A black watch is unforgiving. The surface absorbs light, and the watch’s contours are defined less by contrast than by the interplay of materials. With the Cap Camarat Full Ceramic 37 mm Automatic, Maison Herbelin has therefore chosen a demanding path: that of an almost monochromatic watch design, where the finish becomes the primary language.
The Cap Camarat line retains its signature features: a faceted bezel, decorative screws, a textured dial, and an integrated bracelet. But this limited edition of 300 pieces gives the model a more technical feel. The case, bezel, and bracelet are crafted from high-tech black ceramic, available in two finishes: fully polished, or alternating between matte and polished surfaces. This difference is not merely aesthetic; it determines how the watch captures light on the wrist.
The 37-mm diameter is worth noting. In a market long dominated by larger sizes, this dimension brings a sense of restraint back into the mix. The thickness, at 11.10 mm, keeps the watch in a wearable balance, while the 100-meter water resistance recalls the collection’s nautical origins without making a big deal of it.
Beneath the anti-reflective sapphire crystal, the black dial—featuring a horizontal brushed finish—is adorned with beveled applied hour markers and faceted rectangular hands, both coated with luminescent material. The date window at six o’clock preserves the dial’s central axis. Nothing here seeks to create a spectacular effect; rather, the watch focuses on the coherence of a compact design.
The Sellita SW200-1 automatic movement provides the Swiss component of the equation. An 11½-line caliber, it offers a 41-hour power reserve and features hours, minutes, seconds, and a date display. Herbelin does not claim to be a movement manufacturer, but rather excels in another, often less visible area of expertise: hand assembly, adjustment, aesthetic and technical inspection, and individual water resistance testing in its workshops in Charquemont.
This is perhaps where the Cap Camarat proves more interesting than its appearance might initially suggest. It embodies a French watchmaking tradition rooted in a border region—close to Switzerland, yet deeply connected to a culture of craftsmanship. The company, founded in 1947 by Michel Herbelin in the Haut-Doubs region, now employs 50 specialized staff and produces 85,000 watches a year, distributed in over 50 countries. Since 2020, Maxime and Mathieu Herbelin, the founder’s grandsons, have been running the company alongside Cédric Gomez-Montiel and Benjamin Theurillat.
Details — Cap Camarat Full Ceramic 37 mm Automatic
Case: high-tech matte black ceramic
Diameter: 37 mm
Thickness: 11.10 mm
Crystal: sapphire with anti-reflective coating
Water resistance: 100 meters
Dial: black with horizontal brushing
Movement: automatic Sellita SW200-1
Power reserve: 41 hours
Strap: matte and polished black ceramic, folding clasp
Edition: 300 pieces
Reference: 1545BCRN14M
Black ceramic can sometimes give watches a deliberately cold look. Herbelin partially avoids this pitfall through the watch’s size, textured dial, and clear layout. What remains is a piece with a clear positioning: a limited-edition watch that does not seek to revisit the heritage of the past, but to prove that French precision can also be expressed through a contemporary material.
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