Hands-On Introduction: Circula Turns A Sharp Corner With The New Facet

Circula was founded in 1955 by the grandfather of Cornelius Huber, the current owner. As a family business, the brand established itself in the German town of Pforzheim, a watchmaking hotspot that’s home to brands such as Junghans, Laco, and Stowa. Today, the brand releases a new model with a new level of quality and finishing. This is the Circula Facet. Let’s have a closer look!

The new Circula Facet comes in silver, petrol, and brown. Note that we received a silver prototype with two-tone lume. The final production model in silver will feature green lume on the hands and indices, doing away with the blue you see on the hands here. Below, you will find a picture from the press pack to show what it will look like if you order one.

The new Circula Facet

So, what do we have here? According to Huber, the Circula Facet is a stainless steel sports watch that follows the “go anywhere, do anything” philosophy. Guy Bove, former creative director of TAG Heuer, designed the Facet. The case measures 38mm across by 44mm long and 10mm thick. Up top, we find a sapphire crystal with three layers of antireflective coating on the underside. The case back, similarly, has a sapphire window and is held in place with four screws. Circula rates the water resistance at 100 meters.

Inside ticks the La-Joux Perret G100 by in its soigné execution. This automatic movement is not a clone of any specific caliber, but it shares its dimensions with the ETA 2824, making it a possible drop-in replacement. As always with La Joux-Perret, the finishing is rather nice. The movement offers a 68-hour power reserve and ticks at 28,800 beats per hour. In case you are wondering, “soigné” is the decorated execution with Geneva striping, perlage, and — in this case — blued screws.

The Circula Facet comes with your choice of a dial-matching suede strap with quick-release pins or a stainless steel H-link bracelet. The bracelet, similarly, comes with a bayonet-style quick-release mechanism. Neatly, you can choose between a butterfly clasp or a single-deployant clasp with a micro-adjustment mechanism. You can preorder the watch now for €/US$1,690 on a strap, €/US$1,990 on a bracelet with a butterfly clasp, or €/US$2,060 on a bracelet with a micro-adjustable clasp. Once deliveries start in December, the prices increase by €/US$100.

Facet — What’s in a name?

With all the boring stuff out of the way, let’s proceed to the new Circula’s design. The watch features almost exclusively flat surfaces and sharp angles. The result is a — you guessed it — faceted appearance. You would be forgiven for thinking this watch has an integrated bracelet. It doesn’t, but the end links and bracelet match the case so well that the entire thing feels integrated and cohesive.

Moving on to the dial, we see a very pronounced pattern. Circula describes it as concentric wheel cogs, based on the brand’s new logo, which is visible on the crown. I see a mosaic tabletop rather than cogs, but that may be just my mind at work. The chapter ring rises above the dial surface, casting a shadow on the dial below. Little details like this always add great visual interest. Kudos to Circula for making that effort. The silver model is the only one to feature a contrasting color in its mint-green lume. The other two come with white lume. Similarly, only the silver model features rose-tone hands and indices.

The case and bracelet are deceptively complex. You will find angles, folds, nooks, and crannies everywhere. Still, when you just gaze at the watch, it looks cohesive and simple. This is no easy feat. Complex watch shapes often look convoluted. The Circula Facet does not suffer from that issue at all.

Wearing the Circula Facet

Circula makes a point of stating that the Facet sits at a new, higher level than before. This immediately stood out to me as I took it from its case. The watch feels solid, and its level of finishing is a step above the previous Circula watches I handled. Those were certainly not bad, but this is better. The transitions are sharper, and the brushing is nice and pronounced.

I love the proportions of the Facet on the wrist. The modest 38mm diameter gains visual presence and muscle from the flaring bracelet. The lugs may be spaced 20mm apart, but the bracelet continues the lugs’ taper. I find time and time again that my favorite watches are those that pair a relatively small diameter with visual weight from other design elements, such as wider lugs or a bracelet integration, as you see here.

The Facet immediately felt at home on my forearm. The watch sits comfortably, aided by its slimness. Operating the movement is another pleasant experience. I always find La Joux-Perret calibers feel a little more refined than those from most competitors, and their looks reflect this.

Initial impressions

I am a big fan of the Circula Facet’s case and bracelet. As mentioned above, I appreciate the proportions, cohesiveness, and “complexity made to look simple” style. Very few brands get this right. Have a look at the bridge-shaped end links, for instance. They sit flush with the lugs and share the same length too. This makes the bracelet look integrated when it isn’t. Too many bracelets and even more end links look like afterthoughts. Kudos, Circula, for going the extra mile there!

I am less convinced about the dial. Again, it looks like a mosaic to me, likely due to the random size and spacing of the individual rectangles. To my eyes, it looks organic or artisanal, which clashes with the geometric case and bracelet. Admittedly, I think it stands out less on the brown and the petrol dials. I also found the rose gold and mint green a bit distracting, so I probably just had the wrong dial color for my taste.

All in all, I think Circula delivers a very capable watch at an attractive price. If this is the level that the brand will pursue from now on, I am eager to see more!

What do you think of the new Circula Facet? Let us know in the comments below!