Hands-On With The Stylish Charlie Paris Concordia GMT Dune
Charlie Paris is one of those brands that I knew by name but had never gotten a chance to check out in real life. But when the new Concordia GMT caught my eye, I knew I had to learn more. This beautifully styled GMT mixes the classic aesthetic of a dive watch with a nicely integrated GMT function. On top of that, the brand chose some rather attractive dial colors to enhance the style even more. I had a chance to go hands-on with the Concordia GMT Dune version, which combines different shades of brown on the dial to make for a really attractive piece. Can this Charlie Paris Concordia stand out in the ever-expanding world of GMT watches? Let’s find out.
It’s not often that a watch instantly seems just right, but that happened when I saw the Charlie Paris Concordia GMT. Everything about the design of the watch made sense. Straight out of the box, that initial impression was confirmed in the metal. The Concordia GMT feels well balanced and has a nice retro vibe thanks to the bezel design and the colors. The watch is also available in blue and black, which gives it a more contemporary feel. The special Latitude 0° model with its textured green dial has already sold out, but it shares the retro vibes with the Dune we had in for review to make for an attractive line of GMTs.
Aesthetically, the Charlie Paris Concordia GMT hits the spot
Rationalizing a design never guarantees success, simply because design is a matter of taste. But let me try to explain what makes this design work for me. I am usually not the biggest fan of GMT divers. While I appreciate the integration of two functions, the reality is that the designs often lead to questionable results. The reason is that with two main functions, there must be a hierarchy that does both of them justice while still looking good. Having seen a lot of these design exercises over the years, I can say that I generally like to keep my dive watches and GMT watches separate rather than merged into one.
Of course, there are exceptions, such as the Longines HydroConquest GMT and the Seiko Prospex 1968 Diver’s Modern Re-interpretation GMTs. These are recent examples of modern GMT divers that work very well. Funnily enough, both are divers first and GMTs second, which many have concluded makes sense when merging the two functions. But could it be different? That’s where this Charlie Paris Concordia GMT comes in. The watch effortlessly balances both functions without creating a distinct design hierarchy. The result is a watch that hits the spot aesthetically because the design just makes so much sense. It’s a big compliment to the Charlie Paris designers.
The details of the Concordia GMT
In June 2022, Vincent reviewed the standard Concordia diver and explained more about the young brand. That’s why I suggest you read his article if you want to know more about the history of Charlie Paris. But upon reading that review again and seeing the pictures, to me, the Concordia GMT seems to have better proportions between the dial and the bezel. This slim bezel design resembles that of the original Omega Seamaster 300 from 1957, a design that I adore. Adding an equally wide 24-hour GMT scale on the rehaut makes the overall proportions better than the regular dive model. Additionally, the cream and dark brown colors of the day/night division add an extra visual sparkle that I love.
Let’s dive into some specs. The watch features a 40mm stainless steel case that measures 12.5mm thick and 47.5mm long. Since this is a capable dive watch, it is water resistant to 300 meters and features a screw-down crown and crown guards. A nice visual detail is the dark brown band on the crown. The unidirectional bezel I just mentioned contains an aluminum insert with a 60-minute diving scale. Furthermore, the watch features an anti-reflective sapphire crystal on the front and another one on the back to reveal the Soprod C125 GMT movement.
The brown gradient dial has a nice set of applied makers treated with off-white Super-LumiNova that lights up green in the dark. It also features a date at 6 o’clock in white with black printing. While it’s never distracting, I would have preferred either a cream-colored date disc to match the lume or a dark brown disc to match the dial. The straightforward handset suits the dial design perfectly, and all hands are filled with Super-LumiNova. This ensures that reading both the home time and the destination time is never a problem, even in the dark. This Concordia GMT feels well thought out in all its details, from the hands and hour markers to the fonts and colors.
Construction and quality
The case of the Concordia GMT feels sturdy, and the neatly brushed top surfaces of the lugs suit its tool-watch nature quite well. In addition, the polished case bands create a nice visual contrast for some extra refinement. We also see this combination on the Oyster-style bracelet. It features brushed surfaces on the top of the links with polished sides for the same visual effect.
