is pretty striking, Christophe was very keen for me to review his new Swiss version. About a few weeks ago the timepiece arrived and I can tell you the pictures don’t do the actual watch justice. Dimensionally the timepiece has an average diameter of 44mm excluding the oversized crown. I feel these proportions (and the incredibly competitive price) will appeal to a large variety of buyers including the Unisex market. Generally I found the watch exceptionally comfortable and lightweight to wear. Primarily this is down to the innovative case design and choice of scratch resistant high performance matt black ceramic.
Visually the watch has got a high quality and expensive appearance. It is clear that Christophe has been massively influenced by the bold designs of B.R.M. Nevertheless Bausele’s Automatic Pilot Red is about a fifth of the price. What makes this watch so appealing is the distinctive multi-layered façade, which allows the recipient an intimate glimpse of the mechanical movement. I love details like the offset dial with large bold numerals and an amazing crown containing real Australian red earth. Other features include a second hand that represents Sydney tower and red latticework portraying the metal work of the iconic Harbour Bridge. Overall the composition has been carefully considered and well executed.
To power the watch, Christophe has sourced a robust self-winding A-10 Calibre from Soprod. Due to its reliability, high-end watchmakers such as Stepan Sarpaneva and Vergo Avius use this movement for its efficiency. The mechanism comprises 25-jewels and oscillates at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour. Functionally the Automatic Pilot Red features hours, minutes, seconds and date facility. The watch also has a power reserve of 42 hours and is water resistant to a depth of 50 metres.
The Automatic Pilot Red has a black leather strap with folded black IP treated steel buckle. Priced at: $1,488 AU (approximately $1,392).
For more information visit the company’s website: http://www.bausele.com
