The legacy of a family house, measuring time for nearly 80 years
It is above all a story of heritage, a family story, a story of freedom.
Precision, an obsession from the very beginning
Herbelin’s story is rooted in the curious gaze of a young man from Charquemont, a village in the Haut-Doubs region, where mountains brush against the Swiss border. In the 1930s, against his parents’ wishes, Michel Herbelin secretly began mastering the meticulous art of watchmaking under his uncle’s tutelage. He honed his skills in the region’s many workshops, earning a reputation for rigor and precision.
A man of mountains... and the sea
Michel Herbelin was more than a watchmaker. An accomplished sportsman, he raced down ski slopes with sports legends like Charles Bozon. But it was the sea that deeply attracted him: the Giens peninsula, Porquerolles, sailing... He found escape and freedom there, spending his retirement on his boat, Ulysse IV, until his passing in 2012 at the age of 91.
A family adventure spanning generations
In the 1970s, two of his children, Jean-Claude and Pierre-Michel, joined the venture. Jean-Claude developed the watch designs and opened the brand to international markets, achieving notable success in the United States, Scandinavia, and South Africa. Pierre-Michel, meanwhile, guided the Maison through the quartz crisis by mastering this new technology and developing slimmer, more modern, often feminine models. "Watch jewelry" became a cornerstone of the Michel Herbelin collection.
1947
Birth of a workshop
In Charquemont, from his small apartment, Michel Herbelin designs his first “Impec” models.
1965
A Distinctive Identity
Buoyed by the success of his collections, Michel Herbelin decided to create his eponymous brand, asserting his ambition in the French watchmaking landscape.
1970
The New Generation
Two of his children, Jean-Claude and Pierre-Michel, joined him. They developed the design, export sales, and the technical aspects of the models.
1988
Newport
Conceived by Jean-Claude and Pierre-Michel in tribute to their father and his passion for nautical pursuits, Newport became the Maison’s emblematic model.
1991
The Watchmaking Arc
The Herbelin watchmaking workshops are expanding into a 3 000 m² building, reinforcing local and regional roots and mastering production.
2006
Antarès
Launch of the Antarès women's collection, the first watch with a patented interchangeable bracelet system.
2022
Modernity
New logo and new signature: “HERBELIN — Contemporary watchmaker since 1947”. The first HERBELIN boutique opens in Paris, in the heart of the Saint-Germain-des-Prés district.
2024
L’Élysée
The Maison Herbelin is now recognized among French brands for diplomatic gifts.
78
years of experience
A house founded in 1947, never sold.
3
Family generations
Direct transmission Michel → Pierre → Marc.
42
watchmakers in Charquemont
Assembly, adjustment, control, after-sales service.
100%
Designed in France
Designed and finalized in Charquemont.
Three models,
Three chapters of the Maison
Interior view
The art of discreet wear.
A Herbelin watch is worn without imposing itself. The 38 to 40 mm case fits perfectly under a shirt cuff or on a bare summer wrist. A calibrated presence.
The guilloché dial, radiant with light.
Sunburst on the guilloché lathe, the dial captures light in concentric circles. The applied indices are hand-set, polished at the angle, as was done in 1947.
A sapphire crystal that never disappoints.
Domed, with anti-reflective treatment on both sides, the sapphire crystal with a hardness of 1500 HV resists for decades. It reveals the dial as water reveals the bed of a river.
The saddle-stitched strap, hand-sewn.
French-tanned Alran leather, hand-stitched saddle stitching, supple calfskin lining. For us, the strap is an extension of the watch—never an accessory.
Our Official Boutiques
Find all our collections in our boutiques in Paris and Aix-en-Provence. Our advisors will guide you in choosing your watch and provide personalized service throughout its life.
Saint-Germain-des-Prés Boutique
58 rue Bonaparte, 75006 Paris
+33 1 43 54 78 20
Monday — Saturday: 10:30 AM — 19 PM
Get DirectionsBoutique Madeleine
8 rue Royale, 75008 Paris
+33 1 40 20 07 06
Monday — Saturday: 10:30 AM — 19 PM
Get directionsAix-en-Provence Boutique
15 place François Villon, 13100 Aix-en-Provence
+33 4 42 24 26 51
Monday — Saturday: 10h — 7:30 PM
Visit usCustomer Service