The standard stamped clasp is where I felt that Charlie Paris could have done much better because the beautiful design and high-quality case deserve that. Not only is the clasp’s quality a mismatch with the rest of the watch, but it’s also a straight-up nailbreaker, which I would not want from a potentially great daily wearer. That is the potential that the Concordia GMT has. Furthermore, while the quality of the bracelet feels decent, we certainly have seen better, especially knowing that this watch competes in the €1.5K price bracket where excellent competition abounds.
The Soprod C125 movement that powers the Concordia GMT
As mentioned, inside the case, you will find the Soprod C125 automatic GMT movement. It’s the same caliber that powers the Serica 8315 GMT. However, Serica uses a COSC-certified version of the movement, whereas Charlie Paris does not. The movement beats at a 28,800vph frequency and has 25 jewels and a 40-hour power reserve. As it is a caller-style GMT movement, it allows the user to independently adjust the 24-hour GMT hand. The modified oscillating weight features the Charlie Paris logo and circular striping, but other than that, the movement has the standard level of finishing.
Wearing the Charlie Paris Concordia GMT
I spent quite a lot of time with the Charlie Paris Concordia GMT, which was great. The dimensions are spot on, and the looks make for a watch that constantly draws my eyes to it. I love the dark brown gradient dial with the cream-colored details. It injects the overall design with a nice dose of vintage charm. For me, a large part of the romance of a GMT watch is rooted in the old days of travel and exploration, so the Concordia GMT hits the sweet spot.
Setting the watch was also surprisingly satisfying. Historically, I haven’t been a huge fan of the Soprod C125. It never gave me that secure feeling of a well-built movement, especially when adjusting the 24-hour hand. I prefer a GMT hand to move in precisely defined one-hour increments that feel like proper clicks. In the past, I felt that there was way too much wiggle room when setting the GMT hand on other Soprod C125-equipped watches. Thankfully, though, I did not have that issue with the Concordia GMT. Overall, operating the movement with the nicely shaped and executed crown felt much better.
A watch with a lot of potential
As you can probably tell, I expected more from the bracelet, especially the clasp. Visually, there is nothing wrong with it, and I love the simple (albeit rather standard) Oyster-style design. That said, the execution needs to be good. As I mentioned, it was decent, but we’ve seen better at the same price point. I must admit that it is quite comfortable on the wrist, so that is a plus when it comes to the wearing experience. However, the clasp most definitely deserves some improvement. By now, we have seen brands come up with significantly better clasps at lower price points.
And that’s also the biggest challenge for the Charlie Paris Concordia GMT. With a price of around €1,400 — depending on your local VAT rate, it’s a little under or over that price — come certain expectations. The competition does not sit still, and we have seen bracelets with clasps that blow this one out of the water. I understand that offering a great bracelet and clasp can be challenging for small brands. Nevertheless, some of them have made impressive steps in quality and functionality with milled clasps and toolless micro-adjustment systems that are so important in the daily enjoyment of your watch.
Final thoughts on the Charlie Paris Concordia GMT
In conclusion, there are two sides to this story. First, if Charlie Paris equipped the Concordia GMT with a better bracelet and, in particular, a better clasp, it would add much well-deserved value to the watch. However, if there is one thing that stands out, it’s that this GMT has a great deal of charm, a great-looking design, and color combinations that add to the visual attractiveness, regardless of which one you prefer.
That made the overall experience a good one. I enjoyed wearing the watch and found that I also loved the design in real life after first falling for it in pictures. That’s a great achievement when considering the many GMT watches we see every month. These days, it’s hard to stand out in this genre, but that is exactly what this Concordia GMT does and why, with some improvement, it could be one of the best GMTs in the €1.5K range. If Charlie Paris addressed the mentioned issues, I would put down the money to add one to my collection in a heartbeat. Indeed, there is a lot to love about the Concordia GMT.
To learn more about the Charlie Paris Concordia GMT, visit the brand’s official website. Don’t forget to share your thoughts on this new Concordia GMT in the comments section below.
