Perrelet Turbine Carbon Forest Green and Midnight Blue Watch Review
The Perrelet Turbine Carbon Forest Green and Midnight Blue are new additions to the brand’s hugely popular Turbine collection. These incredibly light watches are endowed with eye-catching rotating dials, dynamic behaviour that distinguishes them as special. Meehna Goldsmith explores the composition of both references in her own very distinctive style.
Abraham-Louis Perrelet
The rotor changed the game for horology. Instead of having to remember to wind your watch before the power reserve ran out, simply wearing it did the job. Abraham-Louis Perrelet is the man credited for inventing the self-winding watch, although Abraham-Louis Breguet gets more time in the spotlight for perfecting it. And yes, the name ‘Abraham-Louis’ seems to have been a firm favourite in the 18th century.
Perrelet double rotor
The modern house of Perrelet takes the historic rotor concept and goes all in. In 1995, the brand presented the ‘double rotor’ in the Dipteros model. Here the rotor is flipped to the dial side, its rotation connected to the winding mechanism on the back.
While that novelty held some visual allure, Perrelet went a step further. Inspired by the visual possibilities of the dial side rotor, it debuted the Turbine model in 2009. The watch featured a rapidly spinning propellor that whirled around the dial, creating a kinetic canvas to play with. Although the propellor isn’t part of the automatic winding system, it was born from the ‘double rotor’ idea.
Image discs/coloured subdials
Perhaps most significantly, the Turbine evolution defined Perrelet with a modern identity. Those familiar with the brand will immediately recognise one on the wrist. And those who aren’t familiar will surely be curious about the dynamic dial. What Perrelet achieved with the Turbine is pretty noteworthy. The brand created an icon. No mean feat when there are a plethora of watches on the market and scant few that are identifiable and defining at a glance.
Perrelet Turbine Carbon
For 2023, Perrelet keeps up the winning formula with the launch of two additions to its Turbine Carbon collection, embracing rich shades of forest green and midnight blue. Those two colours grace the subdial, the disc beneath the turbine, and also feature on the hour markers and minute track. From the name of the models, you know that carbon plays a significant role in the proceedings. The 44mm case is forged from polycarbonate and carbon fibre. These light materials make a significant difference in wrist weight, especially with such a pronounced case size.
Moreover, the polycarbonate/carbon combo provides excellent insulation properties and resists temperature changes, making it a champ in the field. Complementing the case, the flat bezel and case back are made of matt black PVD-coated steel. With its traditional vertical fluted decoration, the case also offers a nice grippy crown for easy winding and setting the time.
Now let’s take a closer look at the 12-blade turbine. Constructed of black anodised aluminium, it reveals the coloured dial below with just a subtle movement of the wrist. But there’s another surprise. When the turbine reaches maximum rotation speed, a wonderful optical illusion takes over, showing a stunning flash of the sun-satin finished subdials, in this instance executed in forest green or midnight blue.
White Arabic numerals pop against the Midnight Blue model, while beige indices feature on the Forest Green version. The hands match the numerals and both are accompanied by a red central seconds hand. Generous helpings of Super-LumiNova fill the hour and minute hands for viewing in muted lighting.
Festina Group
For those who like a brand that can honestly claim to make its own movements, Perrelet meets the criteria. The Festina Group, which owns the Soprod movement manufacture, purchased Perrelet in 2004.
Calibre P-331-MH
These new Turbine Carbons run off the automatic in-house calibre P-331-MH with a 42-hour power reserve. Seen through the sapphire case back, the movement is decorated with a circular-grained finish on the bridges while colimaçon decoration graces the mainplate. Another nice flourish is the open-worked and rhodium-plated rotor with the Perrelet logo. Not only are the watches COSC certified, but they also meet the stringent standards of Chronofiable certification.
Perrelet Turbine Carbon Forest Green and Midnight Blue
The Turbine Carbon Forest Green and Midnight Blue come complete with an alligator embossed calf leather strap which features black stitching and a rubber lining, along with a folding clasp. Perrelet also provides an additional black rubber strap and fastening tool all presented in a special ‘Tactical Box’.
The new Perrelet Turbine Carbons stand out for their creativity, presenting the time in a highly original form while also showcasing the brand’s horological know-how – all at an accessible price point. The ability to combine these two elements is truly novel, particularly in a sea of ‘novelties’.
Further reading
Technical specifications
- Model: Perrelet Turbine Carbon Forest Green
- Reference: A4065/4
- Case: case body in polycarbonate and carbon fibre, bezel in stainless steel with black matte PVD coating, diameter 44mm, height 13.82mm, water resistance 10ATM (100m), sapphire crystal to the front and exhibition case back.
- Functions: hours, minutes; central sweep seconds
- Movement: Perrelet in-house calibre P-331-MH, self-winding movement, frequency 28,800vph (4Hz), 25 jewels, power reserve (fully wound) = 42 hours
- Strap: water-resistant green calf leather with black stitching and rubber lining.
- Price: €4,750 (RRP as of 24.1.2023)
- Model: Perrelet Turbine Carbon Midnight Blue
- Reference: A4065/2
- Case: case body in polycarbonate and carbon fibre, bezel in stainless steel with black matte PVD coating, diameter 44mm, height 13.82mm, water resistance 10ATM (100m), sapphire crystal to the front and exhibition case back.
- Functions: hours, minutes; central sweep seconds
- Movement: Perrelet in-house calibre P-331-MH, self-winding movement, frequency 28,800vph (4Hz), 25 jewels, power reserve (fully wound) = 42 hours
- Strap: water-resistant blue calf leather with black stitching and rubber lining.
- Price: €4,750 (RRP as of 24.1.2023)