Horological Meandering

Matwatches (MAT meaning Mer Air Terre, Sea Air Earth in French) is a French brand created by Fabrice Pougez whose mission is to produce military watches ... dedicated to the military. This mission may seem obvious but it is clear that the watch market in recent years has significantly changed its way of thinking about military watches.  If at the beginning, the military watch was featuring suitable characteristics to be used in operations, it has become for the last years the embodiment of an aesthetic approach towards an urban clientele attracted by a very masculine and raw style. Fortunately, some brands continue to work to preserve the original purpose of the military watch and Matwatches belongs to  this category.

Fabrice Pougez combines two aspects of his life through Matwatches: his national service performed in the Paris Fire Brigade, its relations with the corps of the French army on one side and his long experience in the watch industry on the other. These two dimensions are required to develop a brand like Matwatches, the first one to favor opportunities to create watches to various special forces, the second one to be able to produce them by keeping manufacturing costs at a reasonable level. It is inconceivable to propose watches for the attention of soldiers at a price not compatible with their pays. The aim of Matwatches is to produce small series, the equation would be insoluble without a very thick address book and "personal basis" relationships in the watch industry.


The AG6 3 Légion Etrangère (Foreign Legion) is certainly the  best representative of the current Matwatches collection. Designed to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Camarón, it embodies the exclusive partnership agreement with the Foreign Legion. It is a watch that uses an uncomplicated standard Swiss movement inside a rather imposing case. But it would be a pity to stop the presentation of the watch at this stage. Behind this apparent simplicity is hidden an accomplished and consistent design which is worthy of the prestige of the French Foreign Legion, one of the most famous fighting forces.

The part that most appeals to me is the case. Inspired by some shapes created in the 70s, the AG6 3 Foreign Legion is more complex than a round watch. Behind the bezel, the shape of the case allows us to appreciate a design that blends smoothly without any hitch sharp angles and curves. I appreciate the work on the horns that can position the watch on the wrist thanks to their inclined form. The prominent crown protectors evoke almost  chronograph pushers and energizes the case by enlarging it horizontally. The finish is flawless, the rendering of the brushed steel is very pleasant to observe. The rotating bezel is handled with any problem, it doesn't give the impression to move without any reason and the different notches are well marked: a sign of seriousness in the production of components.


The caseback is hopefully solid to be faithful to the vocation of the watch. Anyway, the show offered by an ETA 2824-2 is not fantastic. In contrast, the caseback can display a nice flaming grenade with 7 flames engraved  in Paris.

The dial has the same standard of quality: I found it beautifully designed with a hint of originality. It is very difficult to renew the style and it doesn't have any desire to go very far from the traditional aesthetic canons of the military dials: black with luminescent numerals and indexes, the recipe is well known for an optimized readability required for  military watch. However, it has several virtues. The use of four figures which are not the usual 3-6-9-12  alternating with the indexes provides a small originality. The symmetry of the dial is preserved because the watch, and it's a relief, doesn't have any date display. If the window is located at 3:00, the symmetry would have been broken. At 6:00, the date would have been inside the grenade which was not  conceivable. Moreover, the result would have been unsatisfactory. I sincerely believe that the absence of any date display contributes significantly to the success of this piece. The red and green colors of the Foreign Legion are well represented with the inscription "official series" and the second hand. They are finally relatively discrete: the watch becomes a bit more colorful without falling into the too colourful even if less text would not have been a problem. Finally, the pair of hands,  inspired by the shape of the logo of the brand, matches perfectly with the dial.


It is difficult  to not notice the flaming grenade on the dial. Its size is relatively large compared to the figures. But on the other hand, it  brings the different touch to the dial and it is reminiscent of  the context of the creation of the watch. The grenade on the dial doesn't bother me... it is the opposite actually.


The movement which animates the AG6 3 Foreign Legion is an standard grade ETA 2824-2 coming from a safe source (it is important to specify this point in today watch world). It is a reliable, robust  movement with an efficient winding. Above all it remains serviceable even in very many years. It is perfect for this type of watch which doesn't need a sophisticated caliber. Its performances are very classic: a 4hz frequency for a power reserve of 42 hours.


The full set is very complete with two additional straps (nylon and rubber). The original strap (made by ABP) is the most relevant because, beyond the effective combination it creates with the watch and the excellent positioning on the wrist, it strengthens the link with the Foreign Legion as it is cut from the same leather as the ceremonial aprons worn by the Pioneers. Despite its size (almost a 44mm diameter), the perceived size of the watch is smaller thanks to the horns and the proper diameter of the bezel around 39/40mm. The 15.5 mm thickness is the dimension which is the most felt.

A card signed by the General Christophe de Saint Chamas completes the set. This point raises the question of whether this watch primarily created for the legionnaires and offered to them at a special rate (a percentage is donated to the "Foyer d'Entraide"of the Foreign Legion) can be worn by civilians. Is there any sense to finally grab one of the 150 copies that were produced in priority for them? I think instead that owning such a watch is possible. The watch is well made which is a first argument. The second one is that wearing it is a way to pay tribute to these fighters. And don't forget that it is not an endowment watch but a watch commemorating a battle so this notion of tribute makes sense.


With a water-resistance up to 300 meters, an excellent perceived  quality, a robust appearance, the AG6 3 Foreign Legion is a piece that attracted me with its achieved design and its overall coherence. It is the reason why I purchased one which bears the number 69... my birth year!

The AG6 3 Foreign Legion is available from April 30, 2013 in a limited edition of 150 pieces at a price of 1,650 euros. Please note that a quartz chronograph is also available in the same context to offer an alternative to the legionnaires  with a cheaper price.


Thanks to Fabrice Pougez for the time he dedicated to me.

Pros:
+ The seriousness of the design and of the production of components
+ The subtle originality of the dial
+ No date display
+ A very complete set

Cons:
- The watch is quite thick
- Less text on the dial would not have been a problem

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