Here at Fratello, we have been closely following Celica’s progress since its founding in 2019. We know this Parisian brand for its vintage-inspired watches, yet fresh and appealing. The founders, Jérôme Burgart and Gabriel Vachette, pay close attention to detail. When they told us they were working on a dressier piece, it piqued our curiosity. The brand’s current field watches, dive watches, and GMT watches all share recognizable design features. But how does a less sporty, more elegant model fit in there? Well, now that the all-new Celica 1174 Parade has arrived, it’s time to check it out.
Until now, Celica watches have always had a standard shape with a round case and slightly twisted lugs. The new 1174 Parade has a more Eclipse shape and the strap connects directly to the case, so it certainly is. It is also the first time that the dial has a sunburst finish and a guilloche pattern. Let’s take a look at how all these firsts come together in the new Celica 1174 Parade. This Parade is available with either a black or brass colored dial.
New Celica 1174 Parade
I’ll start by explaining the dimensions of Serica’s new product, as I think that’s what most people are most interested in. The stainless steel case is 35mm wide, 41mm long and only 8.6mm thick. However, these dimensions don’t tell us much about how this product will sit on your wrist. But we’ll come back to that later. Celica said in a press release that the parade will be shaped like a stadium. I hadn’t thought of that, but I guess that’s the case with rounded ends and a straight line connecting the two in the middle.
That’s interesting. Although the initial shape of the Parade is very different from other Celica watches, it is still recognizable as a watch from the same brand. That’s thanks to the wide bezel with vertical brushing on the top and polished bevels. Of course, the brand’s 6190 Field Chronometer has a circular bezel, but everything else is the same. Below that is another ring, which creates a step before reaching the actual case. The bezel and the ring below it are certainly shaped like a stadium, but the case itself has “wings” on the left and right sides, making it slightly wider. The top is polished and the sides are horizontally brushed.
It’s a fairly small push/pull crown that sits comfortably inside the right wing. It allows you to set and wind the Swiss-made Soprod M100 automatic movement inside. This familiar movement operates at 28,800 vibrations per hour, has 25 jewels and has a 42-hour power reserve.
Black or brass sunburst guilloché dial
For the Serica 1174 Parade, the dial is available in black or brass color. In both cases, the dial combines a sunburst finish with an S-curve guilloche pattern, complete with small markers at each hour. There are only hour and minute hands on the parade. They are polished, domed, and leaf/sword shaped.
The finish and texture are similar on both dial colors, but more pronounced on the brass version. As you can see in the photo, the sunburst effect and guilloche curves are less noticeable on the black dial.
The only text on the dial is the word “Serica Swiss” at 6 o’clock. I know Serica watches don’t have a logo on the dial, but they usually have some specs listed there. I can see why Jerome and Gabriel left them out for this dressy watch.
But it’s still nice to know that the Parade is as sturdy and functional as the sporty-looking watches in Celica’s portfolio. The case back is attached to the case with four screws that go deep into the bezel. This construction makes the Parade water resistant to a depth of 100 meters, so it’s not just a dress watch that you have to take off to wash the dishes or wash your hands at home.
You can also take it swimming, in which case we recommend replacing the 18mm black calfskin strap with something else. Incidentally, that strap tapers to an elegant 14mm with a curved, brushed and polished Papillon pin buckle that resembles the stadium-like shape of a parade.
on your wrist
When I held the new Celica 1174 in my hands for the first time, it felt a little big. When I think of dress watches, I think of the 34mm Breguet 5907, for example. The parade is about the same width, but much longer. However, when I tried it on my 17cm wrist, it surprisingly felt like a pretty good size. The stepped case has a strong presence on your wrist, and the thin and lugless design makes it comfortable to wear. Many brushed and polished facets create an interesting light play. I hope to be able to spend more time writing more relevant and practical articles about parades in the near future.
first impression
Perhaps it’s the slightly larger size or distinctive bezel, but the Parade feels sportier than your average dress watch. In that sense, it fits very well into Celica’s portfolio. But that’s also why I’m not completely convinced by the sunburst finish and guilloché finish on the dial. I would love to see how other textures and finishes look with the eclipse shaped case. Nevertheless, I feel like Jerome and Gabriel have created a very original take on the modern dress watch. I also like that it has an automatic movement and is water resistant to 100 meters. That makes it a very capable dress watch that doesn’t require constant babying or winding.
The all-new Celica 1174 Parade costs 1,490 euros and, as mentioned, comes with a black calfskin strap. It is currently available for purchase on Celica’s official website and at the brand’s boutique in Paris.
Let us know your first impressions of the new Celica 1174 Parade in the comments section below.
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