Beaubleu Ecce Figura Review: Six Ways to Square the Circle
Squaring the Circle at Micro Praha
Every so often you walk past a stand at a watch fair and know within about thirty seconds that this is the one people are going to be talking about at the end of the weekend. Micro Praha 2025 had that stand, and it was Beaubleu's. The Parisian microbrand had brought the full Ecce Figura collection along, and by lunch on Saturday the queue to get a piece on the wrist was the longest of any exhibitor in the room (which, given the roster at Micro Praha, is a properly telling metric).
I have known about Beaubleu for a while, mostly on the strength of their round-hand signature and the La Pièce collaboration with Monnaie de Paris that we covered earlier this year. Their identity has always been circular. Round cases, round dials, and above all round hands, literal circles that trace the time rather than pointing to it. What made the Ecce Figura interesting even before I had one on the wrist is that Beaubleu decided to take exactly that signature and put it inside a semi-octagonal, shaped, rectangular-format case. Which is a properly bold editorial decision for a brand whose whole visual identity has been circular.
The Ecce Figura is Beaubleu's first shaped-case release, launching in six variants at a starting price of €990. The collection sits under a Latin motto that Beaubleu use themselves in the press: "Figura non caritur: squaring the circles." Which is exactly what the piece is doing, taking round hands and dropping them inside an angular case, then finishing the whole thing with the kind of alternating polished-and-brushed surface treatment that most microbrands at this price point would not attempt. This is also part of a broader French microbrand year, with Baltic, Awake, and now Beaubleu all shipping releases that feel like they belong at the top of the accessible independent segment.
The Case: Semi-Octagonal, 30 by 39, Not Quite Rectangular
The Ecce Figura case sits at 30 millimetres wide, 39 millimetres tall, 8.6 millimetres thick, with an 18 millimetre strap width. It is not a rectangle in the conventional sense. Beaubleu describe the shape as semi-octagonal, and the way the profile actually reads is closer to a rectangle whose corners have been re-cut into short flat facets (which is a subtle enough decision that it does not immediately register until the light catches the beveled edges).
The material on the standard variants is 316L stainless steel. On the Lys and Sienna configurations, the case carries a rose-gold finish over the same steel base. Finishing is a mix of polished and brushed surfaces alternating along the case flanks and the concave bezel, which is a level of surface work that reads far more expensive than the entry-level €990 / $1,125 price would suggest. The concave bezel is where you can see the shape doing its most interesting work, catching light differently as you rotate the wrist and giving the case a sense of geometry beyond a straight rectangular slab.
At 30 by 39 millimetres it is a genuinely compact shaped case. That size makes the Ecce Figura wear across a wider range of wrists than most rectangular pieces do, and the 8.6 millimetre thickness keeps it slim enough to disappear under a cuff without complaint. This is not a watch trying to shout across the room. It wears quietly and lets the details speak.
Six Named Variants and the Wax-Stamp Dials
The Ecce Figura ships in six named variants: Lys, Smalt, Onyx, Alba, Sienna, and Vesperal. Each variant is a specific combination of case treatment, dial colour, and strap or bracelet configuration, but the shared design language across all six is a wax-stamp dial finish that Beaubleu describe as their bespoke technique for the collection.
- Lys is the rose-gold configuration paired with a warm-toned dial that catches the light through the collection's most flattering angles.
- Smalt runs a deep blue dial on a grained blue leather strap, which is arguably the most versatile of the six.
- Onyx is the deep-black dial on a grained black leather strap, and it is the version that has been getting the most attention in the enthusiast community (with good reason, as it is quietly the most cohesive of the six).
- Alba is the steel case configuration on a matching integrated steel bracelet, running a lighter dial palette that leans on the case finishing to do the visual work.
- Sienna is the rose-gold steel case on the matching rose-gold bracelet, which is the closest thing to a modern dress piece in the collection.
- Vesperal is another steel configuration with a darker, evening-toned dial, exactly the kind of thing you would want to wear when the light drops.
The wax-stamp dial technique is what separates the Ecce Figura from a straight dial-colour-drop exercise. Each dial carries a stamped, textured surface that reads flat at a glance and reveals its finish as you rotate the wrist under any light source. It is closer to a hand-finished technique than a printed pattern, and it is properly unusual to see at this size and price bracket (the sort of finishing choice that a much more expensive brand would use as their headline story).
All six variants share every other specification. Same case, same movement, same crystal, same water resistance. Pick your favourite colour, decide between leather strap and integrated bracelet, and you have the Ecce Figura you actually want.
The Miyota 9015 SLIM Under the Hood
Powering every Ecce Figura is the Miyota 9015 SLIM automatic. This is Miyota's high-grade slim calibre, running at 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz), with 24 jewels and a 42-hour power reserve. The regulation tolerance Beaubleu specify is -9 / +9 seconds per day out of the case (which is the standard Miyota 9015 tolerance and holds up in real daily wear).
The 9015 SLIM is exactly the right movement for this piece. It is thin enough to preserve the 8.6 millimetre case height, it holds its regulation well through daily wear, and Miyota's manufacture support is genuinely reliable if the movement ever needs servicing. For a €990 / $1,125 entry price on a shaped microbrand piece, the movement choice is quietly disciplined rather than a marketing-heavy specification.
There is no exhibition caseback on the Ecce Figura, which is the correct editorial choice for a piece that is meant to be about surface finishing and dial architecture rather than movement theatre. What you get on the caseback is a solid steel back that Beaubleu allow you to have engraved to order, which keeps the profile clean while letting owners add their own quiet mark.
