Circula was founded in 1955 by the grandfather of current owner Cornelius Huber. As a family business, the brand established itself in Germany’s watchmaking hotspot Pforzheim, home to brands such as Junghans, Laco and Stova. Today, the brand releases a new model with a new level of quality and finish. This is a circular facet. Let’s take a closer look!
The new Circula Facet is available in three colors: silver, petrol and brown. Please note that we received a silver prototype with two-tone lume. The final production model in silver will have green luminescent hands and hour markers, eliminating the blue color found on the hands. Below is a photo of the press pack to show you what it will look like if you order it.
New circular facet
So what do we have here? According to Huber, the Circula Facet is a stainless steel sports watch that follows a “go anywhere, do anything” philosophy. Facet was designed by Guy Bove, former creative director of TAG Heuer. The case size is 38mm wide, 44mm tall, and 10mm thick. The top has a sapphire crystal with three layers of anti-reflective coating on the underside. The caseback likewise has a sapphire window and is secured with four screws. Circula is rated for 100 meters of water resistance.
The interior of the La Joux Perret G100 is carved by the execution of its soigner. Although this automatic movement is not a clone of any specific caliber, it shares dimensions with the ETA 2824, allowing for drop-in replacement. As always with La Jeux Perret, the finish is quite good. This movement has a 68-hour power reserve and runs at 28,800 beats per hour. In case you’re wondering, a “soigner” is a piece decorated with Geneva stripes, perlage, and in this case, blue screws.
The Circula Facet is available with a suede strap with dial-matching quick-release pins or a stainless steel H-link bracelet. The bracelet likewise has a bayonet-style quick-release mechanism. Neatly, you can choose between a butterfly clasp or a single deployment clasp with a micro-adjustment mechanism. The watch is currently available for pre-order for 1,690 EUR/USD on the strap, 1,990 EUR/USD on the bracelet with butterfly clasp, or 2,060 EUR/USD on the bracelet with micro-adjustable clasp. When deliveries begin in December, prices will increase by 100 EUR/USD.
Facets — What’s in the name?
So without further ado, let’s move on to the new Circula design. The only features of this watch are mostly flat surfaces and sharp angles. The result is, you guessed it, a faceted look. You would be forgiven for thinking that this watch has a built-in bracelet. It’s not, but the end links and bracelet match the case so well that the whole thing feels integrated and consistent.
If you look at the dial, you’ll see a very noticeable pattern. Circula describes them as concentric gears, based on the brand’s new logo that appears on the crown. You can see a mosaic table top instead of gears, but maybe that’s just my imagination. The chapter ring rises above the dial surface and casts a shadow on the dial below. Small details like this always add great visual interest. Kudos to Circula for making that effort. The silver model is the only model with a mint green luminous contrast color. The other two have white night lights. Similarly, only the silver model features rose-tone hands and indexes.
The case and bracelet are complicated at first glance. Corners, creases, nooks and crannies can be found everywhere. Still, when you just look at the watch, it looks cohesive and simple. This is not easy. Complex watch shapes often look complicated. Circula Facet has no such problems.
Wear Circular Facets
Circula emphasizes that the facets are at a new and higher level than before. This caught my eye the moment I took it out of the case. It has a solid feel, and the level of finish is a notch higher than the Circula watches I’ve dealt with so far. Those certainly weren’t bad either, but this one is better. Transitions are sharper and brushing is nice and noticeable.
I like the proportions of the wrist facets. The discreet 38mm diameter gives the flared bracelet visual presence and power. The lugs are spaced 20 mm apart, but the tapering of the lugs continues on the bracelet. I have noticed many times that my favorite watches are those that combine a relatively small diameter with visual weight from other design elements, such as wide lugs or the integration of a bracelet, as seen here. I did.
The facets quickly became familiar to my forearms. The watch sits comfortably thanks to its thinness. Operating the movement is also a fun experience. I’ve always found the La Joux Perret caliber to feel a bit more sophisticated than most of its competitors’ calibers, and its appearance reflects that.
first impression
I’m a big fan of Circular Facet cases and bracelets. As I mentioned above, I appreciate proportions, consistency, and “complexity that looks simple” style. Very few brands get this right. For example, look at bridged endlinks. It sits at the same height as the lugs and is the same length. This makes the bracelet appear to be integrated even when it is not. Too many bracelets will make even more end links look like an afterthought. Thank you, Circula, for your continued efforts!
I’m not very confident about the dial. Again, it looks like a mosaic to me, probably because the size and spacing of the individual rectangles is random. To my eye, it looks organic or artisanal and clashes with the geometric case and bracelet. Admittedly, I don’t think it’s very noticeable with a brown or gasoline dial. I’m also a little concerned about the rose gold and mint green, so maybe the dial color just wasn’t to my liking.
Overall, I think Circula offers a very functional watch at an attractive price. If this is the level the brand is pursuing in the future, I’d like to see more of it!
What do you think about the new Circular Facets? Let us know in the comments section below.
