Mickaël Gaspar’s first watch puts the balance where I want to see it

The warm dial surface and that exposed balance make the Souscription N° 1 a watch I would happily stare at for much too long. I like how the smaller time display leaves space for the mechanism below it, and the date is arranged around the outside without swallowing the whole face. My personal rating is 109 out of 120 bezel clicks.

This is Mickaël Gaspar's debut through Ateliers Associés. The commercial partner says it was revealed at IAMWATCH on November 12, 2026, and lists 20 numbered pieces. I haven't handled it, and the images and reported specifications can't establish how the winding, date action or finishing would feel in person.

An exposed movement with a readable hierarchy

The time sits high on the dial, where the hands have their own defined area. Below it, the balance and the surrounding bridges make a second area to look at. I really like that separation. I can enjoy the moving parts without feeling as though every wheel has been placed directly behind the hands.

The warm surface also helps. It gives the steel case something softer to frame, while the lighter chapter rings and visible screws make the construction easy to follow in the photographs. The brown strap works with that color instead of trying to add another strong idea.

I also like the retrograde date around the outside. A date window can be a fairly abrupt interruption on a watch like this. A pointer lets the scale participate in the shape of the dial, although I would want to operate it and read it at normal distance before deciding how convenient it is.

A first series of twenty

Current reporting gives the steel case diameter as 39.9 mm and identifies the hand-wound movement as calibre 234, with a 46-hour power reserve. Those numbers describe this exact watch in the sources; sharing a calibre number with another maker would not establish a shared movement.

The back has its own broad decorated surfaces and visible mechanism. I like that it feels related to the front without simply repeating it. The retained manufacturer gallery supplies a front view and a back view; duplicate crops of the same front photograph aren't being counted as extra angles.

The listed price is CHF69,000 before VAT, checked November 13. A verified US-dollar quote, remaining allocation and US delivery terms remain unknown. At that level I would want the exact service arrangements and a proper opportunity to see the finishing before treating a small production number as a reason to hurry.

The dial-side balance is the attraction for me. The rest of the display gives it enough room that I can imagine spending more time looking at the mechanism than checking the hour.