Straps, Bracelets, and a Long Warranty
The Ecce Figura ships with a choice of grained leather straps or a matching integrated bracelet, both at 18 millimetres. On the leather-strap variants (Smalt and Onyx), the strap material is a properly textured grained leather in blue or black, finished with a matching signed buckle. On the steel and rose-gold configurations (Alba, Sienna, Vesperal, and the rose-gold Lys), the piece ships on a matching integrated bracelet that ties the case to the wrist properly.
The leather-strap configurations start at €990 / $1,125, with bracelet configurations priced separately on the collection page depending on case metal and configuration (which is fair given the additional work in an integrated bracelet at this shape). Beaubleu back the piece with a 3-year warranty on the watch and a 5-year warranty on the movement. Both are properly reassuring numbers for a piece from a genuinely small Parisian house, and they are the sort of after-sales commitment that quietly does a lot of work at this price point.
Why It’s Special
A few things in particular set the Ecce Figura apart from the increasingly crowded shaped-case microbrand segment.
- Beaubleu's signature round hands inside a semi-octagonal case: No other microbrand is putting circular curved hands inside an angular shaped case at this price point. It is a properly considered editorial decision that ties the Ecce Figura visually back to the round-case Beaubleu catalogue while establishing its own identity.
- Wax-stamp dial finishing at €990: Most microbrands at this price point ship a printed dial and call the job done. Beaubleu's wax-stamp technique is closer to hand-finishing, and it is genuinely unusual to see at this bracket.
- Six variants across steel, rose-gold steel, leather, and bracelet configurations: The collection format lets you pick the version that matches your rotation, from the black-leather Onyx to the rose-gold bracelet Sienna to the steel Alba, without asking you to compromise on movement or case architecture.
- A properly compact shaped case at 30 by 39 millimetres: 8.6 millimetres thin on a case this small keeps the piece wearable across a wider range of wrists than most shaped microbrand releases, which tend to skew larger.
A Parisian Rectangle That Earns the Cult
The Ecce Figura is the kind of release that quietly rewards actually spending time with it. At a stand or in a wrist shot the case reads restrained. In person you notice the alternating polished-and-brushed finishing, the wax-stamp dial texture, the way the round hands trace across the semi-octagonal frame (which is why you are buying a Beaubleu in the first place). It is one of those pieces that gets more interesting the longer you look at it, which is not something you can say about a lot of shaped microbrand releases at this price bracket.
At €990 / $1,125 for the leather-strap Onyx or Smalt, the value proposition sits comfortably at the top of the accessible French microbrand segment. You are getting a Miyota 9015 SLIM automatic, a properly finished 316L steel case designed and assembled in Paris, a wax-stamp dial in your favourite colour, an engravable caseback if you want to personalise it, and a 3-year watch and 5-year movement warranty from one of the more interesting quiet successes in the French microbrand scene. And if you have been paying attention to the French microbrand scene this year, alongside Baltic and Awake, you already know this is the Beaubleu piece that graduates them from "brand to watch" to "brand to actually own".
If you were paying attention at Micro Praha 2025 you already know why the Beaubleu queue was the longest at the fair. If you were not, the Ecce Figura is exactly the piece worth catching up on.
Specifications
- Brand: Beaubleu
- Model: Ecce Figura Collection (Lys, Smalt, Onyx, Alba, Sienna, Vesperal)
- Case Material: 316L stainless steel (Alba, Vesperal, Onyx, Smalt), 316L steel with rose-gold finish (Lys, Sienna)
- Case Dimensions: 30mm wide, 39mm tall, 8.6mm thick, 18mm strap width
- Case Shape: Semi-octagonal with alternating polished and brushed surfaces, concave bezel
- Water Resistance: 30m (3 ATM)
- Strap: Grained leather in blue (Smalt) or black (Onyx); matching integrated steel or rose-gold steel bracelet on Alba, Sienna, Vesperal, and Lys configurations
- Crystal: Anti-scratch and anti-reflective sapphire
- Movement: Miyota 9015 SLIM, Japanese automatic, 4 Hz (28,800 vph), 24 jewels, -9 / +9 seconds per day tolerance
- Power Reserve: 42 hours
- Lume: See official Beaubleu product page
- Limited Edition: No, standard production
- Price: From €990 / $1,125 (leather-strap configurations); bracelet configurations priced separately by variant on the collection page
- Warranty: 3 years on the watch, 5 years on the movement
More information about the Ecce Figura collection on Beaubleu.
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About Beaubleu Ecce Figura: Key Questions Answered
What are the six Beaubleu Ecce Figura variants and how do they differ?
The six named variants are Lys, Smalt, Onyx, Alba, Sienna, and Vesperal. Every variant shares the same 30 by 39 millimetre semi-octagonal case, Miyota 9015 SLIM movement, sapphire crystal, and 3 ATM water resistance. What varies across the collection is the dial colour, the case treatment (316L steel or rose-gold PVD), and the strap or integrated bracelet configuration. Onyx and Smalt ship on grained leather, the others on matching steel or rose-gold steel bracelets.
What movement powers the Ecce Figura and how accurate is it?
Every Ecce Figura runs the Miyota 9015 SLIM, a Japanese automatic calibre from Miyota’s high-grade slim range. It beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz), carries 24 jewels, and delivers a 42-hour power reserve. Beaubleu specify a regulation tolerance of -9 / +9 seconds per day out of the case. The slim variant of the 9015 is what enables the piece’s 8.6 millimetre case height.
What are the Ecce Figura case dimensions and is it suitable for smaller wrists?
The Ecce Figura case is 30 millimetres wide, 39 millimetres tall, 8.6 millimetres thick, with an 18 millimetre strap width. The shape is described as semi-octagonal, closer to a rectangle whose corners have been re-cut into short flat facets. Between the compact footprint, the modest thickness, and the shaped format that reads smaller on-wrist than the vertical measurement suggests, this is one of the more genuinely wrist-friendly shaped microbrand pieces at this price point.
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