Breaking the Status Quo: LAPS Steps into Automatic Watches With its Arche Collection

In the past decade, the Parisian landscape of watchmaking has been flourished with home-grown horological stars. Having made a name for their uniquely styled quartz watches, newcomer brand LAPS is shaking the status quo by introducing its first ever automatic watch, the Arche Collection. Originally established in 2015 by Antonin Mercier, LAPS had become synonymous with its limited-edition, artisanal graphic dials, crafted primarily from unorthodox materials such as wood, tobacco leaves, and exotic skins. Now, as LAPS celebrates their tenth anniversary, they are shifting their focus towards more restrained horological creations, starting with the Arche Collection.

The Arche collection innovatively encapsulates the nuances of modern architecture, borrowing inspiration from the changing facade of a building, designed by Korean design studio WGNB. Offered in two base variations - Serie 01 and Serie 02 - and an assortment of four colorways, each dial subtly changes appearance with the surrounding light. Serie 01 features a chic matte green and ivory finish, while Serie 02 reflects light off a glossy enamel surface in black and blue hues.

Sporting arch-shaped lugs, the timepieces are housed in a 37.5mm x 9.8mm-thick 316L steel case, this aesthetic distinguishing factor lends to its name, the Arche. These finishing details are far from a production afterthought, individually machined and attached onto the middle case, ensuring well-executed, exquisite angles and finishes.