Pequignet Royale Paris Chrono BPM: A chronograph that measures the beat

How fast is the music? The Royale Paris Chrono BPM by Pequignet answers this question mechanically. Its outer scale converts 30 counted beats into beats per minute. The chronograph, featuring a blue-to-black gradient dial, is housed in a 39.5-millimeter stainless steel case and is powered by the Caliber Initial Chronograph.

Count 30 beats, read the tempo

BPM stands for “beats per minute.” To measure it, start the chronograph, count 30 steady beats in the music, and then stop the chronograph. The position of the central stopwatch hand on the outer scale indicates the tempo per minute. The principle is similar to that of a heart rate monitor, whose scale extrapolates a fixed number of heartbeats per minute. Here, it serves as a tool for measuring the rhythm of a piece of music.

Pequignet draws a connection to the French Touch, that French style of electronic music characterized by house rhythms and filtered sound loops. This motif extends even to the dial design: between 12 and 2 o’clock, bar-like markings evoke the level meters on a mixing console. The gradient from electric blue to black continues the contrast between light and a night out at the club.

Manufacturing Mechanics with a Swiss Development Partner

Inside, the watch is powered by Pequignet’s fifth in-house movement, the Caliber Initial Chronograph, which is based on the Caliber Initial. It was developed in collaboration with a Swiss partner specializing in complications. The brand regulates the movement in six positions and opts for a comparatively matte finish in its decoration. The automatic movement is visible through the sapphire crystal case back.

The chronograph is operated by a cam mechanism. Its 30-minute counter is located at 9 o’clock, with the small seconds sub-dial opposite it at 3 o’clock. The central chronograph seconds hand also serves as a reference for the BPM scale. A system with an offset winding stem allows the crown and pushers to be flush with the case.

Compact steel case and black Cordura

The 316L stainless steel case measures 39.5 millimeters in diameter and 12.7 millimeters in height. The distance between the lugs is 47 millimeters; the lug width is 20 millimeters. Polished and satin-finished surfaces, a domed, anti-reflective sapphire crystal in the “Glassbox” style, and pushers with concave ends characterize the watch’s exterior. It is water-resistant to five bar.

Reference 9120343 is part of the permanent collection. It comes with a black Cordura strap and a buckle; the interchangeable strap system makes it easy to change the strap.